This is a story about a team on the come up, another on the decline, and a night out in South Beach Florida.
It’s the time a hungover “We Believe” Liquor Warriors squad beat the Miami Heat by 35 in their own gym.
Tragic Bronson Alert
Not many remember Shaq’s last season in Miami and for good reason.
This was the Heat’s 20th season in the league, which they proceeded to commemorate by finishing dead last, with an abysmal record of 15-67 in 2007-08.
On a roster full of veterans and largely injured stars coached by the Don himself, Pat Riley, Ricky Davis turned out to be the most consistent player on the team, appearing in all 82 games, while averaging almost as many points per game as a hobbled O’Neal.
Needless to say, this dumpster fire of a team is the one in decline in our story. Tragic (Bronson) indeed.
On the other hand, the team on the rise is one near and dear to the heart of every non-bandwagon Warriors fan.
The We Believe (in Liquor) Warriors
J-Rich, B.Diddy, Andris Biedrins. These names bring back fond memories of a scrappy, underdog squad that made NBA history and Dirk Nowitzki cry in the process.
Now, one season removed from their magical ride to the second round of the playoffs in 2006-07, the team had some bigger aspirations and they were eager to prove the previous year was no fluke.
Pay homage and show you’re not just a Curry fanboy with the official Baron Davis 2006-07 Warriors Hardwood Classics jersey.
The ‘We Believe’ Warriors were playing with a chip on their shoulder and had amassed a winning record through three-quarters of the season…until one night in South Beach, Florida threatened to derail it all.
We Beat them by 30-something
Per Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes’ All the Smoke podcast episode with Jason Williams, the entire Warriors team enjoyed a “Miami night” before their game against the Heat.
As the story goes, Barnes, Jack, and some others hit South Beach’s main strip – Ocean Drive and had a few too many glasses of milk.
One thing led to another and our boys didn’t end up getting back to the team hotel until 7 or 8 a.m. the next morning by their own fuzzy math. For reference, the team shootaround was at 9 a.m.😫
So they begrudgingly show up on time, smelling of malt liquor like an alcoholic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner, in the same clothes from the night before, and don’t get a single shot up…at shootaround.
Stephen Jack confirmed on the pod, “Not a single player was shooting.”
Warriors head coach Don Nelson sees this and immediately calls a team huddle.
He gets one whiff of the team and immediately knows what’s up, orders everyone back on the bus, and says “We better win by 30 tonight!”
How does the team respond?
The liquor Warriors went out there and made their coach damn proud by beating the shit out of the Heat by 35 that night.
They truly were warriors on and off the court🥂
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