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Warriors Return to Bay Area as NBA Champions

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Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, walks past cheering team employees as he carries the Larry O'Brien championship trophy in front of forward Andre Iguodala, lifting the NBA Finals MVP trophy, after the team landed in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, June 17, 2015. The Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers to win their first NBA championship since 1975. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, walks past cheering team employees as he carries the Larry O’Brien championship trophy in front of forward Andre Iguodala, lifting the NBA Finals MVP trophy, after the team landed in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, June 17, 2015. The Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers to win their first NBA championship since 1975. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

ANTONIO GONZALEZ, AP Basketball Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry came off the plane, lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy as he walked down the mobile staircase and let the gold award shine in the California sun.

For the first time in 40 years, the NBA champions are back in the Bay Area.

With more than 100 team employees in yellow and blue shirts cheering them outside a private terminal, the Golden State Warriors were welcomed home to Oakland on Wednesday. The team spent Tuesday night in Cleveland — though the players didn’t really sleep — after beating LeBron James and the Cavaliers 105-97 in the Game 6 clincher.

“We just stuck to who we are, fought through some tough times in the playoffs. At the end of the day, when you’re holding the trophy, all the ups and downs are worth it,” said Curry, the NBA MVP. “We’ll remember this for the rest of our lives.”

Players, coaches and team employees soaked in the scene as much as they could.

As two helicopters hovered above the airport, the chartered flight received an escort from a police car and two fire trucks on the runway. Curry was the first player off the plane and was quickly joined by teammates on the staircase.

Warriors employees, shuttled from team headquarters on three buses, cheered and chanted “War-ri-ors!” and the song “We Are the Champions” by Queen. They also pounded inflatable sticks and gave hugs and handshakes to players and coaches, with just about everybody taking photos and videos on their smartphones.

Most of the Warriors’ contingent, who were accompanied by their families, wore gray “NBA Champs” shirts. And just about everybody — including the pilots — walked off with championship hats.

“Phenomenal. Still on cloud nine. It really hasn’t set in yet,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said.

Green is the team’s only core player not signed for next season. As a restricted free agent, the Warriors would be able to match any offer he receives from another team — and they full intend to do so, even if that means facing the league’s luxury tax.

Asked if he expects to be back next season, Green shouted: “Hell yeah I expect to be back here.”

The welcome home capped a busy two-day stretch for the Warriors.

After finishing off the Cavaliers, the team had a dinner at a high-end steakhouse in Cleveland. They stayed up late celebrating with friends and family, and congratulations poured in from all over — including President Barack Obama, who phoned coach Steve Kerr to congratulate the Warriors on winning the title and invite them for a customary White House visit.

The dizzying daze of a championship celebration left no time for sleep — even on the plane ride home, which Curry called a party for some and a chance to relax for others.

“You’re still kind of on an adrenaline rush and excited to win a championship, so guys are taking naps, guys are listening to music, just talking about how fun the journey’s been,” Curry said. “And now we get to celebrate for real.”

About 30 fans waited outside the private terminal’s parking lot at Oakland International Airport, with some players and coaches stopping on their way out for autographs and photos. A championship parade is planned Friday in downtown Oakland, where fans from throughout the Bay Area are expected to cheer on the market’s only NBA team.

“This is nice to be back home with the trophy and be able to celebrate with our fans,” Curry said. “I can’t wait for the parade. It’s going to be so much fun. The Bay Area deserves this championship and we’re going to have a good time celebrating.”

___

Antonio Gonzalez can be reached at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Arts and Culture

Gov. Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom Host 2024 Hall of Fame Ceremony

Former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and three other African Americans were among 10 luminaries inducted into the 2024 Class of the California Hall of Fame on Feb. 8. The 17th Annual California Hall of Fame ceremony was held at the California Museum.

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Willie Brown, Former California Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor, was proud to be among the Hall of Fame inductees. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
Willie Brown, Former California Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor, was proud to be among the Hall of Fame inductees. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By California Black Media

Former Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and three other African Americans were among 10 luminaries inducted into the 2024 Class of the California Hall of Fame on Feb. 8.

