It was the spring of 1985, back when Golden State’s NBA team, Warriors in name only, was a meek collective that lost more games than it won and seldom made the playoffs. But on a Sunday night in March, the Dubs scored a rare win—one of only 22 that season—against the Los Angeles Clippers in this, their first season at the L.A. Sports Arena. After spending the night at the LAX Marriott, Golden State headed, groggily, to board an early morning Western Airlines flight for its next game, against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
Ted Robinson, then the team’s radio and TV man, was part of the traveling party that, incredibly, only numbered 16—a dozen players, the head coach, one assistant coach, the trainer and the play-by-play guy. Once at the gate, Robinson trudged down the ramp and, upon boarding, made a right turn and headed to his customary seat in the second row of the economy section.
