I remember when I was in 1st grade when I started to watch a little bit of basketball. The first team I watched were the Golden State Warriors. Later, I remember reading about Joe Smith and I thought the Warriors were a good team. They had guys like Latrell Sprewell and Chris Mullin (who ended up being my favorite player) and I just kept following the team. I didn’t know any better. All I knew was that the NBA was full of great superstars but the Warriors were my team and maybe they were stars too. They weren’t, according to the commercials and advertisements they would air on national TV. I didn’t know any better. I thought the Warriors were good.

As the years went by, the Warriors did not play well. They drafted poorly. They overpaid bad players. They didn’t win. They had so many coaching changes. Just a lot of bad moves. Yet I still followed them. I remember Scott Burrell, Vonteego Cummings, the false hopes of the 1999 season and losing great players like Gilbert Arenas while booing an owner during a jersey retirement ceremony.

But tonight, all those years of being a loyal fan and enduring all this suffering will be worth it. The team has elevated itself to national status as the top team in the league. One more opponent to slay to become champions. I don’t know what this feeling is like. I am still trying to wrap my head around it. The team that I loved. The team that I never thought would even be considered a legit title contender is actually just that. I never thought this day would happen. And here we are. It is here.

It’s still not over and there are four more wins left. But regardless of what happens, this moment is so special. The Warriors were the first professional team I fell in love with and for so long I waited and believed that their time would come. It’s almost here. But the journey has been so sweet. The players on the roster are perfect. The coaching staff is amazing. The entire love from the Bay is phenomenal.

All those sins of the past will be forgiven. All those errors will be forgotten. All the suffering will have been worth it for this moment.

But it’s not over just yet. Four more wins. I want it. Let’s get it!