Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Warriors' ownership change, and as NBA champions, the team has "become a model sports franchise," with co-Owner JOE LACOB as the "driving force," according to a front-page piece by Marcus Thompson of the OAKLAND TRIBUNE. Lacob's "fuming passion and lofty standards have fueled the change from laughingstock to champions for the first time in 40 years." His decision to move the team from Oakland to S.F. "does not sit well with many," but he "came to this conclusion a while back: Oakland can't support all three teams, not with modern sports business realities." The city "would be lucky to keep one." Lacob: "The reason we're not staying in Oakland is not because of the fans. Look, we have great fans. And I actually like the arena, overall. But it can't last forever. I have to think long term for the franchise." Lacob made clear he is "not anti-Oakland." Lacob: "Oakland is the future. Oakland is going to happen in a big way." Lacob would "love to buy the A's" and build a ballpark at the Howard Terminal site. He said that new Oakland Mayor LIBBY SCHAAF "agrees with that plan," adding that the Raiders are "in a perfect spot in the Coliseum Complex." Lacob said that the "mistake they are making ... is waiting on Oakland to deliver them a stadium." Thompson writes it is clear why Lacob's "boldness and demanding leadership style worked." The way he "talks about getting a stadium in Oakland, so simply, reveals the spirit that drove the Warriors." It took "maniacal confidence, uncompromising vision, a brazen attitude, to pull off what the Warriors did." And the "presence of those qualities in Lacob highlights the absence of them in other Oakland franchises" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 11/12).
