On a night when Chris Mullin's former-Golden State Warriors #17 jersey was to be lifted to the rafters of Oracle Arena, the real story ended up being the boos that rained down on the team's owner Joe Lacob during the ceremony.
In an unbelievable five minutes during the ceremony, fans at arena drowned out Lacob's introduction of the ex-Warriors great during "Chris Mullin Night."
Lacob looked visibly shaken before he was rescued by Mullin and another former Warriors great, Rick Barry.
Things had already seemed tense way before the owner had a chance to proceed with the unveiling of Mullin's jersey for retirement.
Fans were probably venting their frustration at the team's recent trade of fan favorite Monta Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks and the probability at looking at another lottery pick instead of the playoffs.
While the booing quieted after Lacob's introduction, the owner said, "Now that we got that out of the way..."
Little did he know what was yet to come.
Lacob was only able to nervously add, "Tonight is about two things, embracing history and respect," before the hostile crowd turned on him full blast.
Mullin walked over and hugged the visibly shaken Lacob before imploring the crowd to calm down.
"As the greatest fans in the NBA," he reasoned, "Change in inevitable."
After the boos and catcalls kept interrupting Lacob's speech, Warriors Hall of Famer Rick Barry stepped up and scolded the fans.
"Show a little bit of class," an angry Barry barked into the microphone. "This is crazy... seriously."
"He's going to change this franchise," he continued.
Lacob was finally able to continue his speech and told Mullin, "Chris, this night is about you."
Mullin and his family were given an Hawaiian vacation by the team, but the guest of honor seemed more concerned about Lacob's humiliation.
It was too bad the fans had to ruin a special night for the Hall of Famer Mullin who gave the Bay area so many good memories.
Thankfully, at the end, things subsided and the ceremony ended in cheers.
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