On-court success in recent years led to the decision to keep the "Golden State" nameNBAE/Getty Images
The Warriors will "remain the Golden State Warriors" after the team moves to S.F., as confirmed by President & COO Rick Welts, according to Bruce Jenkins of the S.F. CHRONICLE. When the Warriors announced their plans to move across the bay in '12, this was a "hot-button issue." The team "had a long history of futility, many fans were repulsed by the generic 'Golden State' handle, and it seemed likely the team would honor its Bay Area roots," having performed as the S.F. Warriors from '62-71. On Thursday, Welts said that the team had "every expectation" of doing just that. Welts added, "Back then, if you'd gone to Beijing or Paris or Buenos Aires and asked people where 'Golden State' is, you would have gotten a quizzical look, like they had no idea or didn't care." Welts: "What's happened in the ensuing time period -- two NBA championships and three trips to the Finals -- had changed things. Every fan in the world knows that name. ... So this is a real no-brainer for us. The name does mean something. We want to keep that tradition going" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 4/6).
