Warriors parade 2022 live updates: Steph Curry yells during rally, ‘This what it’s about’

Did Klay or didn’t he?

Nobody seems to know for sure whether Klay Thompson, during one of his forays off his parade bus to greet fans on Monday, really accidentally dropped one of his four NBA title rings onto the sidewalk curb. He bent and picked up the large, diamond-encrusted jewelry and kissed it, then flashed a smile and slipped it back on his finger. Fans near the spot had mixed opinions about the incident — some telling The Chronicle that Thompson was joking around when he grabbed it and others saying it fell off accidentally. A Warriors spokesman said he would check into RingGate. Read more about this and other Klay Thompson moments of the day.

Gary Payton II is life of the parade

Gary Payton II said he was going to go full J.R. Smith at the Golden State Warriors’ championship parade, and he kep his word Monday. Much like the Cavaliers guard who skipped wearing a top after his team beat the Warriors in 2016, there was Payton on Market Street, shirtless and rocking black shades atop the bus he shared with James Wiseman. The same boldness that made Payton a fixture in the Warriors’ rotation this season made him the life of the parade. Payton fired water guns into the crowd and showered Warriors fans with champagne, leaping to the street to greet fans. Read more about the Payton and his parade antics.

Let’s hear it for the “most valuable podcaster” 

Draymond Green embraced a moment during the Golden State Warriors parade day when he spotted a sign held aloft on the parade route that read “Most Valuable Podcaster.” Green, who delights in having his own podcast, grabbed it and danced around holding it over his head while the crowd surged around him, chanting, “MVP” and “Drayyyymond!”

Draymond embracing the “Most Valuable Podcaster” sign 🤣 pic.twitter.com/QHeQqBXfCQ

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 20, 2022

A day of straight-up joy and Bay Area pride

As luminaries and Warriors members paraded, and revelers formed a sea of blue and gold on the streets — sometimes climbing light poles, trees and bus shelters for a better view — the verdict screamed unanimously Monday from Market Street: the Warriors were unbeatable after all — a team for the history books, with four rings now since 2015. After two seasons beset by injuries and struggles,  Steph Curry and his teammates rode victorious with their families, sometimes jumping off their buses to high-five fans and twirl giddy children. Read more about how it went on the Bay Area’s celebration day for their Warriors champions.

Vigorous defense for Curry’s wife and her cooking

What about the Carolinas?

San Francisco native Nicole Trierweiler, 29, attending the Warriors parade Monday with her best friend since kindergarten, Bernadette De Mesa, pronounced the 2022 championship special — better than the three earlier ones. “I think Steph (Curry) said it best: ‘this one hits different,’” she said. Her friend concurred: “In these past two years people have counted us out, but the championship DNA lives forever.” Trierweiler’s boyfriend, Will Farrar, 30, from North Carolina, proclaimed it “cool to see this culture and this energy around a championship team.” He added, “I would love to see something like this for the Carolinas.” 

Sometimes you just need ice cream

The Warriors’ Draymond Green took a quick break from the parade Monday to duck into the Ghirardelli shop on Market Street for some ice cream. He ordered a huge concoction, took a large bite and handed it off to a man who appeared to be with him. While in the shop he fielded a few questions, including how this championship win was different than his previous three with the Warriors. “Much sweeter, because it’s a big f— you to everyone,” he replied before heading back out to the parade with a grin.

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Bittersweet game day for fan

Going to the Warriors parade was hard in some ways for Angelina Serrato, who left her home in Salinas at 4 a.m. with her daughter, son and friends to snag a spot on the front stands on Monday. Five days earlier, on June 15, her mother had passed away. “She would have wanted to be here,” she said. “My mother’s last wishes were embrace life. Live to the full because it’s here today, gone tomorrow. I know she’s happy and shining,” she pointed to the sky.

