NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Saturday said the Warriors are "on track" to build a new arena for the '18-19 season, according to Rusty Simmons of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Silver: "In San Francisco, I’ve seen the plans, and I’ve sat with the ownership there. I think it looks fantastic. It’s an incredible undertaking to build a new arena in San Francisco. They intend to privately finance it. I think that’s an incredible contribution on the part of these owners" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/15). Warriors co-Owner Joe Lacob said of whether he fears losing the vibe at Oracle Arena when the team moves, "It’s a very fair question, and I worry about it. ... We’re very, very cognizant of it. We have an incredible vibe." He added, "We have to do everything we can to keep that. I think a lot of our fans will stay with us. We have a very good product and the new arena I will tell you from a design standpoint is going to feel very small and intimate because of the way we’re designing it: one row of luxury suites -- even Oakland has two currently -- so the ceiling will be lower. It’s going to feel tight, exciting, all of that" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/15).
