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40 Years, One Goal, The Warriors Return To The Finals

Published

11 years ago

May 28, 2015

Oakland, CA – The city of Oakland has been in discussions over moving professional teams out of the area for years. It’s been a debate more than the United States financial budget. But last night, no one cared after the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets 104-90 to move on to the NBA Finals for the first time in forty-years.

It was more than a celebration for the fans, but more a declaration for city that’s waited almost a decade to honor a sports team our their own backyard. Is it possible for the Warriors to join the likes of the San Francisco 49ers and Giants in brining a championship to Oakland as they’ve done for the city of San Francisco? Only 7 days until the Warriors host NBA’s best player, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on June 4th.

“The Bay Area has been waiting for 40 years,” said MVP Stephen Curry. “I think it’s time.”

Photo by Nhat V. Meyer

Looking back no one imagined they’d get this far, but for a group of young guys and old veterans, the Warriors took it day by day. When they surpassed the franchise best 59 wins done in 1975-76, it began to sink in, what else could be accomplished this season.

First year head coach Steve Kerr was second-runner up in voting for Coach Of The Year. And Curry won the season’s MVP, something the team hadn’t celebrated since Wilt Chamberlin won the honors back in 1960.

After 3 years of losing in the playoffs, the Warriors finally got it right. They have an opportunity to go all the way but first will have to get past James, a 4-time MVP recipient and two-time NBA champion. During the regular season both teams split two games with wins at home for each team. However, James sat out the Warriors win at home while he scored 42 points in the Cavs win in Cleveland.

“I always think of Pat Riley’s quote when coaching in the NBA,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “There’s winning and there’s misery. It’s more than a relief. It’s a joy. Our players are feeling it. I know our fans are.”

Kerr’s emotions are no different from the players, none of them have been here before. Kerr was a five-time NBA champion as a player winning four championships with the Chicago Bulls and one with the San Antonio Spurs. Playing along side the best player in NBA history (Michael Jordan), Kerr knows talent when he sees it. And when it comes to Curry he stands alone as one of the best shooters in the league.

The true comes test has come, both teams match-up very well and it will be unlike the previous teams faced in the playoffs. The Cavs were clearly the best team to come out of the East, and the Warriors face their toughest competition. They’ve been able to hold their opponents off with great defense but the Cavs use this strategy as well. There’s no prediction that the Warriors will be able to finish off the Cavs in four or five games.

“We’re very resilient,” said Curry. “There’s obviously story lines throughout the playoffs, the things you have to go through to get a championship. Everybody’s got be determined, everybody’s got to do whatever comes your way, you’ve got to get through it.”

We foretell a seven game series to determine a new NBA champion. This is the first time a pair of rookie head coaches will meet in the NBA Finals. Kerr or David Blatt will become the first rookie head coach since Pat Riley to win a championship. The next seven days off will be a time to reflect and ascertain the path that led both teams to this point.

For the first time in a long time, the two best teams #1 and #2 will face for the ultimate goal, a NBA Championship. The Cavs have never won a NBA championship while the Warriors look to add a fourth trophy to their display. There’s no doubt this will be a battle to the very end. A new champion will be crowned next month, until then we await next Thursday’s arrival.

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Community

Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

8 hours ago

August 15, 2026

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View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

10 hours ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.