Swarms of fans blanket most every surface

People were everywhere toward the end of the parade route at Eighth and Market streets — on the balconies and roofs of nearby hotels and a shuttered Donut World, a man sitting on a walk-signal light with a bike helmet on. The crowds would lull when Warriors team members or staff cruised by then flare up in cheers when a bus with two players and their families passed. The cheers for the bus with Steph Curry started a block away and reached a deafening pitch, as it neared the end of the parade. He stood at the front of the bus, holding high a gold trophy and drinking straight from a bottle of champagne, his Ayesha Curry beside him.

Local politicos spotted on parade route

Bay Area political leaders were out in force on Market Street to celebrate the Golden State Warriors and their championship run. Among those walking or cruising by the crowds: San Francisco fire and police chiefs, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, House Rep. Barbara Lee and assorted state legislators. Schaaf rocked a famous car shaped like a snail as she held on to a pole on top bobbing to rap music.

Kerr gets a thumbs ups on Ted Lasso move

Head coach Steve Kerr managed a modest Ted Lasso victory move atop his bus on the parade route, apparently in response to a hollered request from the crowd for “the dance.” Kerr moved his arms around a little. But he still drew an approving nod from the TV show’s fictional AFC Richmond head coach via Twitter, who called it “as beautiful as a Draymond rebound – equal parts effort and elbows.”

As beautiful as a Draymond rebound – equal parts effort and elbows. https://t.co/JawTbDTqga

— Ted Lasso (@TedLasso) June 20, 2022

Crowds continue breaking through

After crowds breached the parade barriers, police stopped people at Fourth Street, verbally cautioning them and barring them from impeding the buses. But the barriers soon were breached again and the crowd surged out to follow the buses.

Market Street swells, completely filled with crowd

The Warriors parade buses have been surrounded by fans on both sides and all of Market Street behind them is packed with revelers.

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Barriers breached on parade route

Atop his bus, Klay Thompson appeared to revel in the moment, taking videos of the crowd on his phone. He and Otto Porter Jr. waved four fingers in the air as the crowd screamed their names. As their bus passed — the last of the parade — fans poured onto market following the path of the parade.

Team antics delight crowd

As the buses pulled toward the end of the parade route, a sea of people surging around them, the crowd erupted — and threw brightly colored pool floaties in the air — at the bus holding Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins. Onlookers tried to throw the pool toys towards the bus for the players to catch and they shouted “Poole party!” Klay Thompson, still clowning, put trophy on the ground and did a little Michael Jackson dance next to it.

Oops, dropped something

Hopping of the bus, Klay Thompson, walking and celebrating with the crowd, appeared to dropped one of his champ rings in the gutter, then picked it up and kissed it. It was not clear whether he was just joking around.

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Team buses near finale in last leg

The buses carrying the championship Golden State Warriors have neared the end of the Market Street parade route, where the cheers have not subsided.

Curry soaks it up

When Steph Curry’s bus inched toward Market and New Montgomery — the moment everyone there had been waiting for — the crowd erupted into cheers and chants of “MVP.” Confetti canons blasted as Curry held up his trophies and waved them towards the crowd. “Let’s go!!!” several parade goers shouted, hoping to catch the attention of the beloved player.

Man of the people

As Stephen Curry soaked up Monday’s adoring cheers on Market, surrounded by fans and cameras on the street, his arms around the a huge golden trophy, he laughed uproariously and pumped his fist in the air, and the Warriors tweeted a clip with the headline “Man of the People.”

MAN OF THE PEOPLE pic.twitter.com/OeMZuGpkkB

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 20, 2022

Coach gets his due from the crowd

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, looking overjoyed on his bus with the rest of the coaching staff, waved and interacted  Monday with the crowd who yelled “Steeeeeeve” and held up four fingers, referencing the four championships. In response, Kerr grinned and shrugged.

“It never gets old” 

In one of his forays off the open-top bus, Steph Curry told TV interviewer Festus Ezeli, “It never gets old” even after three previous NBA championship titles. “This is unbelievable,” he said with a broad smile beneath his white cap.“Usually when you get people doing good work and you have good leadership good things happen,” he said, adding, “What we do and how we did that s what will live longer than this parade.”

