The city of Oakland is going through one of its toughest times in sporting history. In 2019, they lost the privilege of hosting the Golden State Warriors home games. And, 5 years later, despite the turmoil in the fandom, they bid an emotional farewell to the MLB side, Oakland Athletics. Speaking of Oaktown, one cannot get away without a mention of Stephen Curry. The superstar, who has his ‘roots’ in the city, had an emotional reaction to this farewell and also revealed the reason behind his $25 million benevolent pledge to the city.
After a long tussle between the loyal fans and the A’s ownership decision to move the MLB franchise to Las Vegas, the team just played their last home game at the Oakland Coliseum. In front of a jam-packed crowd, the Athletics’ took on the Rangers in a matinee game. Amid the soul-stirring display at the stadium, a loyal Oakland fan made a viral phone call. It was none other than Steph.
The superstar made a surprise feature in the 95.7 The Game radio show with Steiny & Guru amidst the A’s game. While Stephen Curry spoke more about the Warriors’ upcoming NBA season, the hosts couldn’t leave him without asking about the Oakland adversity.
The 4x Champ, with overflowing emotions, said, “It’s tough. I know a lot of born-and-bred Oaktown residents, fans of all the sports teams that have played on that side of the bridge. And it was tough when we left Oracle. It still is.”
Stephen Curry didn’t stop at that. He also revealed the reason behind his unwavering love for the city. The hooper, alongside his wife, pledged $25 million to Oakland School Community during the pandemic. He reasoned out his love for the city, saying, “It’s why I still try to maintain as much presence as possible. Me and Ayesha’s Foundation Eat. Learn. Play. all the work that we’re doing in the town.”
“When you talk to anybody and you ask them where they from and they say Oakland California, it kind of still get me goosebumps ‘cuz it a sense a pride of being from there so I was glad to represent the town for 10 years, still do in my heart,” Stephen Curry concluded. Nevertheless, there’s something to this love. Is it the roots?
Why does Stephen Curry love Oakland?
The Baby-faced Assassin’s love of Oakland didn’t just end with the $25 million pledge. When the Warriors moved to San Francisco after their dominating run at the Oracle Center, Steph, along with his wife Ayesha Curry, kept the city in their hearts. Through Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, the couple has promised to provide quality education to the Oaktown children along with healthy food.
Moreover, speaking of the city, the superstar added, “It’s our adopted home, where we grew up as adults, where we started our family. … Eat. Learn. Play. is rooted in Oakland and services Oakland, and we look at where the most impact can be made.”
We all know that Steph was born in Akron, in the same hospital in which LeBron James was born. The Splash Brother has made sure that he leaves his roots planted in Oakland through his Foundation.
Nevertheless, this initiative from Stephen Curry won’t be enough to console home fans who’ve witnessed different sports franchises leave the city thrice. Firstly, it was the NFL side, Oakland Raiders, which initially left the city in 1982 and returned in 1995. However, the team decided to move to Las Vegas in 2020.
Next up, it was the Warriors, which moved to San Francisco in 2019, and now, the A’s. The team’s owner, John Fisher, has decided to move the franchise to Las Vegas by 2028, after solid friction with the fanbase for years. Till then, Sutter Health Park will be the Athletics’ temporary home.
In the last 5 years, the Oakland sports fans have seriously gone through a series of heartbreaks. What will completely heal the Oaktown fans? Let us know in the comments.