AP Sports Writer based in San Francisco, covering the Golden State Warriors, baseball including A's and Giants and college basketball.
@MurrowCollege
proud.
I got invited into San Quentin to play tennis with and against the inmates, then received permission to write about it. Huge thanks to
@godovasquez
for the incredible photography capturing this amazing day. A life-changing experience is an understatement:
Klay Thompson on Splash Brother Stephen Curry: "He’s our leader, our longest-tenured player, our MVP. And without him, life is difficult. Steph Curry is one of a kind."
Career-first: just interviewed a sweet bunny, 4 1/2-month-old therapy bunny Alex, and he gave me a kiss, too. It belongs to Kei Kato, who lost her restaurant during COVID.
Jazz coach Will Hardy admits he sometimes stops to watch Stephen Curry and has to “snap out of it” and remember to coach. Hardy says Curry keeps getting better from even 6-7 years ago. “He’s just as terrifying today as he was then.”
Ines Hill, 11 and in fifth grade, wants to become a sports writer and just spent a moment asking Stephen Curry,”What does women’s basketball mean to you?” She also learned about Violet Palmer’s job as Pac-12 director of officiating.
Incredible moment:
@juanonjuan10
just called 17-year-old Andres Vazquez of Mexicali, Mexico, out of stands for a nice hello some 5 years after the teen last saw him - Vazquez was a loyal fan of JTA in Mexicali. Smiling, Toscano-Anderson says, “I’ve known him since he was a kid!”
Huge congrats to
@Garydwayne
! He promised mother Monique he’d finish his human development and family science degree at Oregon State and this morning gave her the diploma in person. He’s been sharing this journey with me for more than a year and I just let out a big “Whoo hooo!”
Asked Klay Thompson about being back: “So special. Before the tip I thought about all the days in the gym, all the days in the doctor’s office, the surgery table, just to be flying up & down the court knocking shots down, playing solid defense, it was a surreal moment for me."
Jordan Poole, Ty Jerome and Lester Quinones were hard at work with a couple of coaches at Chase Center after the Warriors’ afternoon film session. Poole puts in the time, day after day, that’s for certain.
Caught up with Mr. Curry momentarily before he ran out for pregame re: that viral video. “If it’s on the Internet, it’s real! Right, Klay? It’s real! It’s REAL!” he yelled before scurrying away in delight.
Done for the night, or so he thought, Klay Thompson approached Stephen Curry and said, “Steph, I need a favor, I don’t ask you for two many favors,” and had him sign a jersey.
Alex Smith was so touched by the ovation. "This is home. We just moved back here a couple weeks ago. That's always been the plan. This is such a special place. It brought back a lot of memories from when I got drafted and a couple days after drafting I came to a game here." ...
Stephen Curry confirms to this WSU grad he will go to Pullman this weekend for Klay Thompson’s jersey retirement by
@WSUCougarMBB
@WSUCougars
. “I heard it’s pretty cool there.” And then he gave me a nice “Go Cougs!” (With a smile).
Kerr shouts out Cousins: "I also want to just mention how happy I am for DeMarcus Cousins. Obviously I wanted to win but that guy put his heart on the line for us several years ago & he's been through hell, torn Achilles, torn ACL. He's a great guy. He was a great teammate here."
"He's all in my space, I'm sick of that guy." Klay Thompson jokes of sharing his pregame warmup with Stephen Curry. He knows the fans love it, "so it's probably here to stay."
Stephen Vogt is the new Mariners bullpen coach and quality control coach, reaching his goal of immediately joining a major league staff after his recent retirement following 10 big league seasons.
When Jordan Poole hit the long buzzer beater and Stephen Curry made a point to catch his gaze, the celebratory stare down told so much about the veteran guard’s pride for his young teammate. Curry had as much joy as if he’d made it. That’s Selfless Steph.
Amazing, sweet moment as Steve Kerr brings up Champ Pederson on
@Warriors
special needs night to help w/pregame media before he does starting lineups. Champ is 30, works part-time as W’s finance assistant since last fall. Big brother of
@Dodgers
Joc Pederson (
@yungjoc650
).
The Warriors just now landed in Memphis. Steve Kerr remained home in the Bay Area recovering from COVID-19 and Mike Brown will coach Game 5 vs. Grizzlies on Wednesday night as planned. “No new cases,” per spokesman Raymond Ridder via text message.
I couldn’t wait for my first live look at Stephen Curry’s pregame tunnel sprint in 19 months, then he made it a little sweeter. Such a thoughtful human being (and superstar!).
Joe Lacob: "I'm just as proud of Chase Center, personally, as I am of this team. I can't even tell you how hard this was to get done, it took 7 years. In this city it's probably harder than any other city to do it. ...Every single night I get chills when I walk into the arena."
This afternoon, Juan Toscano-Anderson presented a framed jersey to Wilhelmina Attles, wife of Hall of Famer Al Attles who taught the Warriors guard third grade at Oakland’s Montclair Elementary and influenced his positive path. This is lovely! (Photos courtesy Attles family).
Sam Moriana is 95 and the oldest A’s employee. He even checked with HR. “I’m the oldest goat.” He’s been at the Coliseum 18 years. Currently commands the third-base field box with a smile and so much cheer. Thanks, Sam, for brightening the world!
