The Warriors’ players crowded around the Larry O’Brien Trophy as blue-and-gold streamers and confetti fluttered through the air and a shimmering Lake Merritt provided the perfect backdrop on a pristine Oakland day.
Hundreds of thousands of fans who gathered for Friday’s victory parade and rally were advised to take photographs that would act as a permanent reminder of the franchise’s first championship in 40 years and all of the work that went into winning it.
“Nothing about this was an accident, and it won’t be an accident when we do it again,” said owner Joe Lacob, who joked about being cheered by the Warriors’ fans three years after being booed by some of the same people.