SPORTS

From this page you'll be able to see some of the sports I participate in.

Warriors vs. Trailblazers
Dec. 27, 2018

On Thursday, Dec. 27, Dad received a text from Mr. Inouye, my friend Mason's dad. Mason and I have known each other since pre-school. Anyway, Mr. Inouye asked if dad and I might be interested in joining them for the Warriors game in Oakland that evening. We hadn't been to a Warriors game in quite some time so we jumped at the opportunity. Despite the loss in overtime, we had a great time. The game was exciting and I got to eat a hot dog and nachos. Oh, and I also lost a tooth. I really lost it because it fell out of my mouth onto the ground and we couldn't find it.

Giants vs. Diamondbacks
Aug. 26, 2019

Connor had a good time the last time we saw a Giants game, so we decided we'd go to another. When Dad saw there was going to be a Star Trek Night, he basically said, "We're there". Anyway, we chose seats in nearly the same spot where we sat last season. We could pretty much see everything except for the right field corner. Also, just like last year we ate hot dogs and garlic fries. After the game, when we were heading home, we passed by the Warriors new arena called the Chase Center.

Klay Day
Jan. 9, 2022

For over 2 1/2 years every Golden State Warriors fan has been waiting for this day. Sunday, January 9, 2022 would mark Klay Thompson's return to the Warriors. After enduring an ACL tear in the 2019 NBA Finals and an achilles tear the very next year, Klay Thompson has been working hard to try and get back to where he was before he was injured. On this day he would suit up against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Chase Center in front of the Warriors home crowd. Tickets were a hot commodity as seats at the very top of the arena were going for $275 each a few weeks before the game. Just prior to the game people were asking thousands of dollars for premium seats. We watched from the comfort and safety of our home and cheered every bucket he made. In the end he played for 20 minutes and scored 17 points (3 3-pointers) with 3 rebounds, an assist, and one steal. Oh, and by the way, the Warriors won, 96-82. We can't wait until Klay's at full strength and plays an entire game.

Connor's history teacher, Mr. Unsinger, is a big Warriors fan, and he and Connor might talk before or after class about how the Dubs are doing. Recently, when the Warriors didn't play particularly well and lost a game to the Dallas Mavericks, a particularly upset Mr. Unsinger, looking to vent, sent a two word email to Connor simply stating, "Warriors suck!". Everyone laughed, but we all knew exactly how he felt. Despite the loss and their inconsistent play of late, when Klay Thompson's scheduled return to the court approached everyone was hyped to watch. Mr. Unsinger was able to score tickets, so he and Mr. Lavelle, Connor's English teacher, went to the game. The next day Mr. Lavelle gave Connor the towel everyone at Chase Center received as a souvenir.

Giants vs. Rockies
Sept. 9, 2023

The Hamasaki's had extra tickets for the Giants game versus the Colorado Rockies. It wasn't just any game, however, as this was Star Wars Night, and the first 15,000 fans got a free Pop Funko Mandalorian! When Connor heard about the give-away he was all over this. Even better was the fact the Giants won this game pretty handily by a score of 9-1. Logan Webb pitched brilliantly, and the Giants hit the ball really well. To top it all off we had hot dogs and garlic fries! What a great day!

Warriors vs. Knicks
Mar. 18, 2024

Connor scored a pair of tickets to the Warriors vs. Knicks game from Mr. Morimoto (former MVBT High School Dharma School teacher). Mr. Morimoto was going to be out of town and couldn't use the tickets, and he remembered how Connor correctly predicted the outcome of the playoff games during the Warriors' last championship season. So impressed by Connor's insight and chagrined that Connor hadn't attended a live Warriors game at the Chase Center, Mr. Morimoto graciously offered his tickets to Connor. It was fortuitous that Connor happened to have Monday off from school (Teacher In-Service Day) so he could use the time off to make sure he had all his school work taken care of before he headed up with Jordyn.

About 3 hours before the game Dad dropped Connor and Jordyn off at the CalTrain station in Mountain View. They took the express train up to San Francisco and walked about 1/2 a mile to the Chase Center. They got there a little early so they walked around a little bit and toured the arena. They bought food for dinner and ate at their seats. Connor also found a link to complete a Verizon survey and received a free Warriors t-shirt for his trouble. Everyone in the arena received a free Warriors towel too.

Unfortunately, it was one of those games where the Warriors couldn't seem to get anything going early and trailed the entire time. Just the same, they had a fun time being in the arena and watching their favorite team compete. It wasn't the outcome they had hoped for, but it was still great to be in the new arena to watch players like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Chris Paul, Jonathan Kuminga, Trace Jackson-Davis, and Draymond Green play. After the game they jumped on another CalTrain back to Mountain View where Dad picked them up.

Valkyries vs. Aces
95-68 (W)
June 7, 2025

In the inaugural season of the expansion WNBA franchise Golden State Valkyries, Jordyn purchased season tickets. She and Mom had been going together the most, but she had taken both Tyler and Connor to one game each. This game, Jordyn asked Dad if he wanted to go. Since he was the only one who hadn't been, he eagerly said, "YES!". Unfortunately, a few days prior, Jordyn came down with a bad case of COVID. She was feeling a little better by game time but she was still far from well, so she offered her ticket to Connor.

