| Golden State Warriors News: |
| OAKLAND -From tonight's opening tip against the Utah Jazz, the NBA regular season will stretch on for 170 days. During that time, the Warriors will endure more than 50 plane flights, hundreds of cups of coffee in arenas all across the country, and thousands upon thousands of hours spent analyzing game films, hoping to glean an edge over the competition.
All in all, it's not the kind of lifestyle most 67-year-olds live, which is why the top line of the list of injury worries for the Warriors shouldn't read "Baron Davis" but instead should say "Don Nelson." Nelson is back for a second season as the NBA's oldest coach, and with a team that's built to his specifications, the Warriors can't afford to lose him to the rigors of the road. "His job is to worry about the whole team every single day," Warriors forward Matt Barnes said. "He has a lot on his plate, so youknow we've got to lighten the load any way we can." Of course, barring a technological breakthrough that allows Nelson to coach from the couch of his penthouse flat in Oakland, there's only so much lightening an organization can do. The coach is often the face of the franchise, and certainly nowhere is that more true than here in the Bay Area, where his mad-scientist persona was given another boost by last season's playoff run. "It's like a marathon," said Larry Riley, Nelson's lead assistant. "I'm sure that if you've run 10, 12 or 15, they're a little easier, but they're still a marathon." |
| More Golden State Warriors News: |
| The Golden State Warriors announced today that the team will host an NBA Entertainment Celebrity Charity Game on Sunday, April 3, 2005 following the team's game versus the Seattle SuperSonics at the Arena in Oakland. Rapper/Actor Ice Cube, R&B singer Brian McKnight and actors Frankie Muniz (Malcolm In The Middle), Anthony Anderson (Agent Cody Banks 2) and Matthew Lillard (Without A Paddle) are among the many celebrities expected to participate. Several Warriors players, including Jason Richardson, Baron Davis, Derek Fisher and Mickael Pietrus, will serve as coaches for the celebrity teams. Additionally, R&B artist Tank will sing the national anthem prior to the Warriors/Sonics game.
The Warriors/Sonics game is scheduled to tip-off at 3:00 p.m., with the NBA Entertainment Celebrity Game scheduled to take place immediately after the conclusion of the first game. All fans with tickets to the Warriors/Sonics contest are invited to stay and watch the Celebrity Game. The NBA Entertainment Celebrity League is a private basketball league based out of Los Angeles that includes actors, musicians and other entertainment industry personalities. Operated by the NBA, the league plays celebrity games at various venues around the country - including NBA arenas - to help raise money for charitable organizations. A portion of the proceeds from the doubleheader (Warriors/Sonics - Celebrity Game) will benefit the Center for Child Protection at Children's Hospital in Oakland. The mission of the Center for Child Protection is to provide easily accessible services to children who have been victims or witnesses of physical, sexual, psychological, and/or emotional abuse. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Warriors are teaming with the Center for Child Protection to help raise awareness of this important cause. |