Out of a city of nearly 400,000 people – roughly the same size as Oakland – there were exactly six Warriors fans who traveled to Cleveland to watch Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday night.
Well, to be more precise, NBC Bay Area found six fans not afraid to whoop it up in blue and gold, in a city that pays homage to LeBron James. If there were any more Dubs fans prancing about cheering for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, they were hiding.
The rare breed of fans were discovered in Cleveland’s hot spot, East 4th Street, which looks like San Jose’s San Pedro Square.
But Curtis Schaper, a painting contractor, and his colleague, Mark Shelton of Folsom, were certainly not keeping their love for the Warriors a secret.
The two were spotted in the outdoor entertainment district laughing and cheering on the Warriors, who are tie 1-1 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Schaper left behind his wife and 11 children, ages 2 to 18, to root on his favorite basketball team. His company, Sherwin Williams, flew him out to sit in the corporate suite.
“I left my family,” Schaper said. “I’m out here partying it up. We’re going to lose our voices at the game."
Mark Parkdull also made the cross-country trip to Cleveland, leaving his home in Pleasanton for the game.
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“Screw work, screw family, it’s all about the Warriors,” he said, quickly apologizing to his wife on camera with a “sorry honey.”
Anny Chi of San Jose was out Monday night dining with a friend and adopted the Warriors’ mantra to explain why she traveled 2,500 miles to watch basketball.
“We want to support our team out on the road,” she said. “There’s strength in numbers, right? We’re bringing our numbers.”
