Oakland – The return of NBA All-Star to the Oakland Coliseum brought back fond memories for many. The last time the event was held in the Bay Area was 25 years ago in 2000, when Vince Carter dominated the dunk contest during his “Vinsanity” era. The Golden State Warriors called the Coliseum home for nearly 50 years before relocating to San Francisco in 2019.
This year, the NBA All-Star hosted three events at the Coliseum: the Celebrity Game, the NBA All-Star Practice, and the HBCU game between Morehouse College and Tuskegee University. All three events were sold out, evoking strong emotions from both fans and players. Just being back in the arena brought many fans back to the good old days in Oakland.
Oakland native Damian Lillard spoke about the significance of the NBA All-Star returning to his hometown.
Warriors’ Stephen Curry reflected on his time in Oakland and shared what it meant to him to have the NBA All-Star return to the city.
Another compelling story comes straight out of Oakland: Cleveland Cavaliers Assistant Coach Johnnie Bryant, an Oakland native, is making history by coaching in his first NBA All-Star Game in the Bay Area. Bryant has been a major influence on Cavs All-Star Donovan Mitchell, playing a key role in his development. Additionally, he serves as an assistant coach for the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Bryant played college basketball at the University of Utah, where he still holds the school’s career three-point percentage record (.440). However, he credits his former high school coach, Lou Richie, who has been the head coach at Bishop O’Dowd since 2012, as a key influence in his journey.
After his playing career, Bryant founded the Bryant Sports Academy, a skill development program where he worked with athletes of all ages. In 2014, he joined the Utah Jazz as a player development assistant and was later promoted to assistant coach under then-head coach Quin Snyder.
In 2020, Bryant became an associate head coach for the New York Knicks, a role he held for four years. This year, he accepted the position of associate head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Photo by GSW/X