The 17th Annual California Hall of Fame ceremony was held at the California Museum.

“The California Hall of Fame is one of our families’ favorite traditions as it is a time to come together to celebrate remarkable Californians as well as their loved ones because we know that it is about partnerships,” Siebel Newsom said. “The governor likes to say that California is a dream factory because it doesn’t matter what zip code or background you come from, the California dream is alive and well to everyone who calls this state home.”

The other Black honorees were filmmaker Ava DuVernay; Federal Judge and civil rights leader, the Hon. Thelton Henderson; and basketball Hall of Fame player and broadcaster Cheryl Miller.

“It’s what I’ve been waiting for and to be among a great group of individuals that also deserve the honor,” Brown told California Black Media on the event’s red carpet before the ceremony began. “No, I never thought someone from Texas would be recognized this way. But here I am, and it all happened in the great state of California. It’s a fantastic feeling.”

Other 2024 inductees are: master chef and “mother of fusion cuisine” Helene An; computer scientist and “father of the internet” Vincent A. Cerf; all-female pop punk band The Go-Gos; Chicano Rock band Los Lobos; former U.S. Secretary of Defense and Congressman Leon E. Panetta; and artistic director and choreographer Brenda Way.

This year’s honorees join a history-making club with over 150 inspirational Californians previously inducted for their groundbreaking achievements and personifying the state’s innovative spirit.

“It’s just a humbling experience. I want to thank the Governor and First Partner. Who would have thought 100 years ago (that I would be inducted?) It’s incredible,” Miller said after her induction. “I want to thank the governor and First Partner for an incredible event.”

During his acceptance speech, Henderson said he was deeply honored.

“You know, it really would have been a really big deal to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the area where I grew up, for example, South Central Hall of Fame, or the Watts Hall of Fame, or the Straight Out of Compton Hall of Fame,” he said. “But being inducted into the California Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame of the greatest state in the country in this great nation is something else.”

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Community

El Cerrito High Senior Jayvon Bolds Named to Blue-Grey All-American Bowl

El Cerrito High School senior Jayvon Bolds is set to play in the Blue-Grey All American Bowl game at Cowboy Stadium in Dallas on Jan. 8. Bolds, an 18-year-old scholar athlete whose favorite subject is history, was nominated for the honor by Rodney Alamo Brown, founder of Soulful Softball Sunday who also serves as an announcer for the Texas bowl game.

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Jayvon Bolds (No. 4) is headed to Cowboys Stadium to play in the Blue-Grey All American Bowl. (Photo courtesy of Rodney Alamo Brown).
Jayvon Bolds (No. 4) is headed to Cowboys Stadium to play in the Blue-Grey All American Bowl. (Photo courtesy of Rodney Alamo Brown).

By the Richmond Standard

El Cerrito High School senior Jayvon Bolds is set to play in the Blue-Grey All American Bowl game at Cowboy Stadium in Dallas on Jan. 8.

Bolds, an 18-year-old scholar athlete whose favorite subject is history, was nominated for the honor by Rodney Alamo Brown, founder of Soulful Softball Sunday who also serves as an announcer for the Texas bowl game.

“It’s a real honor,” Alamo Brown stated about Brown’s selection for the bowl game. “This makes him an All-American.”

Bolds will play three positions for the Eastern team: kr, slot back and special teams—i.e., kickoff and punt return.

“The plan is to line up Bolds all over the field and let him do his thing. He’ll be a weapon for our staff,” said NFL veteran Tampa Bay Buccaneers standout and All-American Bowl Coach Dick Bell. “In a game like this, with the platform being an NFL facility with former professionals as assistants and mentors, he’ll have a chance to shine on one of the biggest stages around.”

Recently, Bolds received a scholarship offer to continue his higher education at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa.

Bolds maintains a 3.3 GPA and is heavily involved in leadership as he is the vice president of the Black Student Union.