Lots of Warriors face-time in crowd

Klay Thompson, distinctive in his white ship captain’s hat, jumped off the bus and thrilled parade onlookers by walking into the crowd with the Warriors championship trophy. Teammate Jordan Poole also left the “Champions”-emblazoned bus for the street where confetti was piling up in clumps.

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Coach on the street

Head coach Steve Kerr, in a sidewalk interview alongside Monday’s parade route, said he felt “incredible,” with the energy of the day. “To be sitting here enjoying the parade today and feeling the love of the whole Bay Area is pretty incredible,” he said as the crowd roared behind him and confetti filled the sky, during the interview shown on NBC Bay Area.

Hammering home the point

Stephen Curry took a moment during the raucus vistory parade Monday to tweet a photo of himself, cigar clenched in his mouth, with arms around his huge shiny trophies, and his now-familiar taunt: “What they gonna say now?”

What they gonna say now??? pic.twitter.com/4dV4iT69ZH

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) June 20, 2022

Steph clings to the gold

Stephen Curry jubilantly clutched the Finals MVP trophy and intermittently a golden cup as he rode in Monday’s parade atop an open-top bus surrounded by his family. He pumped his fist in the air amidst a blizzard of blue, gold, and white confetti. His teammate and brother-in-law Damion Lee stood next to him holding a Larry O’Brien trophy that glinted in the sun. 

Green and his mom have a message

Draymond Green on Monday jumped off the parade bus and, with his arms draped around his mother Mary Babers-Green, he told former Warriors player Festus Ezeli he had one thing to say to his critics: “Shut up!” Green said. He added,  “Winners win” and asked his mother if she had anything to say. She echoed, “Shut up!” Juan Toscano-Anderson was equally excited after pouring a golden liquid out of a bottle in the open mouths of waiting fans. But he added a thoughtful comment, saying that dreams really do come true despite adversity. “I’ve been homeless three times in my life,” he said. “I’ve lived in 12 different households…I’m not supposed to be here,” he told Ezeli. “Dreams come true bro, it’s inexplicable.”

Warriors enthrall crowd

Gary Payton II seemed to spend as much time off the bus as on it, switching from dousing fans with his water gun to letting off spurts from a golden bottle of champagne. Kevon Looney got in on the action although unlike Payton II he kept his shirt on, towering over fans as he posed and smiled for selfies. The only teammates having more fun appeared to be Draymond Green and Juan Toscano-Anderson, who hopped delightedly atop the bus which bore their name as Toscano-Anderson waved a Mexican flag back and forth. 

Gary Payton 2 going shirtless and off into the crowd #WarriorsParade @sfchronicle pic.twitter.com/ijT4P0YKFO

— Matthias Gafni (@mgafni) June 20, 2022

Into the crowd for GP2

Gary Payton II, soaking up the championship parade, gave the fans chanting his name a champagne shower. He then thrilled the crowd by jumping off the bus for a brief moment to be among them.

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Parade rolls down Market Street

Double decker buses full of Warriors’ players and their families, and livery in blue and gold, rolled down Market Street as fans roared and confetti cannons fired overhead. The buses were crowned with the team’s golden Larry O’Brien trophies, one of which Draymond Green held overhead, shimmying happily as the buses plowed through a carpet of confetti on the street. Gary Payton Jr. had stripped to the waist and was firing a water gun from the deck of a bus as fans howled joyously. Before long he jumped off the bus and began high-fiving delighted fans over the metal parade gates.

Up at 5 a.m. but worth it

Elizabeth Hansen and her boyfriend Roger Cortes woke up at 5 a.m. in Brentwood to get to Market Street and snag a viewing spot at the end of the Warriors parade route. By the time the parade was starting down at the other end of Market, some time later than the promised 11:20 a.m. start, Hansen said she was “hot, hungry, tired.” But she was proud of the team she’d grown up watching her whole life, and Klay Thompson’s recovery from injury, she said, “made me even more proud to be his fan.”

