Headed over to Oracle Arena for my final Golden State Warriors game of the year ::tear:: against the New Orleans Hornets.
I arrived early to shoot the press conference announcing new general manager Bob Myers replacing Larry Riley. An unsurprising choice considering he was previously the assistant general manager. And as Joe Lacob spoke, it was all a matter of timing for when he would replace Riley, who was fully aware of the agenda and will continue working with the Warriors as director of scouting.
It's all very interesting and obviously I don't know the ins and outs of running a basketball team. But I laughed when the media asked a question not directed at any of the three in particular and both Lacob and Riley pointed towards Myers to answer... get used to it buddy!
As for the game, Warriors weren't fighting for much since they have no chance for the playoffs and actually have some incentive to lose to increase their odds of a draft pick - seems like a terrible system.
Though a lot of players seemed to still be playing for pride.
It didn't really feel like the back and forth game that it was until the final seconds with Warriors and Hornets tied 81-81. After some impressive offensive rebounds to keep the ball in the possession of the Warriors through the final seconds - Charles Jenkins alternatively drove in for the basket with 5.9 remaining and was denied by Gustavo Ayon.
Then Greivis Vasquez grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Marco Belinelli who went for the layup. Though Chris Wright prevented the ball from going in the basket, he was called for goal tending and the basket counted. With 0.7 left on the clock there wasn't much the Warriors could do as they fell to the Hornets 83-81.
A bummer (though not really) for the Warriors, I applaud the referees for making the right call in an intense game ending moment. And I want to give a big shout out to referee Violet Palmer!! The first woman to officiate at the highest competitive tier in a US Sport (hired simultaneously with Dee Kantner) I can only IMAGINE what a hard path it has been for her to reach this level. While there are documented incidents of players and other "higher ups" being completely against the idea of a woman officiating a men's game, I'm sure there are many undocumented battles she has faced. And look at her now:
She is Fabulous
Confident
Funny
and Sassy
But normally you don't see that side as, in game, she is mainly serious! And you know she has to 1) love what she does 2) be really good at it, for her to be in the position she's in today. Girl power!! =)
Speaking of being a woman in a predominantly male occupation, while wheeling around my suitcase outside the arena I was again asked by a security guard if I was a cheerleader... I'm more flattered than anything because last I checked, I don't look like this:
I'd like to think I could hold my own with any of these girls on the dance floor ;-)
Though my days as a cheerleader were far less alluring and much more scrawny and awkward, haha
photo by Mama Cox
Full set up: http://kelleylcox.com/action/basketball/nba/20120424hornetsatwarriors
