One thing Damian Lillard has been blessed with in Portland is the massive support the city has for the Trail Blazers. Anybody from that city will speak about what the Blazers mean to the community and how attending a game is like a right of passage for fans. Which is why for Lillard, an Oakland native, it’s disappointing to see the Warriors price out die-hard fans due to their massive success.
The Warriors and Oakland used to go hand in hand. When Golden State was winning there were few arenas louder or more fun to be around. That held true until the last few seasons when the Warriors became more than just champions.
As the Warriors won their brand became similar to that of the Lakers, or the LeBron James era Heat in Miami. It was just as important to be seen at the Warriors game as it was to actually watch it. Ticket prices rose and soon the team will be moving to San Francisco for the 2019-20 season.
As for those Warriors die-hards? They can’t afford to keep up with the rising costs, as Lillard told Mark Medina of the Mercury News.
“They’re upset about it. It’s one of those things where success comes and you’re going to up and move,” Lillard said. “A lot of the real Warriors fans, a lot of times they can’t go to the games. They can’t afford it. At that time, we were able to go to the games. Nowadays, a really good ticket is way more expensive to do everything. The people who are real Warriors fans aren’t able to get into the games.”
Lillard grew up in Oakland so he knows what the Warriors meant to that city and community. He still has friends and family that live there that he can talk to. He also has his own experiences. It has to be painful to see what was once such a proud fanbase reduced to being just another brand item for people to show up at. This will likely only get worse with the move to San Francisco in the future.
It’s hard to see the Warriors ever becoming that same level of rabid fanbase they were in the past. It’s also a double-edged sword. Golden State has become this global, iconic brand because it’s winning championships at a dynastic level. Those fans being priced out have to be happy to see their favorite team winning championships, but it’s come at the cost of being able to afford tickets to games. What will be most interesting is what happens when, eventually, the dynasty years end and the team is in the Chase Center in San Francisco. Will the die-hards make the pilgrimage across the Bay for games, or will the Warriors struggle to get folks in the door if there is an eventual slip back to mediocrity?
