Mullin's Night Sullied

The Golden State Warriors retired the number of one of their greatest players of all-time in #17 Chris Mullin. Unfortunately the proceedings were marred by what I previously thought to be one of the most knowledgeable fan bases in the NBA. The classless display put on by said fans at last night's ceremony proved to me once again, that I don't know a damn thing. The scene was set and a bunch of Mullin's friends were on hand for the occasion. He had his old Run TMC mate Mitch Richmond, Sarunius Marciulionis, and even Don Nelson came back to witness a long overdue moment for one of his favorite players. Everything was going smoothly during the festivities until new owner Joe Lacob took the mic and that's when a few bad apples overturned the cart. A loud chorus of boos could be heard throughout the building. Mullin even felt obliged to get back up and take the mic in an effort to restore normalcy. He praised the fans countless times, admitting that they are the most passionate fans, but need to take this passion and turn in a positive direction. This subsided things for a moment, but once Lacob started speaking again, the boo birds were back in force. This prompted NBA Hall of Famer and former Warrior Rick Barry to get up and chastise the crowd and even called them "classless" as he was saying how the new owner deserved their respect. While I don't necessarily agree with Barry's methods of crowd control, I have to say that I back up what he said 1000%. It has been said that good fans don't need prompts to know when to cheer. The Warriors crowd has always been noted as one of the best in the league, and one of the most knowledgeable fan bases in basketball. To do this to an owner that has gone out of his way to change to culture of losing, spared no cost to prove that he meant it, and has said time and again that he will leave no stone unturned in finding a way for this franchise to start winning. Is it the Lacob's fault that Tyson Chandler signed with the Knicks? Is it his fault that DeAndre Jordan was re-signed by his team after having accepted Lacob's offer sheet? Is it his fault that no free agent in the league today would willingly come to the Warriors if he had another option? The answer to all of these is a flat out and resounding NO. The Warriors once intellectual fan base has seemingly come apart at the seams, and is screaming bloody murder over the trade of Monta Ellis. Yes, this same Monta Ellis that has carried the Warriors on his back to the edge of greatness, and was knocking down the door to the championship. What? This never happened? Ellis couldn't even get his team into the playoffs, let alone fight for a title? Oh. Well then I have to wonder, why all the tears and sad faces because Ellis is now gone and the W's have a legitimate big man waiting to play next season? Why? Do these fans really not want to get better? Do they really just want to have an entertaining team that never wins anything? When I heard the display they put on last night (I watched it on t.v. and it was almost as bad as being there) I truly thought that the bottom fell out and they were no different than Miami Heat fans who just want to be entertained with no cares about history or championships or anything that really matters. I was disgusted at first and then I was just embarrassed. The night was supposed to celebrate the greatness that was Chris Mullin, but the fans turned it into a night of shame when the Golden State fans lost their way. In my mind Warrior fans used to be the smartest, hippest, down to earth crowd in the league. If they were a t.v. show they would have had the most star studded cast and popular show, but after the display last night they instantly turned themselves into a bunch of orange faced, sexually starved, fist pumping jerkoffs on earth. Do they realize that Monta Ellis would never take this team further than where they are today? Do they realize what they've got in his replacement Klay Thompson? Do they even know that "The Logo" Jerry West has a loud voice in the Warrior's front office? Do they know anything anymore? I'm not so sure. I can only hope this is just a phase that they're going through, and will snap out of it once they get a sniff of what the team is trying to accomplish. I, for one, like these risky, but strategic moves the front office is making. Andrew Bogut instantly makes them a credible defensive team as he can go toe to toe with any big man in the league, and will erase many mistakes that actually get to the rim. In my world, they lose more than they win the remainder of the season, keep their protected top 7 pick and then really have a chance at finally getting that impact player that can push them over the top either in the draft or by trading the picks that they've accumulated. If they do keep their own pick, that would give them 2 1st round picks, 2 2nd round picks, and a whole bunch of options at that point on making any trades to bolster the roster. With all of this being said, I'm not here to tell anyone how to act, but I am telling people the way they are acting is ignorant. Know the facts before you start booing. Know what the bigger picture is and not just seeing what is right in front of you. If you liked Monta that much I'm sure there is still plenty of room on the Bucks bandwagon. Go get a seat on it, because when the Warriors finally do turn it around, there will be no room left for the likes of you folks.