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MVP in the parking category

Laurie Anderson, 57, of San Francisco, deserves parade MVP for finding a parking spot near the parade. She drove to downtown on Sunday to case the starting parade area for a spot and found a $20 garage near Market and Main. “I came to my first parade in 1981 when the 49ers beat Cincinnati in the Super Bowl and I’ve never missed one since,” she said. “This is the first one in San Francisco, so there was no way I’d miss this!”

Warriors on parade

Buses carrying the NBA champion Golden State Warriors have started moving down Market Street, soaking up the shrieks and cheers of thousands of fans lining the street.

Pool party commences

As young Warriors standout Jordan Poole was welcomed on stage at the Embarcadero ahead of Monday’s victory parade, he raised a water gun and sprayed streams of water into the sky over the heads of cheering fans. Joining the Splash Brothers, Poole has leaned into his new moniker: the Poole Party.

POOLE PARTIES ALL SUMMER pic.twitter.com/iGDtSeRyO0

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 20, 2022

“The little wins” — that’s what it’s about, Thompson says

Klay Thompson on Monday took a moment to reflect on the moments away from the buckets and boards where the Warriors won it all. “That’s what its about right there, those little wins,” he told the rally before Monday’s championship parade as teammate Stephen Curry laughed and clowned beside him. “That’s something I will take for the rest of my life, just the small things in life that inspire you to keep going, whether its taking a picture with an old lady or a young kid. Dub Nation has no bounds and we have fans from all walks of life.”

“It’s about the little wins.” pic.twitter.com/XZEMxQOdYM

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) June 20, 2022

“This is what it’s about,” says Steph

Warriors standout and Finals MVP Stephen Curry had a big-picture point to make in all the jubilation a about the Warriors’ NBA championship victory. In comments to Monday’s parade rally, he said, “This what it’s about — entertaining you guys, giving you something to be passionate about. It’s giving us the opportunity and platform to do things that haven’t been done in history and represent the entire Bay Area in the process.”

Green: just trying to be “controversial” 

“I’m just trying to think of the most controversial thing I can say,” a smiling Draymond Green said to cheers from fans assembled at the start of Monday’s Warriors parade route. Green promised to continue his social media antics and said it was special to see his teammates like Andrew Wiggins win their first championship. “Thank you guys, and as always f— everybody else, I love you.” Green said. “Real mature Draymond,” teammate Klay Thompson deadpanned afterwards, taking the microphone.

Kerr: “We kinda stunk the last two years.” But that was then

TV announcer Bob Fitzgerald asked Warriors coach Steve Kerr to reflect Monday on the team’s surprise win. “The reason it was a surprise is we kinda stunk the last two years,” Kerr told the rally ahead of the parade on Market Street. “To be able to bounce back from where we were is pretty incredible and testament to these guys.” 

Warriors revel from the Embarcadero

“We came back from the abyss,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob said Monday from a stage on the Embarcadero, backed by the championship Warriors team alongside their four Larry O’Brien Trophies. He called out the team’s continuity, with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green playing together for a decade or more. “We have incredible continuity,” Lacob said.”

Televised Warriors rally under way ahead of parade

A live televised rally Monday that started just before 11 a.m. features the Golden State Warriors team members, coaches, executives and staff members on a stage in front of the Ferry Building before a small crowd prior to the parade. Mayor London Breed rallied the crowd then sat down next to Steph Curry. TV announcer Bob Fitzgerald ran the show as emcee. 

“It’s time to celebrate Dub Nation!”

Mayor London Breed greeted the championship Golden State Warriors at the start of their Market Street Parade. Clad in a long-sleeved Warriors T-shirt, the mayor noted the city has been through a couple of tough pandemic years. Then she yelled to the crowd gathered around the bandstand where the team members were seated: “It’s time to celebrate Dub Nation!” 

