Back in the 1960s and the 70s, the Warriors practiced at San Bruno War Memorial Gym where I played as a kid.
By John Murphy
You’ve heard of “15 minutes of fame?” Well, this was mine.
Back in 1975, when I was 19, the Golden State Warriors swept the Washington Bullets four games to zero to win the National Basketball Association title. My friends Keith Larsen and Steve O’Brien and I were giddy.
I will never forget Game 4 with the Warriors on the cusp of the title. A TV camera focused on Golden State coach Al Attles in the huddle with the game and title already secure.
“When the game ends,” Attles said in his deep baritone voice, “Somebody grab Barry’s kid and we’ll go out that tunnel.”
The Warriors won and the Bay Area flipped. Then word leaked the Warriors’ plane coming back from DC would land at San Francisco International Airport. Well, that’s right where we lived and we just HAD to go.
So it was we wound up on the tarmac at SFO waiting for the plane to arrive and our heroes to emerge. It didn’t take long.
The big bird pulled in and the Warriors disembarked … Rick Barry, Clifford Ray, Keith Wilkes, Bill Bridges, Derrek Dickey and the rest. A stage was set up and the plan was for the team to gather there for a few brief speeches.
Well, there might have been a few Lucky Lagers involved … because as the Warriors strode from the plane to the stage, I got a brilliant idea. I ducked underneath a rope and hopped up on the stage with the champs.
“Look at Murph!” I could hear my buddy O’Brien screeching in his high-pitched voice. “What’s he doing up there? How’d he get up there?”
Intoxicated by victory and cheap beer, I was in all my glory. I stood with my oversized new friends and waved at the cheering crowd … then nodded at my disbelieving pals who could only shake their heads in amazement.
It was all great fun until a Warriors’ PR type noticed and gave me the boot. Didn’t matter. I had my 15 minutes of fame and a story to tell for the ages. What a night.
Main Street Dog 