Blue-Grey Football launched in 1989 by founders Gus and Erik Bell with the aim of helping prospects gain national exposure so that they can improve their chances to secure college scholarships.

Some of the nation’s most talented young football players compete in the annual game, with Fox Sports, CBS Sports and USA Today regularly providing coverage, as well as ESPN.comScout.comRivals.com and 247Sports.com.

Bolds’ family is planning on traveling to Dallas on Friday and is seeking donations from the community to offset the enormous cost. Those who are willing to donate may do so by sending their donations to this cash app, $Juanita Towns.

Rodney Alamo Brown contributed to this report.

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Book Reviews

Book Review: “Who Got Game? Basketball”

A little less than two feet. That’s how far you can get your two feet off the floor if you’re an average kid doing an average vertical jump. Not quite twenty-four inches, but don’t worry: the taller you grow, the higher you could be able to jump. Practice some, dribble a little, shoot more three-pointers, and you might jump right into a book like “Who Got Game? Basketball” by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Jez Tuya.

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“Who Got Game? Basketball” Author Derrick Barnes Courtesy of EyeSun Photography (Charlotte NC). Book Cover Courtesy of Workman Publishing c.2024.
“Who Got Game? Basketball” Author Derrick Barnes Courtesy of EyeSun Photography (Charlotte NC). Book Cover Courtesy of Workman Publishing c.2024.

A little less than two feet.

That’s how far you can get your two feet off the floor if you’re an average kid doing an average vertical jump. Not quite twenty-four inches, but don’t worry: the taller you grow, the higher you could be able to jump. Practice some, dribble a little, shoot more three-pointers, and you might jump right into a book like “Who Got Game? Basketball” by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Jez Tuya.

Here we are, football season’s almost over, and your mind has turned to other things – namely, hoops set high over your head, and a round bouncy basketball. Kids like you who “got game” have had it for more than a century. Yes, the game of basketball was created by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 in Massachusetts.

In the years since, basketball has changed a lot, thanks to what Derrick Barnes calls “pioneers.” Julius “Dr. J” Erving improved the dunk. Before that, in 1950, the NBA first allowed Black basketball players on the teams. There have been super-tall players (Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muregan were both seven feet, seven tall) and smaller b-ballers – five-three Muggsy Bogues had a vertical jump of nearly four feet! – and just two years after the game was invented, America had its first women’s team.

A lot of off-court people poured themselves into the game, too. Barnes writes, for example, about Pat Summitt, hoopster, leader, and “one of the greatest coaches in all of sports history.” Her record of 1,098 wins ranks her at first-place in coaching women’s basketball, and as the coach with the second-most wins overall.

You can probably guess that in a book about buckets, there are bucketfuls of stats. Barnes includes a list of NBA players who jumped to a team right out of high school. He writes about the greatest basketball park ever, he explains why winners cut down the net, how Title IX changed the game, why backboards rarely break into a zillion pieces anymore, high scores, bad injuries, “hoops movies,” and where in the world you can pick up a game today.

So, your 9-to-13-year-old loves basketball so much that they dribble a ball in their sleep? They think their favorite jersey is church wear? Then you’ll be the hero of the day when you bring home “Who Got Game? Basketball.”

But first, there’s one big thing you need to know: this is not a how-to book. There aren’t any instructions inside here, no rules or plays to follow. Instead, author Derrick Barnes makes young b-ballers happy by sharing little-known info about the game they love so much, short lists, great stories about great players, wins and losses, and phrases they should know to talk the talk. All this knowledge is supported by colorful illustrations by Jez Tuya that kids will enjoy alongside the facts.

This book is for die-hard young b-ballers, but don’t be surprised if an adult finds a thing or two to learn here. “Who Got Game? Basketball” is a book any fan will want to jump on.

“Who Got Game? Basketball” by Derrick Barnes, Illustrated by Jez Tuya, c.2023, Workman Publishing, $16.99, 172 pages.

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