Sports teams are judged by the final result -- championships. But a business counts every dollar, every customer and every impression along the way. The Warriors were winners at every turn in '15 and were rewarded with the Sports Team of the Year award last night. The business is so strong because the franchise has “great story to tell every night,” said President & COO Rick Welts after accepting the trophy, at which point the Warriors were still locked in a tight game against the Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. “A [championship] is the ultimate measure of success,” Welts said. “That said, I think there’s a lot of boxes to check along the way if you’re going to feel great about the season you have. For us, we talk all the time about the journey, not just the outcome.” A few minutes after Welts accepted the team award, Warriors co-Owner Joe Lacob would win Executive of the Year. Backstage, Lacob said, “I’m happier about the team award really.” That focus on the entire organization was a common theme for the Warriors during the event, as the winners repeatedly praised every employees' dedication to the mission. Welts, whose career dates back to the '60s, said the deep strength of the franchise demands results. "We have everything possible going for us, from the ownership to the team on the court, so shame on us if we don’t take full advantage of it,” Welts said.
KEEPING UP WITH THINGS: The crowd was appreciative of the Warriors’ contingent being on hand given that the team was at home in Oakland hosting Oklahoma City. With the game starting at 9:00pm ET, those seated at the Warriors’ table were unsure whether protocol allowed them to watch the game during other award presentations. But they soon stopped worrying about it. Welts said. “When Adam Silver had it on in front of him, we decided it was OK to have it on in front of us.” The table’s tablets and iPhones quickly lit up with live first-half coverage. When Welts accepted the team award at roughly 9:40pm, he noted, “The best part is the Warriors are up by 10.” When Lacob picked up his award about 40 minutes later, he said, “Well, we were up by 11 last time I checked.” During his remarks, the Warriors went on a third-quarter run that would give them Game 2 and tie their Western Conference Finals with the Thunder at 1-1.
