The Golden State Warriors and the San Jose Sharks have each scheduled their Jewish heritage games for next month.
The Warriors’ 11th annual Jewish Heritage Night will be on Dec. 16 against the Phoenix Suns. Tipoff at Oracle Arena in Oakland is set for 7:30 p.m.
The defending NBA champion Warriors have boosted their record in Jewish heritage games at home to 7-3 by winning four straight, including a 128-108 romp last season over the Sacramento Kings on the seventh night of Hanukkah.
This year, Jewish fans are invited to gather for a pre-game party at 5 p.m. in the outdoor plaza between the stadium and the arena. There will be food, music and even a menorah lighting — even though Hanukkah will have ended three nights earlier. Sponsors include the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation, Chabad of San Francisco and the Everybody is a Star Foundation.
Each Jewish heritage ticketholder will receive a souvenir cap emblazoned with a Warriors’ logo inside a Star of David. Tickets are available from Jewish organizations that have purchased blocks of tickets, most notably the S.F.-based federation, which purchased 1,500 tickets and is selling them for $65 at www.tinyurl.com/jcf-warriors. Call (415) 512-6278 for more information. For details on buying group tickets directly from the Warriors, visit www.tinyurl.com/warriors-jewish or call (510) 986-2247.
The Sharks’ second annual Jewish Heritage Night will be at SAP Arena in San Jose against the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 — one night before Hanukkah begins. Special discounted tickets are priced at $45 (upper level) and $65 (lower bowl), and each includes a souvenir cap with the Sharks logo on the front and the Hebrew word for “sharks” written on the side.
Additionally, anyone who purchases a Jewish heritage ticket will be entered in two drawings: one to win a Zamboni ride during intermission, another to be in a group of about 10 people who will get to meet NHL veteran Mike Brown, a Jewish player on the Sharks. Also, a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley.
For more details on the event, visit www.tinyurl.com/jvalley-sharks or call the federation’s Becka Ross at (408) 357-7502. To buy tickets, click on “register” and enter “jvalley” as the promo code when prompted. Get group ticket information from the Sharks at (408) 977-4748.
In their first Jewish heritage game last season, the Sharks skated to a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers.