East Bay Warriors Fans Wistful as Last Vestige of 'Oracle' Removed from Oakland Arena
OAKLAND (KPIX) -- The arena where the Warriors have played for 47 years will no longer be known as Oracle. On Thursday afternoon, crews removed the massive red letters emblazoned with the name of the technology company from the stadium's north side. Warriors fans said it is yet another reminder that it is the end of an era for the Warriors.
"That was one of the things I always saw when you fly into Oakland," said Warriors fan Jessica Dzubnar. "It's definitely going to be different not having the Oracle sign there for sure."
"It's pretty hard to see, especially because the Warriors have been on this side of the bay for so long," added Phillip Brennan.
The team started playing in the venue in 1966. In 2006, Oracle bought the naming rights for the arena. But now the Oracle name has been transplanted to the home of the San Francisco Giants, Oracle Park. There is still no word on the new name for the Oakland arena.
The Warriors will kick off their pre-season at the sleek new Chase Center in San Francisco October 5. Their move across the bay is still a sore spot for many basketball fans in the East Bay.
"You lose the Raiders and you lose [the Warriors], a team that's done really well, a team that a lot of people have been able to rally behind and it's just kind of sad," said Kirea Mazzolini.
The arena will still host concerts and other events and the A's will continue to play next door at the Coliseum, although there are plans to relocate the team to Howard Terminal in Oakland. The Raiders, who will eventually move to Las Vegas, will also play their 2019 season at the Coliseum.
