An NBA Championship wasn't the only 'first' Golden State Warriors' player Harrison Barnes was celebrating on the court last night. The 23 year old forward told reporters his sip of victory champagne was the first time in his life he had tasted alcohol.
Prior to the Warriors' title clinching 105-97 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the NBA finals, reporter Dieter Kurtenbach of San Franciso based sports outlet KNBR tweeted saying Barnes had never had a drop of alcohol. When he asked Barnes what he would do if the Warriors brought home the gold Barnes said: "That's over, I'm Celebrating."
Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins, who was at the Warriors' championship after-party, also confirmed that Barnes was no longer alcohol free:
Two Warriors famously abstain from alcohol, Iguodala and Harrison Barnes, and both were under more pressure to drink than college freshmen. "They didn't get me," Iguodala claimed. "They got me," Barnes admitted. When Barnes slipped out the door a little before 3 a.m., saying he needed to shower back at the Ritz, reserve guard Justin Holiday hollered after him: "You're going to be asleep in 10 minutes." Barnes, true to his word, returned. The party churned past 5 a.m.
The championship ring and glass of champagne are no doubt a sweet finish to the season for the 6'8 forward from North Carolina. Drafted by the Warriors with the 7th overall pick in 2012, Barnes shined in his 3rd NBA season, the first under new head coach Steve Kerr. Relegated to a reserve position last year under previous coach Mark Jackson, Barnes returned to the starting line-up this year, starting all 82 regular season games and showed big improvements to his game. He recorded career highs in points and rebounds per game as well as field goal and three point percentage.
