Having won five NBA championships during stints with the Chicago Bulls and the San Antonio Spurs, Steve Kerr was no stranger to raucous, electric and even hostile playing atmospheres. He called the United Center home for five years and competed at Madison Square Garden and the Delta Center, two of the most intimidating arenas in the league.
However, nothing could have prepared him for the energy inside Oracle Arena on May 3rd, 2007.
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It was Game 6 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, and the Golden State Warriors were on the verge of completing the biggest upset in playoff history. The players and fans knew something special was happening and came in droves to lend their support, creating a frenzied atmosphere that emboldened the home team and intimidated the visiting squad.
An unbelievable atmosphere
After the Dallas Mavericks gave themselves a little hope with a 118-112 win in Game 5, the series shifted to the Bay Area for Game 6. The Dubs, though, smelled blood in the water from the top-seeded Mavs, whose pride was pierced by the underdog Warriors.
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The excitement was palpable as Jason Richardson realized when he walked onto the Oracle floor for his pregame shootaround.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life,” he recalled. “I come out there, you know before warmups, hour and a half before the game, and the whole Oracle is filled up already.”
“I mean, I’m literally out there shaking because the fans’ energy is so appalling. It was a sign of relief with them, but it was a hunger from them. And was like, ‘Aw, man. We cannot lose now,'” he continued.
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After a close first half that ended with the Dubs up by only two, 50-48, things turned the home team’s way in the third, where they outscored the Mavs, 36-15. And with every made 3-pointer from Stephen Jackson (he had four in that stretch), the crowd grew louder and more raucous.
Kerr, who was part of TNT’s broadcast crew that night, remarked he and his colleagues could barely hear themselves think.
“It was the greatest atmosphere I’d ever experienced in a basketball game in the NBA, and that’s not hyperbole. This place was so loud,” Kerr stressed.
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Stak was stuck on automatic
Jackson was a pivotal piece of the Warriors’ puzzle that season. Acquired in January 2007, it took the veteran wingman a while to find his rhythm. However, it was timely that he finally got it going on both ends during the postseason.
In that decisive 111-86 win, he popped off for 33 points on 10-for-19 shooting, highlighted by seven 3-point makes.
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“I come out and hit three big threes, and for him to call that game, he knew that that moment,” Jackson said. “I loved being in those moments, and he [ coach Don Nelson] said it before I even got hot that I was going to have a big game, so it was good for him to see that.”
Jackson’s job on the defensive end was even more important than his offensive contributions. In particular, he helped shut down league MVP Dirk Nowitzki, limiting him to only eight points on 2-for-13 shooting in Game 6. Dirk shot just 38 percent in the six-game series.
“Yes, I got to him. I got to him. We talking about one of the best ever. Thirty-plus-thousand-point scorer. I locked him up, you know what I’m saying?” Jackson stated. “So that’s definitely something to hold on to.”
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What the Oracle Arena lacked in lavish amenities, it made up for with an organic atmosphere made possible by the passion and fervor of the fans. And on that night in May 2007, the fans were electric. The energy in the arena was tangible as the Warriors fought for every point, every rebound, and every defensive stop on their way to forging the greatest upset in playoff history.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.