Clipper app processes some purchases amid heavy demand slow-up

Clipper said Monday that people struggling to add a card or value to their mobile app should keep trying as some attempts are going through. The agency said its app was experiencing huge demand because of people taking public transit to the Warriors parade Monday. Many were struggling to add value or a card to their mobile app, Clipper and BART said Monday morning. BART said a long line at its Dublin station for Clipper cards had been cleared up.

BART like it used to be, for a day

Here’s something we  haven’t seen for a couple years — and most of us haven’t missed — BART passengers packed like sardines. Though passenger traffic remains way down from pre-pandemic levels these days on BART, the trains were packed Monday morning heading to the Golden State Warriors parade in downtown San Francisco, the transit agency tweeted. Unlike their commuting counterparts, these train passengers look ecstatic.

We are seeing packed trains full of Warriors fans taking BART into San Francisco. One of many trains at this hour. Please be courteous and patient with each other and to BART staff, #DubNation pic.twitter.com/5L4Wp7m5If

— BART (@SFBART) June 20, 2022

Downtown business is back — at least for some, at least for the day

If the line at GNG liquors on Fifth Street was any indication, Monday was going to be a good day for a lot of beleaguered downtown San Francisco businesses. The line was a dozen deep at the liquor store a block away from the Warriors’ celebratory parade route just before 10 a.m. Downtown businesses have struggled to recover from the economic blows of the pandemic closures and restrictions, and returning to the office has been a slower than expected process.

It’s “about to be insane!”

In the stream of fans pouring out of the BART and Muni trains at the Powell station an hour ahead of the Golden State celebratory parade, were a group of friends in their 20s excitedly chattering. As they approached the escalator, one exclaimed, “This is about to be insane,” and they headed up. Once they were just high enough to see outside of the station, his friend chimed in: “This is awesome.”

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Clipper card app malfunctioning just when fans are trying to use it

The Clipper card app on Monday morning was having problems with payment and purchasing, the transit card company said on Twitter, just as people were massing on public transit to get to the championship Golden State Warriors parade in San Francisco. The agency said users should load their cards before entering BART or moving away from crowded stations for better phone service. BART has been encouraging people to use Clipper on their phones, and long lines of Warriors fans stretched out from Clipper card purchase points at stations. Clipper said a team is investigating the issue.

Flamingos, blue-and-gold garb, mark Peninsula trains to S.F.

Rows and rows of Warriors fans heading to San Francisco gathered early Monday morning on the Caltrain platform in San Mateo — fathers and sons, friends, young couples, older adults. Joined by the rare commuter, they packed the train more than full. Some sported garb emblazoned with “2015 champions.” A lucky few had 2022 Warriors jerseys fresh off a days-old win, or Number 30 for NBA finals MVP Steph Curry. One fan had an inflatable flamingo in sunglasses, with the words “Poole Party” and a cartoon figure of Jordan Poole, sporting the number 3, drawn on its neck. 

Traffic snarls are beginning

As the stream of people heading into San Francisco for the championship Warriors’ parade picked up, the Bay Bridge traffic westbound into San Francisco was beginning to slow near Yerba Buena Island, a Caltrans map showed. Parade-goers were encouraged to take public transit to downtown, but Highway 101 into the city was backed up in SOMA and Van Ness Avenue near Market, slow in both directions. Much of the Embarcadero was stopped up from about 2nd Street to Market Street. 

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Drumbeats, pot and hot dogs are sensory celebrations of the morning

A thin line of blue and gold stretched along Market Street early Monday morning, fans forming the front rows along the Warriors’ parade metal barricades. With bacon-wrapped hot dog smells mixed with marijuana wafting through the crowd, live drums beat along with music pumped out by fans’ own speakers. Street vendors sold Warriors hats for $10 and “Gold Blooded” T-shirts for $15 — their wares folded on blankets along the sidewalk. One woman brandished an “Ayesha Curry Can Cook” sign, referencing a back-and-forth Steph Curry had with Boston fans about his restauranteur wife. Police vehicles shuttled back and forth on Market, as port-o-potties got transported and media members mingled.

