Warriors Surprise With 'We Believe' Jerseys In Oracle Finale

The Golden State Warriors pulled out a special surprise for their last regular season game at Oracle Arena, ripping off their blue and yellow warmups to reveal their “We Believe” era uniforms.

Stephen Curry, who spent his rookie season in those white and orange duds 10 years ago, stepped onto the court and began to roar as the crowd channeled the intensity it brought throughout that magical 2007 Playoff run and roared with him.

As the Warriors prepared to write the final chapter in Oracle Arena history after 47 years of memories, fans clamored for the team to bring back the uniforms they donned from 2002 to 2010, most closely associated with the Baron Davis-led “We Believe” team that upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks 12 years ago.

When it’s all said and done and this run comes to an end, the hoops historians are going to talk about the wins, the awards, and the championships. There’s only so much time in the documentaries that will inevitably get made and last night’s tribute will, understandably and sadly, get lost in the national consciousness.

But last night wasn’t about that.

Last night was an intimate celebration that everyone was invited to, a special nod to a unique period in Warriors history that helped put into perspective our personal journeys as fans and the evolution of what it means to be a Warrior.

For many of us--myself included—we grew up on Warriors teams that wore that uniform. We fell in love with them and with the game of basketball itself largely because of the way that the 2007 squad defeated the odds.

These back-to-back champion Warriors accomplished what “We Believe” never got close to, but there’s a respect there. Draymond Green has more All-Star appearances than that entire team did in their collective careers, but they all felt a need to pay their respects to the OGs that paved the way, the pioneers who introduced countless fans to Warriors basketball.

Thus, the appearance of those uniforms.

And while that magical season has defined that era, it’s important to remember that, for most of the decade, the Warriors were a joke.

That is why last night is so important.

Curry, Monta Ellis, Anthony Tolliver, Reggie Williams, and Chris Hunter comprised the starting lineup the last time they wore that jersey. They had one healthy reserve—Devean George—and Don Nelson had to reach deep into his bag of tricks in order to keep him on the floor even after fouling out.

They won that game; it was only their 26th of the season.

When the Warriors put them on again, their lineup featured five perennial All-Stars, including two MVPs. They won their 56th game of the season and locked up the top seed in the Western Conference.

Golden State left those uniforms behind and adopted the blue and yellow bridge logo to get a fresh start; to abandon the woes of the previous decade--sans two winning seasons--and turn a new leaf.

Last night was just as much for Mike Dunleavy Jr. getting kicked in the face as it was for Matt Barnes dunking on Dirk Nowitzki in the playoffs. Jason Richardson helped end the Warriors’ playoff drought, but who could forget Brian Cardinal averaging nearly as many fouls as rebounds a few seasons earlier?

Last night’s celebration was for the fans who lived through it all.

The ones who stuck by the team when they were awful, who flexed their power on the national stage during that run, and who taught the next generation of fans to love the game even when the Warriors returned to what they knew best: mediocrity.

Seeing a talent like Kevin Durant in that jersey was only possible in a video game. Luring a center like DeMarcus Cousins in free agency was a pipe dream. How could you draft future Hall of Famers like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green when guys like Chris Taft and Patrick O’Bryant were available?

Last night was for Curry, who came full circle when he put that jersey on again.

He made a promise to the fans that they’ll “figure it out,” and he delivered. He has led his team to history, creating a dynasty when, at one point, even winning 30 games in a season seemed unreasonable.

Seeing Curry hit that stepback three from the hashmark to end the third in that orange 30 is a reminder of how he and the team have changed the very fabric of basketball itself and how they’ve risen from the very bottom to unprecedented heights.

That era will forever be represented by “We Believe,” but it was everything before and after it that really makes the 2019 team’s tribute special.

With all of the winning and everything that comes with it--mental fatigue, drama, etc.--it’s easy to get lost in all of it. That tribute provided perspective on just how far this team has come, giving fans closure and much-needed energy ahead of another playoff run. It was for Curry, who has seen it all, and for the fans that have come along on the ride with him.

The last time he put that uniform on, the Golden State Warriors franchise was a laughingstock. Now, they’re the standard for greatness.

The tribute was a proper sendoff for a building that has been like home for many of us—no matter what the team on the court looked like—and a gesture that assures fans that even though they’ll be in a new arena in a different city, their history will never be forgotten.