SAN FRANCISCO — Warriors fans swarmed Chase Center ahead of the NBA’s 77th season start Tuesday night to see their defending champions host the Los Angeles Lakers and take part in a Fan Fest at Thrive City, the plaza surrounding the arena.
The festival included live musical performances, games, photo ops, a special kids zone and an augmented reality exhibition and a free-to-all invitation to watch the Warriors celebrate their 2022 title in a special pregame ceremony on Thrive City’s 3,108-square-foot video board in the West Plaza.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver arrived in San Francisco for the pregame ceremony, during which the Dubs received their championship rings and unveiled their latest title banner — the fourth the team has earned since 2015.
Warriors co-executive chairmen Joe Lacob and Peter Guber joined Silver in presenting last season’s players with diamond-clad rings crafted by Jason of Beverly Hills.
As Golden State began its quest for what would be a fifth championship in nine seasons, head coach Steve Kerr told Associated Press the brewing competition was exciting.
“We’re back in it,” Kerr said. “But there’s a lot of teams that are right in it, and the league is super competitive. I think the West has gotten even stronger. There’s a lot of competition out there. And so, we’re one of the teams that is in the mix and that’s exciting. But we have to start over. It doesn’t just automatically happen from one year to the next, so we’ve got a lot of work.”
The Golden State Warriors show off their 2022 NBA Championship rings before their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green and Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson show off their fourth and 2022 NBA Championship ring before their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Kevon Looney and Golden State Warriors’ Jordan Poole show off their 2022 NBA Championship rings before their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
The Golden State Warriors show off their 2022 NBA Championship rings before their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry shows off his 2022 NBA Championship ring before their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry receives his 2022 NBA Championship ring from owner Joe Lacob in front of owner Peter Guber before their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green looks at his 2022 NBA Championship ring in front of owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber before their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson receives his 2022 NBA Championship ring from owner Peter Guber as owner Joe Lacob watches on before their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) The Golden State Warriors shows off their 2022 NBA Championship rings before their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green shows off his 2022 NBA Championship ring before their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) The Golden State Warriors shows off their 2022 NBA Championship ring before their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) The Golden State Warriors watch a video on the scoreboard as they wait to receive their 2022 NBA Championship ring before their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors fans Nancy Llacuna, left, and Joanne Caruso, of Concord, take selfies with stilts walker Jodi Power during the Fan Fest at Thrive City before their NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Rhys Formosa, 10, left, and his father Glen Formosa, of Australia, pose for photos with a Golden State Warriors fan dog during the Fan Fest at Thrive City before their NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Los Angeles Lakers fans walk though the Thrive City before the NBA season opener against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors stilts walker Jodi Power performs during the Fan Fest at Thrive City before their NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
