Golden State Warriors Delay Move to San Francisco By a Year

The 2017 move to San Francisco isn’t happening, according to Warriors owner Joe Lacob. The team is pushing back the very costly initiative by a year. Per the AP:

Lacob confirmed recent reports that opening the arena by the original 2017 target date is no longer possible during an interview Tuesday on the team’s radio affiliate. Instead, Lacob told KNBR-680 that the Warriors are “planning on full steam ahead in ’18.”

The Warriors have faced mounting costs and opposition for an arena on a dilapidated pier near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge since they announced their intentions during an elaborate news conference on May 22, 2012. The project also might need voter approval because it exceeds current waterfront height restrictions.

The Warriors played in San Francisco from 1962 to 1971 after moving from Philadelphia. The team has played across the bay in Oakland since.