Kevin Durant said "it means a lot" returning Oct. 5 to Seattle for preseason game vs. Kings where he began career w/SuperSonics: "It was very devastating how we up and left in the middle of the night and I know those fans have been yearning for basketball for a long, long time."
Gui Santos, Golden State's 55th pick in last week's draft and a 6-8 forward from the Novo Basquete Brasil league, is shining so far for the Warriors' summer league team here at the California Classic: 4 for 6 with 11 points and five rebounds midway through the second quarter.
Stephen Curry took off his jersey and signed it for ICU nurse Shelby Delaney (her husband Robert all the while throwing his arms up to ignite fan cheers), then ran out the tunnel shirtless. Pretty cool moment.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan on Curry: "Everybody can see the shooting and the shot-making and obviously I would just imagine the amount of time and preparation and work he’s put into that. But the thing to me that always stands out with him is just his stamina and endurance. ..."
Kapler’s shirt “End the Stigma Mental Health Awareness,” on back “You Are Not Alone.” Drew Robinson, ex-SF minor leaguer who attempted suicide, talked to players in clubhouse. Kapler: “The more we talk about it, the more we draw awareness to it, the more people feel less alone.”
Wonderful almost-New Year’s news from A’s 2B Tony Kemp just now: He and wife Michelle are new parents. His note and photos below:
McKenna Catherine Kemp
5:54pm Central Time
7 LBS 13 OZ
20 Inches
12/27/21💖💖
Gary Payton II says the NBA Cares Community Assist Award is “just not even for me” but to help those with dyslexia get the support and assessments they need. A cause that he cares about to his core having grown up with a learning disability himself.
Jordan Poole is thrilled with his “Poole Party” debut bobblehead. Caught up with him for a quick moment pregame before his start: “I love it, it’s absolutely amazing. It’s my first one. It’s really a special accomplishment. It’s an honor. I’m glad it came out the way it did.”
A very proud father of
@OleMissWBB
coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Gladstone “Moon” McPhee: “It brought tears to my eyes. It’s beautiful. This is what you wait for.”
Sometimes, somehow, life comes full circle in unimaginably special ways that provide moments to be treasured always. Today was one, when the 12-year-old boy who held an elevator door for you in Arizona & his family become dear friends hits his 1st career home run & you’re there.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr with some thoughtful remarks about Hall of Fame
@StanfordWBB
coach Tara VanDerveer, poised to pass the late Pat Summitt as all-time winningest women’s basketball coach tomorrow night when the No. 1 Cardinal play at Pacific.
A quick message from E-40, who’s happy to be back the Bay Area. “We’re OK, can’t complain,” he tells me during last timeout on being satisfied with Kings’ response to his Game 1 exit.
Catcher Stephen Vogt just told he’s being called up by the Giants on Wednesday. Morning flight from Albuquerque. “I feel super emotional and proud to be going back. A long year and a lot of hard work.” Had right shoulder surgery last May 17 so back in majors less than year later.
Pretty cool when Kobe Bryant shows up in tiny Cashmere, Washington, back home to support high school girls basketball - a big deal for those of us from rural Washington and a big deal, period. (from
@PGHWashington
):
Stephen Curry is again so giving of his time to women and everybody. He visited with the
@CalWBBall
team in the locker room postgame after a hard-fought 60-56 defeat to
@StanfordWBB
.
Dawn Staley on electric, sellout atmosphere for top-ranked
@GamecockWBB
vs.
@StanfordWBB
: "This is what women's basketball is about, has been about, and now is the time that the product we're putting on the floor should be seen by as many eyes as possible."
In 2015,
@kendra__andrews
spent her senior year of high school joining me at sporting events all over the Bay Area for a few months. Fun to be covering the Nuggets-Warriors playoffs together now. Here comes Game 1.
The
@RazorbackMBB
players got to ride the iconic San Francisco cable cars today in an experience and history lesson so important to
@EricPMusselman
when his team travels. He was kind enough to share a photo. Players had the option to sightsee or rest ahead of
@MarchMadnessMBB
.
I’d been a little curious about Steph’s sleeve so I just asked him quickly after his press conference whether it keeps the troublesome left shoulder warm: “That and I have a bunch of tape under there,” so it keeps the tape in place, too.
“It’s bigger than the dream, he’s catching Shohei Ohtani on opening day. It’s crazy,” says proud mother Angela O’Hoppe of seeing 23-year-old son Logan become the Angels’ youngest C starting opening day in franchise history. So much love in this family and their extended family.
Warriors will move into fifth place until tomorrow when the winner of the Clippers-Lakers goes to fifth and Golden State drops to sixth.
This is the wild, wild West, folks.
As lone Angels rookie, Logan O’Hoppe also carries out the drink cooler so that’s a lot. He accidentally left his 1st home run ball on the bus to the airport yesterday but it’s now safe and being sent to Anaheim. “We got the ball so it’s a funny moment now,” he says from Seattle.
Michael Bennett on empty seats @ Levi's: "There might not be any fans in the stadium, which there wasn't a lot of fans in the stadium. I looked online you could've gotten a ticket for $17. You can't even get a ticket for $17 to my house...Tickets to my house would be $300 a pop."