Can I live-stream the Warriors’ parade?

For fans who can’t make it to downtown S.F. to see their Warriors heroes parade down Market Street, the celebration is available for viewing via live stream and TV. Live coverage of the parade started at 9:30 a.m. from NBC Sports Bay Area and was set for 10 a.m. on Fox 2, along with radio coverage from 6 a.m on 95.7 FM. The parade streams on the MyTeams and NBC Sports apps and NBCSportsBayArea.com. Read what you need to know about seeing the Warriors’ parade in person or virtually.

Red line on BART now up and running from Richmond

After shutting down its red line on Sunday to fix a power cable issue, BART said Monday morning it was dispatching trains to Richmond for service into San Francisco as thousands of fans headed to the Warriors’ parade. The red line direct was running  Richmond to Daly City and back, Bart tweeted. The agency had said earlier Monday morning that a trackside power problem had knocked out service to San Francisco on the Richmond line, advising those headed into San Francisco to board a Berryessa train and transfer at MacArthur station to a train at SFO. BART said Sunday its trains would run to and from Richmond every 15 minutes until 8:00 p.m., on the red line and orange lines. After 8:00 p.m. trains will run every half hour.

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Caltrain braces for “real busy” flow by blocking off half of station

Dozens of fans poured out of San Francisco’s Caltrain station just after 9 a.m., funneled out by San Francisco Sheriff’s deputies. One entrance was gated off, as deputies directed the streams of people to Fourth Street, where they started moving towards Market Street in a steady wave. Asked why half the station was blocked off, the deputy raised his eyebrows and said “It’s for when everyone goes home — it’s going to be real busy.”

“What they gonna say now!”

Standing at Market Street near Fifth at 7 a.m., settling in for the eventual parade passage of the Golden State Warriors on Monday were Terry Collins, 55, of San Francisco, and his children, Terry Jr., 36, Jada, 14, and Teiari, 8. “This is their first championship parade for San Francisco,” said Collins, “so I gotta be here to represent.” Compared to the Dubs’ previous championships, he proclaimed this one “better cause they were the San Francisco Warriors.” His lasting memory of the title run was Stephen Curry counting one, two, three, four on his fingers representing his team’s titles. “What they gonna say now!” he exclaimed.

Thousands flood downtown San Francisco, stake out space for Warriors’ parade

Downtown San Francisco was awash Monday morning in Warriors’ blue and gold, hours before the scheduled 11:20 a.m. start of Golden State’s championship celebration. Thousands made their way to stake out parade viewing spots along Market Street, as Cal’s pep band kept everyone entertained. On BART train from East Bay, early morning fans outfitted in Warriors’ garb mixed with commuters and the occasional airport traveler. While not yet packed, the trains around 8 a.m. were filling up with parade revelers. At the Powell Street station a few dozen police officers held a pre-parade briefing.

Podcaster Green teases he might not show up

Golden State Warriors power forward and budding podcaster Draymond Green tweeted Monday morning that he might skip the team’s championship parade in San Francisco over the lack of a rally with speeches.  “Nobody speaking at the parade? Yeah I think I’m going to stay at the crib,” the loquacious guard wrote. This, however, might be a case of Draymond being Draymond and stirring the pot, because he missed the typo in his next tweet: “So just rude and wave?”

Nobody speaking at the parade? Yeah I think I’m going to stay at the crib 🤷🏿‍♂️

— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) June 20, 2022

BART bracing for a very big day

With hundreds of thousands of transit riders expected at San Francisco’s championship parade for the Warriors, Monday could prove a bonanza day for the BART system — maybe one of its busiest ever, despite recent ridership being a fraction of what it was before the pandemic. Nine of the top 10 days with the highest ridership on BART happened either on days the Warriors or Giants held a championship parade or in the days leading up to Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Read more about how BART is bracing for a surge in crowds as its downtown San Francisco stations take riders directly to the parade.

