Last year, members of Club 123 had their first annual meetup at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, the only new venue in the Big 4 in 2018-19. This year, there are four new spots to choose from, with one of them hosting two teams. Rather than wait, we decided to meet at the first venue to open (which turned out to be a fortuitous decision after the pandemic stopped spectating for 2020). That venue is Chase Center, the new home of the Golden State Warriors, who moved across the Bay from Oakland to San Francisco. Built at the astounding cost of $1.4 billion, the good news is that the arena was privately financed. The bad news is that they are going to make that money back by overcharging for everything.
Chase Center is located in the Mission Bay area of the city, just a few blocks from Oracle Park. The best way to get there is on the Muni, which has a stop right in front of the building. The trams are crowded as game time approaches, so try to get there a bit earlier. Rides are free if you have a game ticket. You can also walk from the Caltrain terminal at 4th and King. If you are looking for a pregame spot, 21st Amendment on 2nd Street is your best bet.
As it was dark by the time we ventured over, I returned the next morning to take some shots in the daytime. As you can see, the venue is very white with plenty of glass as well. There are red lanterns in the two shots above; it was Asian Heritage Night on Friday and I'm not sure if the lanterns were installed just for that, or if they are a more permanent fixture.
Above is the East Entrance, which is right next to the water. If you are taking a rideshare or taxi, you will get dropped off here. There is a ferry terminal here that takes you to Oakland and is a huge boon for those in the East Bay, saving hours of driving and other hassles. It leaves 30 minutes after the final buzzer, so don't dawdle if you are taking it. The huge glass window is reminiscent of Fiserv Forum.
There are several artworks around the venue that deserve to be seen during daylight hours. I particularly liked the five large glass spheres by Iceland's Olafur Eliasson that are set in such a way as to provide endless photo opportunities.
More traditional art can be found in various spots as you circle the outside. Cable cars are a must in any San Francisco theme.
Inside, the whiteness continues. The staircase in the photo above is for entry to the suites or something, so I did not venture in.
Even the Mercedes promo is white.
Hey, there's some colour. Note all the sponsors along the side. A lot of high-tech names there for some reason.
One of the nice touches was a free charging station, the first I had seen at the pro level. RingCentral recently purchased naming rights to the Oakland Coliseum, though after I visited for the Jays series last April.
There is a box office just inside the main entrance. Note the item of the game on the TV screens above, only $20 for a hat or toque.
Concourses are ample, though somewhat barren. There are dozens of concessions with overpriced food and booze. San Francisco has become a very expensive town (and a result, homelessness has become a real problem, but I'll leave the politics out of this post) and I guess many people have more money than they know what to do with.
However, if you do want something to eat, Big Nate's BBQ is the recommended spot, if just for the coolness of having Nate Thurmond's photo there.
Looking down as you take the escalator to the top level. Seems more like a medical building than a sports arena; very sterile at spots.
Looking outside through that huge glass window. Would be nicer during the day I expect.
More whiteness, this time it is the club level as we are passing on the escalator.
There is plenty of artwork on the inside too, including a hanging light sculpture that changes colour. Unfortunately, I caught it as it was light blue, which looks almost white.
The seating bowl is the first place where white doesn't dominate. As you can see in the photos, it is a typical seating bowl, with a large lower level that stretches way back, a couple of suite levels, and then an upper level that also has a lot of rows, going all the way back to 21. To be fair, in most sections, the first row is actually 6, but regardless, you are far away when you are in the top few rows here.
It is tough to see in the photo below, but there are lounges in between the courtside seats and the actual seating bowl. Prices are ridiculous, but hey, when you are 10-36, you can charge what you want. Capacity is 18,064 and that was the announced attendance for this game, though many fans stayed away.
Behind the net, you can see the narrow end of the scoreboard. This is a good reason to avoid sitting behind the net.
Just above this is the Pepsi Club, which is actually open to everyone, though there are sections off to the side that are restricted. Despite being sponsored by Pepsi, booze is the key aspect of the club, as are very high prices.
Our seats were in the upper deck near the top, and we originally paid $90. After the Warriors realized that they were going to suck this season, there was a $20 refund paid. Still, 70 bucks for this crap? Yep, welcome to San Francisco, Warriors fans. Nobody pities you either because you won three titles.
There is even art in the seating bowl. I have no idea what that blue floating thing is, but it seems to be a mobile that changes shape and colour throughout the game. At one point, I thought I was hallucinating, but the picture proves that there is something there.
There are no trophies on display; I heard from a friend that they were in the "high-rent" district. Not sure why teams hide their silverware from those fans that suffered through the lean years, but it drives me nuts. C'mon Warriors, put those Larrys where every fan can see them. The banners are nice, but it is the trophy that we want to see.
Speaking of banners, screw you Oakland!
The scoreboards are most impressive. In particular, the shot chart on the right of the smaller scoreboard shows makes and misses from everywhere on the floor. Also, there is EFG%, which is effective field goal percentage.
The main scoreboard is immense, with an incredible amount of detail. For every player on the floor, you have minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, field goals made and attempted, three pointers made and attempted, and fouls. There is also a beautiful video screen showing the game that is often more captivating that the live action much farther away.
Overall, Chase Center was somewhat disappointing, mostly because it ignores the history that the Warriors have enjoyed. Sure, it is beautiful, but there is more to a sports venue than aesthetics. I suspect that I missed quite a bit of it due to not having spent a thousand dollars on a ticket, but I believe that teams should cater to all their fans and not just the wealthy. It will be interesting to see how the Warriors adapt as their team slowly falls from the pinnacle of the NBA.
The game itself was rather uneventful. The Warriors took a 16-8 lead before Indiana (29-16), went on a 21-6 run and never looked back. Golden State got within 2 early in the second quarter, but Indiana's Doug McDermott scored 8 straight points and T.J. McConnell added a layup to make it 50-38. The Warriors climbed within 4 a couple of times, but never closer, as Indiana mostly cruised to a 129-118 win. D'Angelo Russell led all scorers with 37, while T.J. Warren paced the winners with 35.
The Pacers shot over 60% from three-point land and had 15 steals, two excellent numbers that contributed to their win. Interestingly, the record for most steals in a quarter is 12, held by Golden State, who did it against Indiana in January 2008.
Notes
On my way out of San Francisco, I had a great view of the city as we climbed. Chase Center is the large, white blob in the center, right on the bay.
A few seconds later, we flew right over the old home of the Warriors (and the old home of the Raiders), with symbolic clouds coming in to cover them up. In case you forgot, the last game played at Oracle was the Raptors championship win.
The moral of the story: always get a window seat and leave those shades up!
Best,
Sean
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