Warriors president Rick Welts stood on a makeshift stage tucked atop Oakland's Downtown Marriott in November 2011 with a proclamation for a team that just hired him. "Everyone in the NBA, as I'm sure you know, looks at this franchise as really the sleeping giant," he proclaimed. The exclusive lair -- inside a corridor of the NBA's newest $1.6 billion palace called Chase Center -- is reserved for team shareholders and special guests, giving a direct view of the three Larry O'Brien trophies the Warriors have earned during his tenure, along with a reminder of his statement nearly a decade ago across the Bay.