'Moving a piece of happiness:' Mistah F.A.B. emotional that Warriors are leaving Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - As the Warriors gear up for their last game at Oracle Arena before relocating across the Bay into the newly built Chase Center, some Oakland natives say it's bittersweet to watch them go.
While the team isn't going far, about 16 miles away, it resonates deeper for residents whose unwavering support was enough to fill the once empty seats at the Coliseum—think pre-Warriors dynasty.
Oakland rapper, Mistah F.A.B., recalled the times he would go to games and sneak down to the lower levels and snag autographs from some of the players.
He also remembers those players who turned down his requests saying, "You'll see someone and be like, 'Man when I was nine, you didn't give me an autograph."
F.A.B., who also goes by Fabby Davis, says the arena brought a lot of history and happiness to the city.
"Basketball was a safe haven for me and my friends and several other individuals growing up," he said. "Going to the Coliseum pre-Oracle days, it was like a playground in heaven in the midst of everything we had going on in our daily lives."
And some residents wonder if that same playground will ever be the same.
"It was right in the heart of the community. It was easily accessible, right down the street from my house, " resident Aliyah Brumfield said." Watching them just gave me a sense of pride being from Oakland and showed the media a new view of my city."
"You're moving a piece of happiness and piece of hope in a city that really doesn't have much," Mistah F.A.B. said."In a city that's forever changing. The gentrification has definitely gone to a different level, so we're up against."
In what will be the last half-time performance at the Oracle, F.A.B along with Bay Area rap legends Too Short and E-40 and hip-hop star G-Eazy, plan to give the City of Oakland just what it deserves — a 'function.'