A party in Oakland

Did someone order an NBA-sized surprise? I hope so, because that’s what the Golden State Warriors served America on Thursday night after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in what most thought was a blowout. Many pundits, including Charles Barkley, had Dallas cruising through the series, beating the Warriors in 5 or 6 games. But in the end, the Warriors were the last team standing after a long, tough seven-game series.

The Warriors showed America that they had something to prove, and they did it in front of a crowd that included many celebrities including Snoop Dog, Jessica Alba and Woody Harrelson. Fans also showed America that they would support their team all the time with “We Believe” T-shirts. The Warriors proved to America that money and fame don’t win games, but passion and dedication to the game, and teamwork, will prevail over all money and fame. They also showed that a team should not focus on one key player.

Honestly, I’m surprised the Warriors have come this far. I didn’t expect them to make the playoffs, let alone actually beat Dallas. I can honestly see why many had Dallas over Golden State. How many people had heard of Baron Davis before the playoffs started? You could ask me how he was playing, and my only reaction would be to ask who that guy is. Not many people outside of the Oakland area get to see the Warriors play. Guess what? Many of the big name channels like ESPN have almost never broadcast Golden State games, because they would almost never pick a team with little reputation over big names like LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.

After a surprise of this size, many people are jumping on the warrior bandwagon, myself included. Almost everyone I know picks the Warriors to beat the Jazz, and after seeing the way the Jazz played against the Rockets, I have to agree with them. In fact, I think the Warriors have won that series in 6 games. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next time you look at ESPN, all your analysts have Golden State over Utah. If, in fact, Golden State beat Utah, they would be one step closer to winning their first championship since 1975. But there’s a problem. If they win, they would also have to beat the Suns/Spurs series winner, and that would cause the Warriors some problems. That series may be when the clock strikes midnight for this Cinderella story. But, you never know, because their determination may pull through and they may pull off another huge setback for the world to see.

But, let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. It’s still early days and theories should wait until the games are being played. Until then, let’s watch, wait and hope the Warriors bounce back again, because here in America, we always love the underdog.