New Warriors Owner Christopher Cohan spoke to the SAN
FRANCISCO EXAMINER, and his first interview since taking over the
team appears in this morning's editions. Cohan said the official
transaction to become owner was "a difficult road," adding that
his ex-partners' "failure to deliver" slowed down the process.
He reiterated his No. 1 priority was getting a new 20,000-seat
arena for the team, mentioning both the San Francisco and Oakland
as possible sites. On San Francisco: "An arena makes all the
sense in the world, as far as the infrastructure and as far as
the hotels, and restaurants, and the city that people love to
visit. It could increase their convention business by twofold
and bring untold millions to the community." On Oakland: "You
have a very proven site and a very willing, very anxious city ...
It is an antiquated arena (but) it's a proven site, locale-wise,
and they just don't want to lose the Warriors. The dynamics are
different." Cohan said he will not get involved in the day-to-
day operations of the club. Cohan: "There will be two chiefs, on
the basketball side (Don Nelson) and the business side (President
Andy Dolich), and those two have to work together ... they answer
to me" (SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER, 1/26).
