Finals worries aren’t about the Warriors, but what it means to be a Bay Area fan

The Golden State Warriors are in the NBA Finals for the fifth time in five years.

Like any long-standing fan with any sense, I’m not even the slightest bit nervous about the Warriors’ odds in this series. We have Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, Steve Kerr and the forces of Bay Area culture and Silicon Valley money.

Meanwhile, Toronto has a grand total of two superstars: the (admittedly remarkable) forward Kawhi Leonard and ... Drake.

It’s not a fair fight.

Which is why the Warriors feel like the right team for this serious moment in Bay Area disgruntlement.

It’s also why, speaking as a fan, I’ve had so many feelings on the brink of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

What does it even mean to be a fan of the Warriors — the team that everyone outside of the Bay Area loves to hate — in a moment when everyone hates San Francisco, a.k.a. the team’s soon-to-be new home?

Bear with me while I have a “back in my day” moment.

There was a time when it wasn’t easy to be a Warriors fan. There was a time when the franchise was a national embarrassment to the NBA, a dumping ground for flop draft picks and overpaid players past their prime.

The franchise was still lax enough to make rickety marketing choices. During a rare postseason appearance, they thought it would be a good idea to have the hip-hop group Run D.M.C. introduce them and poke fun at the playoffs.

“Run TMC,” the team’s high-scoring trio — Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond...