Warriors President Rick Welts talks what's to come this season, virtual courtside fans
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Golden State Warriors' season starts on Tuesday, and president Rick Welts has high hopes for what's to come.
On Monday, we sent ABC7 News sports anchor Larry Beil to check out the new Chase Center features, including a long, stretching screen to give fans on Zoom the full courtside experience from home.
The Warriors are debuting their reconstructed NBA Bubble-style sidelines, complete with a high-tech monitor system for virtual fans during the games exclusively airing on ABC7.
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There are 120 fans per game, and you can see about 90 of them on screen. There are also monitors through the player tunnel.
"When Steph Curry comes out on the court, we could have Ayesha, his wife, and kids sitting there waving to him as he goes on the court," said Welts. "So it'll be a combination of our fans, of our season ticket members, and we're going to have some community groups in here."
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In order to enter the building, all personnel, including Beil and Welts, must get negative COVID-19 tests at their on-site testing center.
Welts spoke about expectations for the season ahead, including the return of Stephen Curry and the addition of James Wiseman.
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