The Six Numbers Retired by the Golden State Warriors

Outside his career as an award-winning account executive in the San Francisco Bay Area, Riad Agel enjoys following professional sports. Riad Agel’s favorite teams include the Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors have won six NBA championships over their nearly 75-year history. During this time, the franchise has retired the numbers of only six of the many outstanding players to wear its uniform. In alphabetical order, these players are:

Al Attles, No. 16

This playmaking guard spent all of his 11-year career with the Warriors, during which time he took the court alongside legends like Rick Barry and Wilt Chamberlain.

Rick Barry, No. 24

After winning Rookie of the Year honors in 1965, Rick Barry put together a career that has earned him recognition as one of the 50 best players in the history of the NBA.

Wilt Chamberlain, No. 13

The greatest Warrior ever, “Wilt the Stilt” tallied innumerable accomplishments over his six seasons with the team, including a 100-point game.

Tom Meschery, No 14

Also a teammate of Chamberlain’s, this power forward played alongside the 7-foot-1 center in the 1963 All-Star Game.

Chris Mullin, No 17

Chris Mullin’s 13 seasons with Golden State included a five-year stretch where he averaged more than 25 points per game.

Nate Thurmond, No. 42

A proficient scorer and outstanding rebounder, Nate Thurmond made three consecutive All-Star Games in the 1960s.

Three Grip Styles Seen in Golf

Golf club and golf ball Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

Riad Agel, an account executive at Lahlouh, Inc., has experience working with clients in publishing, retail, banking, and many other sectors. Outside of work, Riad Agel is an avid sports fan and also loves playing golf with his friends.

A good golf club grip is essential for hitting the ball accurately and consistently. Yet, despite the importance of a good grip, many golfers forgo learning the best way of gripping their club. Most golfers use one of three golf grips as they learn: the 10-finger, the overlapping, or the interlocking grip.

Of the three grip styles, the 10-finger grip is rarely used by professional golfers. Rather, this grip, also known as the baseball grip, is favored among beginners due to it being more comfortable than other styles. With the 10-finger grip, all 10 fingers are on the club, similar to how baseball players hold a baseball bat. This grip style can be very powerful, albeit less controllable, and may be suitable for golfers who have small hands.

The overlap grip, or Vardon grip, is the most popular way of gripping the golf club. This style was popularized by Harry Vardon around the beginning of the 20th century, and grants players a great deal of control over the head of the club. To employ an overlapping grip, players place the pinkie finger of their top hand between the ridges of the index and middle finger on their bottom hand. The pinkie does not touch the club and instead rests on top of the two other fingers.

Finally, there is the interlocking grip. In a way, this grip style blends the overlapping and baseball grip styles. To create it, players often begin with a 10-finger grip, then they interlock the pinkie finger of their top hand with the index finger of their bottom hand. This ensures all fingers touch the club and gives players a good amount of power behind their shots.

Giants Lose Closer Will Smith in Free Agency

Baseball field Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

As an account executive at Lahlouh, Inc., Riad Agel helps clients across a variety of sectors with project management services and has been the company's Sales Person of the Year for the past 12 years. Outside of his professional pursuits, Riad Agel is a passionate fan of Major League Baseball's (MLB) San Francisco Giants.

The Giants will have a significant void to fill for the 2020 MLB season as the team recently lost closer Will Smith in free agency. Smith, a 30-year-old native of Newnan, Georgia, signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Atlanta Braves on November 14. The contract carries a $13-million club option for a fourth year.

Selected by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft, Smith made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2012 and later played for the Milwaukee Brewers before being dealt to the Giants in 2016. He took over as the team's closer in 2018.

This past season, Smith recorded a career-best 34 saves to go along with a 2.76 earned run average (ERA) and 96 strikeouts. He also played in his first MLB All-Star Game. Through three seasons with the Giants, Smith registered a win-loss record of 9-4, 2.70 ERA, 48 saves, and 193 strikeouts.