Oakland-based rapper Daveed Diggs releases “Back to the Bay,” a song about the Warriors

In 2005, a man named Daveed Diggs came to my school in San Francisco to teach us about slam poetry. I still remember how friendly and passionate he was to us fifth graders, workshopping different ways we could express our youthful thoughts for performance.

I always remembered his name, and since then, Diggs has risen to prominence on stage in the hit musical “Hamilton” and TV shows such as “Black-ish.” But despite his recent success, he’s always stayed true to his roots in Oakland, doing charity work in the Bay Area and using his voice to shed light on political issues like gentrification.

This NBA season, Diggs is releasing six songs in partnership with ESPN. His first is about the Warriors bringing another championship “Back to the Bay.”

Yes, the song is corny, but the very fact that it’s out there is pretty cool. After sticking through years of mediocrity, Warriors’ fan culture is currently at an apex; finally we can celebrate the success of our team. Diggs explains the meaning and intent behind his lyrics here.

In an interview with UPROXX, Daveed Diggs addressed a number of topics about Warriors fandom. He specifically talked about how the Warriors have made Oakland proud.

I think for a lot of us who are from there it’s nice to have this moment where this team, who has been ours for so long, is sort of reaching their fullest potential while they are still here. They didn’t have to leave Oakland to become champions. They are still in Oakland, they are still champions. That means a lot for us, for sure.

When asked about his thoughts about supporting the team after their move to San Francisco, he expressed uncertainty.

We’ll have to see. I don’t know the answer. We’ll see. I will certainly still root for them. They’re still like the Bay area team, and they’re still my team. But it is sad to see them go, I think, for a lot of Oakland residents.

The topic of the Warriors move from Oakland is a complicated and often sad one. If you haven’t read Ezekiel Kweku’s piece on the Warriors’ departure from Oakland, please do so.

It’s always amazing to see the lengths to which Warriors fans go to support their team. Whether it’s rapping or it’s a Klay Thompson impersonator, fandom is a constant source of passion, humor, and connection.