this is more than just an army that. this is a live entertainment venue, a multifaceted venue that we're going to try to put year -- this is more than just an hour arena -- this is more than just an arena appeared retell, restaurants, a place to eat, a sports bar -- all kinds of things that will be at this site. it will be very exciting. it is going to change, just like the giants changed the on the embarcadero little further, we're going to change this part of the embarcadero for the city forever. thanks to the mayor for coming aggressively after us and bringing us here, and thanks to everyone who helped make this day happen. [applause] than the 57 games? does that include playoffs and nba championships, mark? [laughter] a prominent figure in both the entertainment and sports business over 30 years, he is the founder and ceo of mentally

ill to attend a, a visionary of multimedia ventures spanning movie, tv, sports and in addition to garnering more than 50 academy award nominations, he has become actively involved in the theater business, in recent years in professional baseball ownership for one of his minor league teams, the dayton dragons, has established the all-time professional sports record for consecutive sellouts at over 850 straight games, which is quite a record. he now plans to create the most incredible fan experience in the nba right here on san francisco bay. ladies and gentlemen, the co- executive chairman of the warriors, peter gruber. [applause] >> wow. this is fantastic. i remember growing up in boston gardens, the balcony, and obstructed viewing. suddenly, we are talking about this kind of a venue.

i want to say that i have a great partner in joe. he is just great, and that is one of the reasons why i think we will succeed, and it is one of the reasons why it will be fun. in a stage in life, i want it to be fun. the other three-letter word starts with an s and ends with an x, and that is fun, too. the commissioner i have done for a long time. i thank him for being my friend, really, truly. when you start a mission like this, this is the beginning of the beginning of the beginning, and it reminded me of the time when john glenn -- i met john glenn very early in his career, and he was one of the first people to go into space. he was very worried. the soviet union had beat us there, and we had to send somebody up. some are as and when he was sitting on the campbell soup can filled with fuel at the beginning of the mission, what was going through your mind? >> he was realizing there were

in million parts all bit -- billed by the lowest bidder. i can assure you, this been you will not be built by the lowest bidder, probably. joe and i have suffered from rotator cuff injuries from going like this the whole time. [laughter] we have to do this with some elegance. so we have one mission today -- a world class of venue. a beacon for the warriors, for its talent, resources and tina went, and a lightning rod to attract the best performing talent that this city deserves. it is a mission where everybody wins, so there can be no excuses. we will bring our very best and brightest to bear in the process. we promise you that. winning is a shared endeavor, a team endeavor. i learned that very much in sports businesses that i have been in. it really is. we have to align in order to do

that whole various interests. our feet, tongue, hard, and wallets must go in the same direction. the of the senate will allow us to catalyze the area superb technological resources. this is the tech world right here. we have to take and make this venue state of the art technology, but it has got to be stated the heart of all the performers, talent, and athletes that will be there. it is about connecting that. it is about building the most digitally fit enterprise. the vineyard itself -- we have all these venues -- you get six people on a mobile phone, you cannot do anything, but today, the audience that comes to these venues for all kinds of performers -- the billboard awards were last night in vegas -- 3/4 of the audience were texting and interacting with the

audience and the fans. we have to build a digitally fit the arena so the audience can be participants, not just passengers. that is what they want. we are not distracting them from the game or the performance, but allowing them to carry and metabolize the story of my life advocate this venue, the city, and their experiences. this new venue will be a 21st century campfire, creating a social cohesion that binds diverse ethnicity, age, gender. where else can you go today, except sitting at home on a mobile phone or computer, where you can be with 20,000 people all cheering, crying, laughing and the same experience? that is what binds us all together in our past and will in our future, and this will be the perfect venue for that. one thing today is to commit to turn his dream into a goal by giving it urgency. we will play here in 2017.

take that as a promise that we will fulfil, and we will be a world-class entertainment venue. we are all in. we are all in. i hope to see you at the ribbon cutting in 2017 with a smile born from a journey well done. thank you. [applause] than a man, listen to these voters. i get fired up. maybe i could make a comeback in 2017. [laughter] maybe i cannot. one of the most respected and admired executives in the nba, he has garnered nearly 40 years of experience in sports, including a stint at the nba office in new york where he served as executive vice president, chief marketing officer, and president of north dakota properties. among his many accomplishments, he is credited with the creation of nba all-star weekend and the creation of marketing program with you as a basketball of the

