For sixth-grader Jean Anyumba, attending his first Golden State Warriors game was a dream come true. And it was made possible by the generosity of UCSF student Anne Chen, who won a pair of tickets as part of a recent UCSF Housing community event.
A total of 24 winners from UCSF Housing won tickets to attend the game, but for Jean, who lives tantalizingly close to the Chase Center, receiving a ticket to a game was huge.
Since moving to Mission Bay from Kenya last July, Jean and his younger brother, Dylan, have been mesmerized by the prospect of watching the Warriors at the Chase Center, located minutes from their home at Mission Bay Housing. “Since arriving at Mission Bay, they’ve been crazy about basketball,” said Daniel Anyumba, Jean’s father.
When they heard UCSF Housing was holding a raffle for free Warriors tickets, Jean had to enter. “I wanted to see the Warriors play,” he said. “I was hoping to win, but I didn’t. But I was close. I was just one number off.”
When Chen, who is participating in a one-year fellowship on breast imaging in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, learned that she had won the tickets, she knew exactly what to do. She gave the tickets to Daniel and Jean.
“We have met some amazing people in the UCSF Housing community,” said Daniel. “We saw Anne regularly on the shuttle as Jean and Dylan ride it to their school near ZSFG. We all became fast friends. It was an amazing gesture on her part to provide us with the tickets.”
Housing residents enjoy game.
Jean, who is in sixth grade, plays basketball at school and regularly watches Warriors games on television. “Steph is my favorite player,” he said. “I started watching them on television and I knew I wanted to go to a game. I love watching him shoot threes.”
Daniel said attending an NBA game at the Chase Center was a surreal experience. “It was my first time watching a live NBA game,” he said. “Since we moved to Mission Bay, the kids have been crazy about basketball. They try to demonstrate to me how Steph Curry shoots.”
Daniel said the experience inside the Chase Center encompasses more than just the game. “It’s an amazing show,” he said. “There is a lot going on in the arena in addition to the basketball game.”
Jean said he was amazed at the size of Chase Center. “It doesn’t look that big from the outside, but once you get inside it’s huge,” he said. “It’s very steep. You think you’re going to fall.”
In addition to watching the game, Jean said he also enjoyed the halftime entertainment. “There was a guy on a skateboard performing tricks. It was a pretty cool show.”
And while attending a Warriors game at the Chase Center was a dream come true, Jean is also busy making friends at Mission Bay Housing. “We play soccer and basketball or sometimes we just talk. It’s been fun living here.”
