San Francisco housing prices are too high, even for NBA basketball players. Many Golden State Warriors players and employees are feeling the difference between Oakland and San Francisco already after the team’s move from Oracle Arena to the brand new Chase Center.
Warriors guard, Jacob Evans realized that, between utilities and rent, he will spend about $7,900 each month on housing. This came as a shock to him considering he grew up in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house that cost $575 a month in Louisiana.
“You hear about the crazy prices out here,” said Evans, who leased a two-bedroom apartment in San Francisco’s Rincon Hill neighborhood. “But until you actually see those numbers add up on paper, it doesn’t feel real.”
Warriors employees who need to be close to Chase Center had reality set in when they aimed to moved to an area with the highest housing prices in America. They quickly realized that avoiding Bay Bridge traffic may not be worth the incredibly high price tag.
Forward Glenn Robinson III, rented a mansion when he was with the Detroit Pistons last year for $3,500 a month. He will pay double that this season for much less space.
Players need to be close to Chase Center for games obviously, but also because their practice facility is on site at Chase Center as well.
What about Curry?
13 out of their 14 players have moved to San Francisco, with Stephen Curry being the exception. He and his wife Ayesha, plus three kids are already settled in their home. They paid the highest price for a home in the Bay Area in 2019 ($31 million).
By living 30 miles south of Chase Center, Curry will often face the risk of getting stuck in rush-hour traffic on Highway 101. Before a preseason game on Oct. 10, Curry arrived 25 minutes late to the arena, forcing him to adjust his pregame routine.
Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Oakland is $2,320, compared to $3,690 in San Francisco (105% more than the census median in the U.S.).
Center Kevon Looney considered buying a house in San Francisco after he signed a three-year, $15 million extension in July. He decided to hold off.
“Got to let those paychecks pile up a little more,” said Looney, who is renting a three-bedroom row house near Fisherman’s Wharf. “I told my dad, who’s from Tennessee, about the housing prices out here and he was just like, ‘You can’t pay that. You’d be nuts.’”
The Warriors have nine players on contracts at or near the league minimum, which starts at nearly $900,000.
The Warriors front office helped connect prospective renters with real-estate agents, but most players didn’t touch down in the Bay Area until late August or early September. This means they had limited time to find a place to live before training camp opened on Oct. 1.
“But at the same time, you can see why it’s so expensive out here. It’s beautiful,” said Warriors Forward Alen Smailagić.
Born and raised in the Bay Area. My life has revolved around sports- specifically the A’s, Warriors, Sharks, and 49ers since I was a little girl. This May, I received my BA in Sports Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University… Go Aztecs!
