Introducing Golden State of Mind's new writers

First of all, I have to thank everyone who applied to write for Golden State of Mind this time around — I got about twice the response that we received the last time I said "we had some tough decisions to make", meaning this was about as tough as it gets.

But that's never a bad thing: ultimately, I think we got a great mix of intellect, experienced GSoM commenters, fans who endured the nearly two decades of losing before We Believe, and even a sprinkle of more traditional journalism experience.

Anyway, we don't believe in hazing around here but do have one initiation requirement: answering a totally random question to demonstrate the initiates' fan cred. This year, we went with the following prompt: "Talk about your first Warriors memory" (the final decision was between that or "Explain the greatness of Monta Ellis in 14 words or less." Seriously...sort of.). You'll get a taste of each of their writing throughout this week (beginning today), but for now their responses are below with their Twitter accounts in parentheses if you wish to follow them (FOLLOW THEM).

And, of course, you can feel free to respond to the prompt in the comments as well.

Dean Campbell (@deancampbell47)

Bay Area native working for the man in DC with dreams of moving westward. First Warriors memory is spending hours in the driveway imitating the killer crossover.

Amanda Edwards (@amayedwards)

My first warriors memory was going to the Oracle to watch the Warriors play the Lakers in 2000. I was 6 years old and I went with my dad and older brother. I was young, but I remember what a spectacle it was-and what a community the fans were. We had incredible seats and it was such an exciting opportunity to see Chris Mullin playing, which was who my dad was cheering for the whole time. He then went on to become the general manager for the Warriors so it was awesome to see that unfold. As a high school student and basketball fan, my love for the Warriors continued when my best friend purchased season tickets and took me regularly. Going to games never got old!

Hugo Kitano (@HugoKitano)

My first Warriors memory was We Believe. I didn't know anywhere near enough about basketball to comprehend the craziness of what was happening, but I could appreciate Baron Davis dunking over Andrei Kirilenko, then receiving a technical for taunting by lifting his shirt. Sometimes, success isn't about winning the championship, it's about style. And this Warriors team had it. It would just take a few more years for this style to become successful.

Derek Knight

1st Warriors memory: I don't actually have a clear remembrance of my very first encounter of watching the Warriors. It's just a miasma of losing circa 2005--2006. High-scoring, exhilarating, ultimately futile. But enough to get me hooked.

Justin Swinderman (@lilbootsj85)

It was 1992 and I was 7 years old. Chris Mullin was our highest paid player that season at $2.8 million, and Golden State was hosting the Miami Heat. Rony Seikaly was just burying us in the paint...spinning and dunking - really giving Tyrone Hill a handful. The Warriors had this Frankenstein of a forward on the team that year named Byron Houston. The guy was built like Craig Smith - 6'6" and 250 pounds of pure meanness; I mean nobody wanted a piece of this guy. He was kind of like Aldon Smith was to the Niners: after the play breaks and he's walking back to the huddle, you're going to taste his face mask if you don't get out of his way. That's the kind of player Byron Houston was. Anyway, it was a high scoring, competitive game. Suddenly there's a couple of back to back steals and guys are scrambling for the loose ball near mid-court. Seikaly goes and dives on the ball, and of course, Houston piled on top of him to jar it away, as was his custom. The two got tangled up and after the whistle blew, Seikaly wanted to get up. The only problem, was Houston's leg was resting on Rony's...

Now, Houston being about 22 or 23 at the time was fairly new to the league and Rony played on the east coast, so he had no idea who Houston really was. Seikaly kicks Houston's leg off of his own, and starts to get up. Byron's now suddenly on both feet with his fists ready, and a look on his face like Dee Bo from "Friday." Ronnie fell back to the court and put both feet and paws in the air like he was puppy who just wetted the new rug and now awaited punishment. The whole bewilderment of the situation was very amusing, even back then. How the league has changed... I remember feeling strangely amped up and punching my dad a few times. He smelled like a Budweiser. I've been a fan ever since.

Welcome to all of our new writers. Glad to have you aboard!