Sweetie!!

[Yazata]

Everyone in northern California is electrified by the Golden State Warriors' ascent to the NBA Finals for the first time in 40 years.

But not like Sweetie, the Warriors' oldest and dearest fan.

Sweetie is 105 years old, and will celebrate her 106th birthday during the series. She is still pretty independent and lives alone with her cat in the same Oakland house where she has lived since the 1950's. She got into watching the Warriors with her husband and they went to a few games. When he died in the 1990s, her whole life kind of started to revolve around her anticipation to watch Warriors' games.

One of her children, granchildren or great grandchildren will bring her dinner and make sure she's comfortable in front of the TV before a game. Then she loves to shout at the TV during games. Her cat just looks at her.

I'm not sure how the Warriors found out about Sweetie, but during the press conference after they beat Houston to get into the finals, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he was happy for all Golden State's fans, but especially for Sweetie. He told her that if she was watching, this one was for her.

Sweetie says she couldn't believe it when he did that.

Then the world's media got wind of it and Sweetie has become a celebrity. The TV trucks are all outside her house. And there she was in her yellow Warriors t-shirt and some cool ear-rings that she must keep for special occasions. Sweetie was lookin' good.

Now the Warriors say that they are working out logistics to get her to Oracle Arena in Oakland for game one of the finals, if she's up for it.

[Magical Realist]

[Image: Sweetie.jpg-Sam-Laird-Mashable.jpg]

[Yazata]

[Image: Sweetie.jpg-Sam-Laird-Mashable.jpg]

Yeah, that's Sweetie.

There was a front-page story about her in Saturday's San Jose Mercury News.

She says sure, she'd love to go see the Warriors play the Cavs in person, if somebody (the head coach?) can get her tickets.

Apparently Sweetie's always been into basketball, since she played on her high-school women's basketball team in the 1920's.

She was 66 and still what she calls a "young woman" when the Warriors last won an NBA championship 40 years ago.

Sweetie says, "The Warriors are going to win because they have more energy than those older guys. I can't hardly wait to see it".

[Yazata]

This just in:

The Warriors are giving Sweetie and her family and friends tickets to a VIP suite at Oracle Arena for game 1 of the NBA finals on Thursday night.

Reportedly there's a special parking area and a private entrance, so she can avoid the hordes of reporters and cameras that would be all over her if she came in along with everyone else. I hope that she can meet the players though, they would probably like to meet their oldest fan too.

Her advice to the Warriors: "Don't get the Swell Head!". Coach Steve Kerr says that he's always telling his players not to let all the pregame hoopla and media attention go to their heads, but that Sweetie put it better than he could. And regarding game 5 of the Western conference series when they beat Houston: "I wanted to slap them boys for being so sloppy with the ball in the first half!" Again, Kerr admits that turnovers are one of his team's weaknesses that they are working on.

http://www.mercurynews.com/warriors/ci_2...source=nav

[Yazata]

It's a year later and Sweetie (now nearing her 107th birthday) is still watching her beloved Golden State Warriors. She's their oldest fan!

Sadly, it hasn't been a great year for Sweetie. She was walking last year, albeit with a walker. But she broke her leg and it's been slow healing, so now she spends lots of time in bed and needs a wheel chair to get around. She can't put her weight on her leg but is receiving physical therapy and has hopes she will walk again. Her family helps her get comfortable in front of the TV so that she can watch the Warriors.

She watches every game and never misses a one. She used to shout at the TV last year, but this year her voice has gotten hoarse and she doesn't shout as much. But she still tells'em. When the Bay Area News Group reporter was there, she was wearing her favorite Warriors t-shirt personally autographed for her by Draymond Green, her favorite Warriors player. And she was complaining that Steph Curry was throwing the ball too hard when he was passing.

[Image: 20160424__SJM-SWEETIE-0425-02~1.JPG]

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article.../160429839

[C C]

What a deal: To be all of age 57 way back in 1966 and still be around to remember it a half-century later. There's an obit in the newspaper of a local fellow who never made it past 57.

[Yazata]

Sweetie passed away on December 22, 2016, at the age of 107. No cause of death was given, besides old age. "She just got tired", one of her family members said. Her passing was peaceful. Two days earlier she'd happily watched the Warriors blow out Utah by 30 points.

Perhaps significantly (we aren't supposed to believe in that 'fate stuff', are we?), Draymond Green's son was born on the same day Sweetie died, Dec 22. Draymond was Sweetie's favorite Warrior. There has to be some deeper meaning in that.

http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/golde...107-122216

[elte]

It would have been cool if she had recovered.