Over the past two seasons, American Express has been an official partner of the Warriors, giving Dubs fans access to exclusive experiences, including a series of “All for Dub Nation” game watch parties, which have been held this season for Card Members exclusively. They threw the fourth and final viewing event this past Saturday with the help of ex-Warriors players Antawn Jamison, Corey Maggette, Tony Delk, Adonal Foyle and Muggsy Bogues.
The former Warriors, along with 700 guests, had a chance to watch Kevin Durant return to action, helping the Dubs grab a 123-101 win over the Pelicans.
.@KDTrey5 is back. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/iFiaKVc7fR
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 9, 2017
The players chopped it up with fans, had some food from local Bay Area chefs and spent time with each other, something Bogues says is always nice.
“We became a fraternity. It’s a small fraternity, but we became family. That’s the beautiful thing about our having that type of support with one another,” he says about the former players.
Bogues has of course paid close attention to this season’s players and the epic MVP race.
“To be honest there’s only two guys that are in the running for MVP,” he says. “You can have LeBron and Stephen and them in there, but it’s going to come down to Harden and Westbrook. Westbrook, to average a triple-double, for me it’s a no-brainer. There’s only one other player that’s ever done that. But you can’t take away what James Harden has done for the Houston Rockets. He’s elevated the team, as well as his game. But for me? A triple-double in the NBA today… that’s special.”
The 14-year pro also recognizes how special the Warriors’ run has been for the past three seasons. He played in Golden State from 1997-99 and he’s quick to say that things weren’t as rosy back then as they are now. In his 94 games as a Warrior, the team went a combined 32-62. But thanks to Stephen Curry, a family friend since the early ’90s, the team is on top of the world.
“We tried to make it exciting for the fans because we wasn’t winning back then,” Bogues says. “But they were very supportive. They never gave up, they never turned their backs on us. That’s why you see the loyalty still there with the winning franchise today. That’s what tradition is about. Stay the course. You don’t jump off the bandwagon when things aren’t going well. Winning is contagious. People love being around that. It’s an exciting moment right now for the Golden State Warriors.”
Photos courtesy of American Express
