The Golden State Warriors' decision to pay homage to their Oakland roots earned the stamp of approval from their former player Matt Barnes. The now-retired wingman recently credited the Dubs organization for honoring the “We Believe” era, which Barnes was part of, via their new “Oakland Forever” City Edition jerseys that will debut in the 2020-21 season.
The slick new design brings back the Warriors' retro dark blue and orange jerseys which they wore from 1997 to 2010.
Oakland is and will always be a part of our team’s identity.
“Oakland Forever," presented by @Rakuten, is a nod to the We Believe era and its turning point in Oakland’s basketball history.
To honor the Town, we partnered with Nike to put a spin on these classic uniforms. pic.twitter.com/d7nUAJLbzM
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 2, 2020
Matt Barnes guested on the latest offering of ESPN's The Jump and told Rachel Nichols how thrilled he was to see Golden State revive those uniforms.
“I love it. I love it,” Barnes said (via NBC Sports Bay Area) “One thing I realized when I got to go back for that 2017 championship run is that there's still so much love for that team there. Not only by the city but by current players. Steph [Curry], [Kevin Durant], Klay [Thompson], Draymond [Green], they were all with the “We Believe” movement.
“So I think it's a great move and a great honor because they lost a tremendous fan base moving from — although it's not far — that Oakland crowd is going to be a lot different than the crowd at that San Francisco stadium.”
The Warriors, meanwhile, ushered in a new era when they moved out of the Oracle Arena in Oakland to the Chase Arena in San Francisco prior to the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign. The move ended the Dubs' 48-year stay in Oakland, but the team made sure to bring a piece from the old days with them next season.
Before Golden State established their dynasty in the 2010s, it was the 2007 team dubbed as the “We Believe” Warriors who brought excitement back to The Bay. That unit featured a rag-tag crew of talented but unwanted players like Barnes, Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, and Al Harrington. along with Jason Richardson and a young Monte Ellis. The exciting squad clinched the 8th-seed in the West in the last minute before defeating the powerhouse top-seed Dallas Mavericks in six games in the first round of the playoffs.
The current Warriors ensemble, meanwhile, is expected to get back to their winning ways next season with the return of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson from injuries. Those “We Believe” jerseys should further energize the Dubs in their quest for redemption.
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