2017 NBA Finals: Warriors Plan A Parade Downtown Oakland And It Could Be The Biggest Yet
The Golden State Warriors spent their 2016 offseason nursing their wounds after blowing a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers — now they will probably spend most of their offseason popping champagne in celebration.
Oakland is prepping for a parade on Thursday in honor of their Golden State Warriors latest NBA championship, officials said after the win.
The parade will take place in the downtown Oakland area Thursday morning along the same route as the celebration that was held after the team won the NBA title back in 2015. Two years ago, the Warriors victory parade drew an audience of 1 million, and there could be more attendees this time.
NBA.com noted that fans "lined up 20 and 30 deep" for the 2015 parade and begun arriving at 4 a.m. as the celebration marched from downtown Oakland to a gathering place at Lake Merritt. Oakland native and running back Marshawn Lynch also made and appearance during the festivities.
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While fans grabbed championship gear Tuesday, after partying that night, Oakland City workers were hard at work hanging celebratory banners in the streets, according to The Associate Press.
According to a statement from the team, the City of Oakland and BART, the party will kick off at 10 a.m. sharp, at Broadway and 11th Street, head east on Grand Avenue, then stream south near the west side of Lake Merritt thru Harrison and 19th Streets before reaching Lakeside Drive. The celebration will end with a march toward the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
The city wants fans to assemble for the parade as early as 5 a.m. Thursday and utilize public transportation to ease congestion on the streets, as driving could be very rough.
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BART, the city’s mode of public transportation carried 548,076 riders during the 2015 celebration, 586,061 fans used BART to get to the San Francisco Giants' 2012 World Series parade.
BART announced the following after the Warriors Game 5 victory Monday night:
“The Warriors have taken care of business by bringing home another NBA championship and now it’s BART’s turn. We’re gearing up for an epic day Thursday when Oakland hosts a victory celebration starting at 10 a.m. We’ve put together some tips to help make your championship parade day safe and enjoyable.”
After Monday night’s win, Golden State fans celebrated in the streets of downtown Oakland by honking their horns and dancing.
The celebration began right after Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant and the Warriors ousted LeBron James and The Cleveland Cavaliers in a high scoring 129-120 game at Oracle Arena to secure their second NBA title in just three years. During the postseason, The Warriors went 16-1, setting the best playoff record during any NBA playoffs.
In San Francisco, fans were seen waving blue and gold colored flags out of their car windows.
Bay Area fans will have the opportunity to see and hear their superstar players in person, with NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
Details regarding AC Transit schedules during the parade and info about bus diversions in downtown Oakland are accessible via the website www.actransit.org.
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