Will the Dubs throw another parade next year?

While the Warriors and San Francisco were preparing for Monday’s Market Street celebration, Chronicle basketball writer Connor Letourneau was writing up this offseason primer on the team’s challenges — including a payroll that may exceed $400 million, decisions on free agents like Gary Payton II, and the health of young center James Wiseman. Check out what the Warriors’ offseason holds.

Market Street hopes the parade attention will signal some new buzz

Market Street, which has fallen on pandemic hard times, is playing a supporting role in the Warriors’ glory parade day. City officials and local business groups spent a hectic weekend preparing for the arriving masses, while crossing their fingers in hopes that the moment would boost the long struggling boulevard in a bigger way. Read more about San Francisco’s preparations for the big Warriors day and why it’s important for the beleaguered downtown.

From Beantown to Sin City for the champions

No sooner did the Golden State Warriors touch down in San Francisco on Friday after dispensing with the Boston Celtics than a dozen members of the team boarded another jet — and flew to Las Vegas. The celebrants’ itinerary included Zouk, a nightclub north of the fabled Las Vegas Strip, where the Las Vegas Review-Journal described how teammates led by Klay Thompson entered the floor as the team’s logo flashed on the club’s huge LED screen. With them was the favorite DJ of Dub Nation, DJ Shabazz, who took over the controls on the stage. According to the Review-Journal, pretty much every Warrior of note except Steph Curry was on hand to cut loose after a grueling season and 22 postseason games. The group included Jordan Poole, who also was celebrating his 23rd birthday over the weekend. Poole marked the occasion in part by “spraying champagne across the console at Zouk Nightclub’s DJ booth,” reported the as Review-Journal. The newspaper then then took pains to point out that “Any professional DJ (and even any novice champagne drinker) knows this is a bad combination.” Even in Las Vegas, apparently, some things are taboo.

A note to the boss from the Warriors

The Warriors sent a mass email Sunday to fans on their email list, hawking 2022 championship merchandise such as a $199 “Varsity Full-Snap Jacket.” The team also included a helpful, pre-written form letter that fans eager to attend the parade could use to get out of class or work. The note from the team “To Whom It May Concern” is intended to be flashed at any skeptical boss, and requests that the bearer be allowed to head to Market Street for the midday festivities. “We would hate to miss a crucial part of Dub Nation as we celebrate,” the team explains, since the Warriors “couldn’t have done it without our fans, and we need to celebrate with them.”

What’s next for the Warriors? Free agency is about to start

With Bay Area jubilation over the Golden State Warriors’ NBA championship nowhere near an ebb, it’s already time for the Dubs to look ahead. Free agency is set to begin at the start of the new league year on July 1, and significant decisions regarding the retention of key role players are imminent. Golden State, which had the highest payroll in the NBA last season, projects to have a record-breaking luxury tax payment next season. With that said, it might be difficult for the team to match any high offers for their top free agents, but majority owner Joe Lacob and general manager Bob Myers aren’t afraid to spend when necessary and will be looking to bring back as much of the championship roster as possible. Read more about what the future may look like for the Golden State Warriors.

Klay Thompson has a sideline in the wine business

Klay Thompson has been busy with more than helping the Warriors cinch the NBA championship. He is now in the wine business. He and St. Louis Cardinals All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, a childhood friend, have just released Diamond & Key, a Napa Cabernet. Their venture came about in partnership with Joe Harden, a winemaker at Nickel & Nickel, and Joe McLean, wealth manager for both Thompson and Arenado. Harden played basketball himself before going into the wine business, which he had studied at UC Davis. Thompson has been developing his palette in recent years and became intrigued with the process and culture of winemaking. Read more about how the 32-year-old Warriors’ guard got into winemaking.