1992 olympic dream team. ladies and gillette, the president north carolina 00 of the golden state warriors, rick wells. [applause] that cannot quit smiling. i think i know how the guy had to follow link in's gettysburg address feels. brilliantly done, as usual. what brought me to the warriors is exactly what you have seen from joe and he did today. rarely do you find odours so passionate about winning and so dedicated to creating a great -- not good, a great organization. today, what joe, peter, and the warriors are doing is acting in a very big way. there are a lot of people here who have played or will play key roles in making sure that we are all gathered back here for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2017. i would like to acknowledge a

couple of them. it was less than six months ago, mayor, that you directed the warriors and giants to work together to see if we could not find a location suitable for a multipurpose arena and a future home for the golden state warriors. today, we are on a site that was not available at that point, but when it did become available, this was it, and we knew this was it. the giants have welcomed us to the neighborhood. they have been generous in their time and support, and we want to thank the president and ceo of the giants and the giants organization. . [applause] red's javahouse. it was established in 1958. it is a beloved part of san francisco. its current owner was born the same year. as i was enjoying a cheeseburger

and a beer on sunday on the patio, i told him how much we want the tradition to live on as we build this great arena. sean is with us this morning. we look forward to working with you. [applause] the warriors promise you an arena that you will be very proud of. we promise that it will reflect the creativity, the diversity, the technological savvy, and the passion of this day area that the warriors have called home for 50 years. thank you for being here today as we embark upon this, the most important journey in the history of the warriors. thank you. pausing >> during his incredible successful 28-year tenure, the league has enjoyed enormous success, adding seven franchises, a 30 fold increase

in revenues, expanded national tv coverage, and wnba and nba t leads, open markets and 50 markets, and i 250 countries and territories around the world. ladies and gentlemen, the commissioner of the national basketball association and my main man, david stern. [applause] >> i was not sure whether he could read my handwriting. [laughter] but let me say, first of all, lt. governor newsom, mayor lee, a player lee, i want to thank the golden state warriors, and particularly joe and peter and rick for inviting me to this

incredible occasion. since every commissioner should be and probably is a sports fan, i wanted to do play-by-play. it would be incomplete of me not to recognize a couple of people who know all about the cow palace. would you guys stand up please? [applause] talk about a championship tradition for a franchise. talk about will. talk about just what this franchise has meant to the entire bay area. it is extraordinary to be here and reflect upon that. it is also extraordinary to reflect upon the fact that there is an ownership group in place that is both an emotionally

connected to sports and understands the impact that sports has on the community. i often talk about the same theme that peter echoed, that are read as --arenas are the one place where people come together with perhaps 19,000 perfect strangers to share in the collective exercise of routing the home team on to victory. that is reflected on our court as well where it does not matter where you came from -- if you've got a game, you are going to be on the team. there is an egalitarian aspect that is both great, and it does not matter whether you are in one of those fancy suites or the nosebleed section -- your opinion is as good as anybody else's. that is what is good about sports as well. our ownership group understands that. they are connected to it, and a combined it with a high-tech vision and a keen sense of

business about how to get it done, and that is all here today. so i am is so looking forward to being at that opening in 2017, and i thank you again for your support of the golden state warriors. [applause] >> our next speaker simply known as the nba logo, one of the biggest players and executives in the history of the league. he has won a combined 78 -- seven championships as a player and front office expected. 40-time nba all-star, 10-time all nba team member, and the fifth highest scoring average in nba history. ladies and gillette, hall of famer and current board member, jerry web. >> thank you very much. it is really difficult following

peter. peter, i think you should be a politician. you would be great. for these gentlemen down here, i was going to mention the california palace. can you imagine an area by the name of the cow palace? you had to go upstairs to the locker rooms. to think, what is going to be built on this incredible sight is fantastic. one of the most exciting days in my life was when i saw the first spade of derek being built -- with the city being built there, i could not wait to go play in a door read it. it brings enormous excitement for the players. for the fans, suddenly, they are sitting in this beautiful new arena. i saw the stable center pierre

the first shovel, the first pylon put into the ground there. -- i saw the staples center. that was one of the most exciting days. i almost went there at least once a week to watch this rise from the ground. they have brought a different fan experience. the bay area is one of the great sports areas. the fans are fantastic, and i will tell you, warrior fans are enormous. i have not seen any better fans, but to be connected -- [applause] to be connected with two passionate owners and a passionate commissioner has really been the highlight of my life. it is up to us to build a basketball team which you will be proud of, and i'm talking about us internally.

