Golden State Warriors at San Quentin Prison - More than a Game

On a perfectly gorgeous day in late September, the Golden State Warriors management, personnel, and some team members arrive at San Quentin Prison to play against the San Quentin Warriors.

It seemed everyone was out in the yard. The crowd was saturated with incarcerated men, correctional officers, the Warden, film crews from various organizations, and Golden State Warriors personnel.

Chris Paul, Klay Thompson, and Moses Moody showed up as well as Aaron “Showtime” Taylor, formerly incarcerated at San Quentin, who segued from calling games in prison to calling them professionally.

I approached the new general manager, Mike Dunleavy, to thank him for his generous contribution over the years including shoes and practice jerseys. A crew from the Warriors production company was busy doing follow-up interviews, shooting the members of the SQ Warriors who had previously explained how basketball was instrumental to their rehabilitation.

Yes, playing basketball is fun and gives the men something to focus on besides the fact that they’re in prison. But how does playing a sport translate to rehabilitation?

Years ago, I was working as a producer. at a marketing company The director was having a difficult time with a cameraman while shooting a commercial for a high-end memory foam mattress. What he said to me gave me pause: “I bet the guy played an individual sport like tennis or surfing.”

I asked him to explain. “It’s pretty obvious that he has never played on a team before because he’s not a team player.”

Oh.

This had not occurred to me before. I consider that playing on a team has a lot of layers. It means showing up, having a common goal, making a commitment, listening, not having control, having to control anger at a wrong call, learning about respect, accountability, sharing, and “taking one for the team.”

One of the players told me that joining the San Quentin Warriors was the first time he ever knew what it was like to feel like part of a family. Another said that he’d only ever thought about himself and putting himself first. Playing on a team and working together with others literally changed his life.

“All I ever knew growing up was that you had to fight to stay alive. You joined a gang to survive. There weren't other options.”

He told me he joined San Quentin Warriors but was thrown off the team for bad behavior. Then the Golden State Warriors came in which was a pivotal moment. “To think that the men I'd admired my entire life took the time to come here changed my life, literally. If they cared enough to show up, then I could certainly do the work that it would take to rejoin the team."

He did the work. He took classes. He gained an understanding of what it meant to be part of a family – a team. “I finally came to an understanding that it’s not all about me.”

Sure, there’s controversy about how professional sports may be a bit over-indulgent. The idolization of players, huge salaries, and marketing ad nauseam have turned some people sour. I for one have a hard time with the Las Vegas flashing disco lights, loud music, and screaming announcements not to mention the price of a good cold beer.

That day in San Quentin Prison reminded me of what it was like to sit outside and watch people play a sport for the love of it. And the love that the Dubs exhibited by showing up a few weeks before their own season was about to begin, gave the incarcerated men hope for their own future.