On Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors and the city of San Francisco clipped the ribbon on the team’s new home: Chase Center.
In attendance were Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob, minority owner Peter Guber, president Rick Welts, general manager Bob Myers, California governor Gavin Newsome and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
The event was emceed by Ahmad Rashad and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir performed.
As much as the ribbon-cutting ceremony was to celebrate the Warriors’ storied championship run and bestow the title-winners with an arena more befitting of their stature, it also was an opportunity to honor late San Francisco mayor Ed Lee, who spearheaded the project seven years ago.
After Lee died suddenly in December 2017 following a major heart attack, the Warriors issued the following statement:
We are stunned and saddened by the news of Mayor Ed Lee’s sudden death this morning. The lasting impact he leaves on the City of San Francisco is a timeless tribute to his incredible leadership and vision. His love and passion for sports, including the Warriors, defined him as much as his witty humor and engaging personality. We will be eternally grateful for his commitment to the building of Chase Center — once termed his “legacy project” as Mayor — and his dedication to making San Francisco one of the greatest cities in the world.
Lee, who engineered the city’s tech boom that has benefited Warriors players like Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala, was 65 at the time of his death.
It is unfortunate that Lee did not live to see the official Chase Center unveiling or watch his city’s team compete there. But Lee — the city’s first Asian-American mayor — should live on in San Francisco lore for his “legacy project” and much more.
