The time when Golden State’s ‘Thunder’ pretended to rob a bank

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Before the Thunder came to Oklahoma City, Thunder was in Oakland.

From 1997 to 2008, when Oklahoma City bought the rights to the name, “Thunder” was the Golden State Warriors mascot and an Oracle Arena staple. He was even part of the logo. During those tough years, when players such as Todd Fuller, Bimbo Coles and Vonteego Cummings filled out the roster, Thunder’s acrobatic dunks and in-game hijinks were arguably the most consistent source of cheers in an arena where there were few.

We tracked down the man who originated the role of Thunder, Sadiki Fuller, now a full-time stand-up comic in Los Angeles. He explained how the team managed entertaining fans when the actual basketball didn’t.

“Our marketing plan back then was called, ‘It’s A Great Time Out’ and, you know, it was entertainment, great songs, Warrior Girls, you had Thunder; our team just wasn’t good. I mean, our luck was, we drafted Vince Carter and traded for Antawn Jamison, like that’s the type of luck that we had.

“My first season was the season that — I had the job for a month and I met Joe Smith, and I ended up at Latrell Sprewell’s house; so I’m already living the dream. I used to play with Golden State on the PlayStation and now I’m in Latrell Sprewell’s house; and then later that year, he choked [head coach] P.J. Carlesimo and he got suspended for the entire year.”

Sprewell was the best player on the team, and he was the Warriors’ only All-Star in the mid-’90s, making it even more important to drum up some local enthusiasm. So …

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