The Golden State Warriors headed over to San Quentin State Prison recently to take on the inmates, and the video of their visit has now gone viral on social media.
Chris Paul, Klay Thompson, and Moses Moody were in attendance, as the support staff took to the court, in what has become a tradition. This was the ninth time that the Warriors had headed over to San Quentin, in what is certainly a rather unique initiative on their part.
Prior to the game, Klay picked the inmates to win, stating, “My money’s on San Quentin, dubs. I’m sorry fellas.” He was on point too, as the San Quentin Warriors would eventually come out on top 85-80, but Golden State still holds a 5-4 edge overall.
While the game was all in good fun, these visits would undoubtedly mean a lot to these individuals. One of them said, “Man, it gives us life. This stuff makes us feel like we’re still human.” That’s such a powerful statement and kudos to the Warriors for this initiative.
NBA Fans React To The Viral Video
While the Warriors have been doing this for nearly a decade, it turns out not many NBA fans knew about it. They reacted in amazement to the viral video.
A Warriors fan is quite proud of their team.
A fan stated this was the best thing they’d seen all year.
One almost cried while viewing this video.
A fan said the Warriors showing up gives these individuals hope and incentive to get on the right path.
A fan praised the initiative.
Some individuals are beyond rehabilitation, but not everyone. We often lose sight of the fact that prison is about reforming criminals, not just punishing them. In an ideal world, they’ve changed their ways when they get out and go on to have a positive impact on society.
The Warriors Are Off To A Winning Start In Preseason
While the support staff came out second best on the court in San Quentin, the team did get off to a winning start in San Francisco. The Warriors took on the Los Angeles Lakers in their first preseason game on Saturday and won 125-108.
It was just the preseason, but Golden State played quite well and Paul certainly had a positive impact. There had been a lot of questions about his fit with the team, but it all seemed fine on the court against the Lakers.
The biggest positive, though, was Jonathan Kuminga, who finished with 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. Kuminga has shown flashes of brilliance in his relatively short NBA career but has struggled with consistency and has spent a lot of time on the bench.
The Warriors would be hoping that 2023-24 ends up being his breakout season, and that’d certainly be a big help in their quest to win another championship.