Mike Brown lives a few minutes from Chase Center, an easy walk to work.
He decided he’d rather go in style.
The Warriors assistant coach bought a battery-charged scooter with a top speed of about 30 mph. It has a bright headlight, a tail light and a clip-on cell-phone holder, and it folds for easy storage. He proudly parks his scooter in the Chase Center garage, next to the players’ Porsches and BMWs.
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SIGN UP HERE Brown's two sons inspired the purchase. They use rental scooters that you can locate around San Francisco via an app, but they discovered it can be hard to find them in their neighborhood. So, at the end of July, Mike bought two scooters for them, and he decided he wanted to give it a try, too.
“I took one out and I had so much fun,” Brown said ahead of the Warriors' Saturday night debut in their new arena. “I don’t just ride it to the Chase Center. It’s my mode of transportation around the city. I go to restaurants with my scooter. I go to the grocery store with my scooter.”
The first time he took the scooter out, Brown said, “I must admit, I didn’t have a helmet with me.” A neighbor noticed Brown ready to leave, and she scolded him. He tells the story with a big smile, explaining that he stammered: “Uhh, uhh, uhh, it’s inside. I’ll go get it real quick!” He’s never forgotten his helmet since.
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Brown is so in love with his scooter that word has gotten out beyond the Warriors. He talked to Wizards coach Scott Brooks about scooting to work, because Brooks lives close to Capital One Arena in Washington DC.
“I said Scotty, I got these two scooters, you would love them!" Brown said. "I sent him the information, and supposedly he’s going to get a couple scooters in Washington.”
Brooks replied: “I told him, if he will buy me one, I’d use it. I rent them quite a bit. ... My son has convinced me I don’t have to walk everywhere. Jump on one of these scooters. Mike Brown has it right.”
[RELATED: Lacob thrilled for Warriors' Chase Center debut]
Riding around town, Brown can tell he’s getting a few double-takes. He said a driver at a red light recognized him -- “I was surprised because I had my sunglasses on, my helmet on, my backpack on” -- and yelled: “COACH BROWN! WHAT’S UP?”
“Usually by the time someone recognizes me, I’m gone,” Brown said.
If you’re curious about the best ways to get to the Chase Center, including for Saturday night's preseason opener against the Lakers, click here.
Thanks to Candace Buckner, the NBA writer for the Washington Post, for help with this story.