Back in 2012, training camp officially started on Oct. 1. But a month earlier, almost the entire roster was at the Warriors’ practice facility in downtown Oakland. Coming off a 23-win season and after adding three draft picks along with free-agent point guard Jarrett Jack, they were going hard in five-on-five. They didn’t have to be there, and coaches weren’t allowed to participate. It was just a team eager to begin work.
That fall began a tradition that kept going for years of the team showing up before camp to work together. Most important, it was the foundation of a team that, under then-coach Mark Jackson, counted chemistry as a tangible strength. The camaraderie was built through volunteer sweat equity.
That was eight years ago. Three championships and 763 games ago. Two election cycles and 29 Samuel Jackson movies ago.
A stark reminder of how long, long ago those days were, and how different things are now: The Warriors are gathered…
