Bay Meadows

From 1966 through 1974, former Golden State Warrior Joe Ellis played head-to-head against basketball legends such as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Frazier. For eight seasons, Joe played forward and guard and often scored in double figures. In his first year in the NBA, the Warriors went to the Finals against the 76-ers.

Today, Joe resides in Foster City and gives back to his community. He teaches basketball clinics for a variety of youth and kids. The greater Bay Meadows community might remember him from a popular hoops clinic he offered last spring. We hope to bring him back for another in 2016, so stay tuned!

As the NBA starts another season, we caught up with Joe to get his keen insight on the Champion Golden State Warriors and what to expect this season.

Your Thoughts On Last Year’s Championship:
“I was surprised, but pleasantly surprised. They had a great nucleus. That team was put together very, very well. They got people with very high character. They were willing to work really hard. The most important thing is that they seem to have gotten along as teammates. Supported each other very well.

They were fortunate they didn’t have any major injuries. It’s a pretty grueling season – 82 games is a lot of games to play, you mix in the travel and the practice … they were very fortunate.”

What the Warriors Need to Be on the Lookout For:
“Once you become a champion, other teams play much harder, put more effort into defeating you. Play the way they’ve played and don’t get any injuries. Watch for the evolution of Klay Thompson, his upside is tremendous. He can be so much better than he is right now and he’s working on it.”

Player to Watch:
“Festus Ezeli, Andrew Bogut’s backup.”

Thoughts on Steve Kerr’s Absence:
“Kerr is their guru; he knows his players quite well and has his pulse on when to make changes. Him being on the bench is going to be key. I’m sure [Luke] Walton is going to be qualified to lead them while he is out.”

What About the Warriors’ Anticipated Move Back to San Francisco?
“I think it’ll be a good move. The unfortunate thing is their fan-base is so good in Oakland and the East Bay … I would imagine they’re probably gonna lose some of the East Bay fans. A lot of their fans are from San Jose, however. I think it’ll be a good move, just from a prestige viewpoint; they’ll be in an iconic city.”

Looking for a great place to ride? Bay Meadows and the surrounding San Mateo area are bike friendly and offer many different paths to ride and sights to see. We even have a convenient bike map that you can download here, so you can decide exactly where to ride. Some resident favorites include the Bay Trail as well as Coyote Point Park.