On Saturday, about mid-morning, Connor and Dad jumped on a Caltrain and journeyed northward to the Chase Center. They arrived at the 4th and King St. Caltrain Station in San Francisco, about 3/4 of a mile from the Chase Center, around 10:40 am. They walked to a nearby food truck area (Spark Social SF) to grab an early lunch. When they got there it appeared as if many of the trucks were just opening, but they found one open truck that had what they were looking for, burgers. They did have to wait a little bit as they were the first to place their orders but the food was very good. They would definitely go back again. Once they finished eating, they headed out to the Chase Center in the hopes of catching the starting line-up announcements.

Once they got to the Chase Center they found that there were multiple long lines trying to get inside. At this point all they hoped for was to catch the opening tip off. Luckily, they found the lines to the extreme left were the shortest and moved the fastest. Mom gave them instructions on the most direct way to get to their seats once they entered the building. They immediately went to the right and headed up the escalators. A short walk later they found the entry to their section. They located their seats and less than a minute later the lights dimmed to announce the starting line-ups.

This game pitted the Valkyries against the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces are one of the original teams in the WNBA. They won back to back championships in 2022 and 2023. Last season they went deep into the playoffs before losing to the eventual 2025 champions, the New York Liberty. Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase was an Assistant Coach with the Aces last season before being chosen to lead the upstart Golden State expansion franchise.

The Aces are led by two-time WNBA champion, three-time WNBA MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and Olympic Gold Medal winner A'ja Wilson. If she wasn't enough the Aces also have Guard Jackie Young who is also a two-time champion and a three-time All-Star. Rounding out their "Big 3" is Guard Chelsea Gray, a three-time WNBA champion, the 2022 WNBA Finals MVP, a six-time All-Star, and an Olympic Gold Medal winner. Needless to say, the Aces are a very good team, and the Valkyries could not afford any lapses against the Aces like they had against some of their earlier opponents where they turned the ball over or missed easy shots. They would have to play good defense and stay focused on offense from the opening tip.

The arena was buzzing with anticipation but knew it would be a tall order to play well against such a well-coached veteran playoff team. Yet, despite the seemingly overwhelming odds against the Valkyries, they came out hungry and ready for whatever the Aces could dish out. Playing incredible defense and hitting timely shots, the Valkyries not only defeated the mighty Aces, they pummeled them 95-68! Three Valkyries players had double doubles. Forward Kayla Thornton had a career high 22 points with 11 rebounds, rookie guard Veronica Burton scored 14 points and had 12 assists, while forward Monique Billings scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Other notable Valkyries included Forward Cecilia Zandalasini with 18 points and former Aces Guard Kate Martin with 12 points and a beautiful buzzer beating 3 pointer to end the first half. It was the most complete game the Valkyries put together this season and the biggest highlight so far.

Valkyries vs. Storm
76-70 (W)
June 14, 2025

Poor Jordyn came down with a pretty nasty case of COVID a little while back. While she was feeling much better, she didn't want go out in the event she was still contagious. So, she gave her tickets to Connor and Tyler. Together they jumped on Caltrain around 3:00 pm so they could get to the arena in time to look around a little and settle in. They decided to have dinner after the game since it would be done around 7:00 pm. The nearby Giants weren't playing in town this day (down in L.A. playing the Dodgers), so there wouldn't be as many people at the nearby food trucks. Since the weather was nice it probably wouldn't be too cold either.

This game pitted the Valkyries against the Storm. The Storm had a tumultuous off-season as they were swept in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. Head coach Noelle Quinn was later investigated by the league to see if allegations of harassment and bullying were true. In the end, the league found no wrong doing by Quinn, and free agent players interviewed by management related how they wanted to play in Seattle. Once the coaching controversy was behind them they lost 3 players to ACL injuries which severely diminished their bench. Through it all, the Storm have played very good basketball. They entered this game with a 6-4 record led by veterans Nneka Ogwumike, Gabby Williams, and Skylar Diggins.

For the most part the Valkyries played very well this game getting out to a 22 point lead at one point. Unfortunately, something that has dogged them is their inability to close out games late. There always seems to be a series of possessions where they miss a lot of shots in a row and they turn the ball over. This was the case in this game where the Storm appeared done, but in the fourth quarter they turned on the defense and started to hit shots. Fortunately for the Valkyries, 22 point defecits are hard to overcome. The Valks did just enough to keep the Storm at bay to preserve a 76-70 win.

Connor had an especially good time at this game. During one of the breaks the Valkyries had a give-away where they dropped gift cards from the top of the arena using parachutes. It appears as if Jordyn's seats are in a prime location to catch these drops. The fan sitting next to Connor was actually in line to catch one of the parachutes but tried to jump to grab it. He mistimed his jump and that enabled Connor to snag it instead. When he got home he found one gift certificate from the official Golden State Warriors sponsor, Rakuten. He also found a gift card that can be used online or at any Golden State Shop for official merch! Best day ever!

Valkyries vs. Aces
72-78 (L)
August 8, 2025

Connor was gearing up to return to San Diego State for his Sophomore year, so Jordyn wanted to make sure he was able to get in another Valkyries game before he headed back. Just like many of the other games they attended, they ate at the food trucks outside Chase Center. This time they tried Momo Noodle. Both said the food was really good. Connor got the Momo Spicy Noodle, while Jordyn ordered Popo's Noodle (pork belly).

This was a tough game for the Valkyries. Injuries have plagued the team since the All-Star break with Kayla Thornton's season ending knee surgery being the worst. Monique Billings has also been out with an ankle sprain she sustained about a week back while playing against Atlanta. With two key players missing, the Valkyries were in for a rough game against A'ja Wilson and a very good Las Vegas Aces team. Of course, this game played out just as one might imagine. Despite playing hard all game they couldn't overcome their short bench and ran out of gas.