it is up to them to complete this project, and i know they will. the onus is not on us as owners. the onus is on us as players and coaches and executives to build a team that is worthy of a building like this. to me, nothing less than championship caliber team is what i have always strove for in my life. i heard one great quotation in my life that i would remind you of, and i have it on my back for counter for a 30-some years. nothing happens unless first a dream. you have to be a dreamer, and we had two owners here who are dreamers. if you do not have a vision where you want to go, these gentlemen know where they want to go, and they are putting their money behind their mouth, and to come to live in you like this -- my god. if i were a player, this would be my resting place if i were a free agent. david, we cannot talk about free

agents, but, if i were a player coming to a building like this, i know i would have great interest in playing in one of the great cities of america, and useless proud to be part of this organization. i love these guys over here. i hated them when i played against them, and i will never forget the california power. thank you for having me. [applause] >> we cannot say enough about how beautiful the spot is. there is going to be a building that i will come down here and hang out. he comes from a successful gatt round in the private sector, starting 15 small businesses and creating more than 1000 jobs and local government, having served as both mayors of the city and county of san francisco, and before that county executive. is also a die-hard warriors fan, and i'm sure you have seen him sitting courtside on many occasions. ladies and gentlemen, lt.

governor gavin newsom. [applause] >> all i have to say, when i heard rick bring up reds, these guys get it. peter and joe, you have to appreciate the significance of that statement. this is the town that landmarks the doggie diner head. we take these things seriously, so i appreciate the local respect and appreciation for our icon. we all recognize the iconic nature of this setting. this natural amphitheater is second to none anywhere in the world. q would like touote other ex- mayors, most cordless heracles, who said we do not imitate for we are the imitated of others -- i would like to quote other ex- mayors.

mayor lee, you should be extraordinarily proud. to see the board of supervisors come together, it gives me great confidence that this project will come together by 2017. final point i will make its you need the state of california because you are on state property. if you are really wondering why the hell i am here is because i am on the state land commission, and you are going to need me, so i look forward to being there for you. >> he has been the president and ceo of the san francisco travel association since 2006. before that, he served as president and ceo of the portland visitors association, oregon's largest destination marketing association. he is here to tell us what this amazing new arena will do for tourism in san francisco. >> what an incredible day for san francisco. not only is it beautiful, it is

going to be even more beautiful. look around us. look around this setting. we are turning a dilapidated surface parking lot of top of the water in the bay into a state of the art of arena. it is an amazing thing. i want to congratulate city staff and the board of supervisors and peter and joe and rick and the whole team for coming together and creating something that we as san franciscans can be very proud of. i was looking at the logo of the warriors that was done a few years ago, and it seemed like a bull's-eye on this spot. it seems like somebody was thinking we have got to get this right by the bay bridge. it is a great accomplishment, and something we can all be proud of. i want to talk briefly about the importance -- we have heard about basketball and how important and how loved the team is in the area, but the facility will bring a lot more to san francisco -- events, concerts, circuses, conventions that we simply cannot host without it. our customers have said that the most important infrastructure in

the city's tourism facilities that is missing is an farina -- arena. we have no place to hold these events, whether it is beyond basketball like gymnastics finals, or the democratic convention or the n.c.a.a. finals -- things like that that san franciscans can enjoy, but bring dollars and revenue into the city in a very needed time in our economy. if you look what this complements, the new cruise ship terminal being built down the here, the very building, the exploratory and that will be opening next year, at&t park, and now this project, a this beautifularena, state of the art, world class -- this beautiful arena. it is something our customers will be very happy about. we did a survey of our clients from a run the world, and delegates spent $3 billion in san francisco a year, which is a

