The city of Oakland's bill for the Warriors' championship parade has been "reduced by about $29,000," according to Matthias Gafni of the EAST BAY TIMES. The team "promised to pay for the parade earlier this year but questioned why the city’s bill for the event was more than three times higher than the original estimate." The city’s finance department has since "reduced the equipment charges to reflect three days -- the day before, day of and day after the parade and rally -- that accounted for the discount on a revised invoice sent to the team." With the latest reduction in equipment costs, the final bill for the Warriors' '17 "title festivities came to almost $787,000." However, the city is "also asking the Warriors to reimburse another $244,000 in costs" for the '15 title parade. The team has said that it "agreed to 'split' those costs with Oakland." But even that has been a "bone of contention between the two sides." In total, the "final invoice asks" for $1.03M from the Warriors. City of Oakland Communications Dir Karen Boyd said that city officials "met with the Warriors and gave them the new invoice on Sept. 14." Warriors VP/Communications Raymond Ridder said that the team "received the new bill and would be discussing it" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 9/27).
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION: Warriors co-Owner Peter Guber said of President Trump's comments and his decision to rescind the team's White House invitation, "He's the president of the United States, he'll do what he thinks he wants to do for what he thinks are the reasons. The team and the players will do what they think they want to do for the team and their reasons, and therein lies the difficulty, that there are different opinions about different things" ("Fast Money," CNBC, 9/27). Former NBAer Carlos Boozer called Trump's White House decision a "bonehead move." Boozer said, "Every champion should have the opportunity to go to the White House. Whether you come is up to you, but rejecting an invitation is almost like not getting invited at all" (Time to Schein," CBSSN, 9/26).
