Warriors homecoming greeted by thousands of fans
OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - The NBA champs are back in the Bay Area.
The Golden State Warriors touched down in Oakland Saturday afternoon and were greeted by thousands of excited fans.
It was a party the moment the team stepped off the plane. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant were the first players out the door. They carried the MVP trophy and the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy over to screaming fans. A few other players popped bottles of champagne and sprayed the tarmac.
Fans chanted and cheered, players gave them high-fives. A crowd waited outside the gates of the airport and celebrated every time one of the players drove away.
Coach Steve Kerr talked about all the hard work that went into this journey.
"It has been a long difficult season," said Kerr. "But definitely all worth it in the end. Just an amazing finish and I thought our guys played their best game of the playoffs last night. Save the best for last."
Earlier Saturday, fans waited in line outside the team store at Oracle Arena.
After sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers – fans I talked to were in such a good mood – they didn’t mind waiting in the line that was so long, it took some people 45 minutes to get inside.
”I gotta come get the hat," said Warriors fan DJ Slowpoke. "We did it again, we swept them boys.”
"I can't wait for the "back to back to back on next year!" said fan Brooks Roenisch.
LaDante Smith brought some of the littlest members of Dub Nation – 11 month-old-Riley, 5-year-old Jordan.
"I'm just excited," said Smith. He let his kids stay up late to watch the Warriors sweep the Cavs. "We stayed up really late. Way past our bedtimes."
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf watched the game with her family. She says she never doubted the Dubs. "Going into the second half of the game with the lead, knowing how the warriors always just turn it up at the 3rd quarter, I just knew it was ours. I knew the sweep was going to happen.”>
There is a victory parade planned Tuesday. Mayor Schaaf says the city's message is – come for the parade, stay for Oakland.