large amount of money. we asked what they would use the facility for. 80% said the complex would add value to san francisco as a destination. that is really significant. what this project means to us beyond basketball -- and basketball is important, and the warriors coming home is important -- are four main things -- jobs, economic and that, tax revenue for the city and county of san francisco, and entertainment for all of us. this is truly a great day for san francisco. i cannot wait until 2017 when the facility opens, and we can really celebrate what will become one of the true icons on the waterfront in san francisco. thank you to the warriors for making this happen. [applause] them during his nba career, he played for five hall of fame coaches, and his team qualified for the playoffs 14 times. following his initial season in

the nba, he was named rookie of the year. most impressively, he concluded his career ranked third on nba all-time assists with 10,334 assists. since then, he has also spent 10 years as an nba tv analyst. head coach of the golden state warriors, who is over there trying to figure out how many 57 games is, is mark jackson. [applause] >> thank you. what a beautiful day. i'm used to coming up and talking without heavy hitters prior to be grabbing the microphone. this is awfully tough, outstanding speakers thus far. maybe you want to play dr. king's speech before david and i get up. [laughter] i will say this because ultimately, i have got to with knowledge two incredible basketball players and more importantly, two incredible human beings. thank you for the history.

i came in as the head coach of this basketball team. the one thing we talked about was we were going to be a no excuse basketball team. being honest with you because we are family here, we had excuses. we just did not decide to air them out. but to the credit of this incredible ownership group led by joe and peter, they continue to knock off the check list of excuses that we had, taylor made. an incredible job of commitment, an incredible job of passion, focus, and determination that became contagious throughout this organization. i am honored and thrilled to be the head coach of this basketball team. i look forward to what lies ahead in the future. this is a great day for bay area fans and fans of sports throughout this country. at the end of the day, we are talking about 2017, though, and

i can celebrate. i can high five and look forward to it, but we have a commitment today. we have a commitment of winning today. we look forward to 2017, but we look forward to taking care of the business that is at hand close by. we are thrilled to death, but the commitment remains the same, and the no excuse mentality remains the same. at the end of the day, as i talk to my wife, she asked what i was doing in the morning, i explained to her because when you are family, you get inside information. i told her what it was all about, and she was excited and the kids were excited, but then we thought about it. that is 2017, man. how many coaches still coach their team five years later? so i bought a permanent pen, a sharply, and i had the contract, and i'm not selfish.

bob and i on the way here together, we talked to the ownership group, and we wanted to get them to sign some papers to make sure that we are part of this ribbon tie event in 2017. [applause] but it is going to be a great day. fasten your seatbelts because it is an exciting time with this group. thank you so much, and god bless you. [applause] >> i never thought about it, a coach and general manager invited to a press conference. not a good sign in the nba. seven-year nba veteran, named a member of the eastern conference all-star team. during the recently completed season, he became the first warriors player to average at least 20 points and nine rebounds in four years since the gentleman in the front row, and eight thurman, did it in 1971 and 1972. extremely community oriented,

having fat -- captured the warriors community is this award, ladies in july, power forward for the golden state warriors, david lee. [applause] >> going last -- raymond, you are in trouble for putting the last. such a great day to be a warrior today. i think i will nominate myself -- i'm going to make an announcement. i can get this whole project done in 68 months, so i will still be a warrior for sure. i'm putting myself in charge of the planning and the construction. in all seriousness, two years ago, new ownership took over and came to speak to us in the locker room that had a couple points, wanted to tell us where we were going, where this thing was that it appeared the first thing he said was we are going to put great people around the players appear the people behind me right now, we have an unbelievable coaching staff, everything down to the medical team, the trainers, the front office, the logo.

he said that we're going to put great people around the players, taking away the excuse that we do not have great people around us. the second part is we will have the best facilities of any team in the nba, and that is what we are here to celebrate today -- the beginning of that. with that comes a lot of responsibility. i told you i'm here representing the team and the players. this kind of responsibility means we are not waiting until 2017, that this building will be an iconic building, and it will be a place where fans can not only enjoy games in december and january but can expect to enjoy games in may and june as well, the time we will be having to make our playoff run. so thank you for having me here. >> i would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for being here today. we will have a photo op, and

there will be questions of to the side later. be sure to mark your calendars and beat us here in 2017. [applause] [music]