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New Warriors Team Name, Logo and Arena Name Released

The Santa Cruz Warriors will start play this fall at Kaiser Permanente Arena.

The Golden State Warriors announced a new name for the D-League team coming to Santa Cruz and a name for the tent-arena it will play in.

The team will be the Santa Cruz Warriors and the arena will be named for Kaiser Permanente.

For any basketball fan at the Crow's Nest in Santa Cruz on Tuesday, lunch was a thrill. It's not every day that Jerry West, arguably one of the 10 greatest basketball players of all time, provides the soundtrack to your meal.

He told a collection of stories from his playing days and explained to local business heavyweights and members of the media why Santa Cruz County should be excited about professional basketball coming to town.

West is a part owner of the Golden State Warriors and is among the team's top consultants. Along with other front office members, West was in town for a meet and greet to stir up buzz for the Santa Cruz Warriors, who will begin playing in a temporary arena in downtown Santa Cruz this winter. 

West and company unveiled the D-League team's brand new logo at the event. Get the first, exclusive look at the new Santa Cruz Warriors logo above. 

They also announced that they have partnered with Kaiser Permanente. The new building on Front Street will be the Kaiser Permanente Arena. 

Frank Sillano June 12, 2012 at 06:11 pm
I think this willl be great for our area my only concern is how much available parking will there be??
Jacob Bourne (Editor) June 12, 2012 at 06:13 pm
Frank, that remains a big question mark. The Santa Cruz City Council says there should be enough among all the lots and street parking downtown, but plenty of people are skeptical.
Cathy P. June 12, 2012 at 07:23 pm
Kaiser Permanente Arena? We don't even have a Kaiser in Santa Cruz County!
Diane Bianconi McNiel June 12, 2012 at 09:45 pm
Should be interesting, parking already a problem, crime not under control!!! Hopefully will bring people maybe young folks but not me..... Already can hardly park to shop so I stopped going downtown and a night to dangerous
Anna Marie Gotti June 13, 2012 at 12:29 am
What new building on Front Street?! Like other commenters, I am skeptical as well. The crime, bums, grime and graffiti are not getting better. Some days, I am embarrassed by what Pacific Avenue has become. I love this town, but sometimes I don't like it here. ~AMG
Polly Schulze June 13, 2012 at 01:02 am
I do agree with the parking issues however I am excited about the potential of the new employment opportunities this will create. I also think it will drive first time visitors to SC County who will visit downtown restaurants and shops. I think aside from the inconvenience of parking, this will be a win for the area.
Steve Premo June 13, 2012 at 01:51 pm
Well, it's good to know that, in addition to giving corporate welfare to major league basketball to build this facility, the loan will also benefit Kaiser Permanente. Sheesh.
Jacob Bourne (Editor) June 13, 2012 at 02:07 pm
I completely agree with you Polly. The way the finances have been explained, this was a no-brainer for the city. Will it bring crowds, traffic, etc? Of course. But some people will always find a reason to complain.
Cathy P. June 13, 2012 at 03:00 pm
Let's be fair Jacob, there is a reason for some to complain. Ask any Police Officer what the biggest challenges are for these type of stadium events and I'll bet that managing pedestrian and vehicular traffic is at the top of the list. Along with all the fun comes additional arrests, not to mention the worsening of existing issues like littering, vandalism, public intoxication, etc. I don't see this plan as a "no-brainer" for the city at all.
Jacob Bourne (Editor) June 13, 2012 at 03:14 pm
Every situation has pros and cons. I definitely foresee traffic and parking as an issue in this situation. And you're right, you can't control 100% of people's actions when it comes to littering, vandalism, public intoxication, etc.
But here are the pros: job creation, return on the investment, a new venue to host almost any event, cheap professional entertainment, new community role models, a new activity, enrichment of an otherwise unattractive area, increased tourism and sales tax revenue, I could go on. This is why you weigh the pros and cons. For some people, the pros are not enough. But that money was sitting idly in a fund, not earning interest, while the area between Pacific and the Boardwalk sat rotting. Why sit idly when a non-binding, short term, possibly excellent solution falls into your lap? A lot of people aren't sports fan. I get that. But I also feel that a lot of people refuse to see the big picture and will search for cons when the pros are staring them in the face.
Alexander Gaguine June 13, 2012 at 03:58 pm
Sorry, Anna Marie, that you don't like it here. You think crime is "not getting better". But really, I thought statistics showed the crime rate was going down in SC - maybe Patch could shed some light on that. Graffiti seems under control to me. "Bums ... are not getting better"? Maybe you are noting that there are more poor people here nowadays. But isn't that true of everyplace else in America? Oh, what to do?
Brad Kava June 13, 2012 at 06:10 pm
Given this is Santa Cruz, the team should have been called the Santa Cruz Pacifists...don't you think?

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Cathy P. June 15, 2013 at 07:01 pm
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