I also had no guarantee that far in advance the Warriors would be in the finals but I was confident ... obviously. They didn't disappoint though, facing off against the Cleveland Cavaliers and beating them in the first three.
I didn't want to attend any NBA season game, I wanted that finals experience and it turned out we arrived in time for game 4. When the Warriors lost, the excitement my sister and I had - despite being in a sports bar in Fisherman's Wharf packed with supporters - could not be hidden.
It meant we were off to game 5.
The locals didn't seem too concerned about the loss at the time and everyone we spoke to believed the defeat was deliberate so they could win their title on home ground in game 5, which is what they did.
The atmosphere of that winning match was the most impressive sporting experience I've had. For me, it cannot be beat.
The crowd were there to enjoy the game. Anyone drinking was doing it socially and no one made a mockery of the sport (probably because they spent enough getting there to just waste it).
The train ride to and from Oakland was packed with NBA fans and after the win, it was a major celebration inside the Oracle Arena with fans just as excited as the players themselves. But that celebration continued outside - people were singing and dancing, fans were playing instruments and packed cars that lined the streets honking their horns.
No one was causing trouble, no one was heckling Cavs supporters - they even seemed happy for the Warriors fans - everyone I came across seemed happy to have been part of the celebration that is the NBA Finals.
And that game 4 loss Warriors had in 2017 added to the excitement of the NBA Finals because let's be honest, winning four from four adds no value to the entertainment of the competition overall.
This is exactly why I'm enjoying this year's championship finals - without Drake trying to claim as much attention away from the game as he can, that is.
Tomorrow, the Warriors go into game 4 with one win and two losses to the Toronto Raptors. The Warriors were without Klay Thompson in game 3 and while he's back for 4, Kevin Durant is still out.
The Raptors have never been at a finals before, so even as a Warriors fan I'm excited for them. Do I want them to win the championship? Absolutely not!
My loyalties lie with the Golden State Warriors as they have been since I started watching the NBA - and the main reason is because of where they're from!
As much as I'm a massive fan of the players including Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Draymond Green, Durant and of course Steph Curry - a player who has helped lead his team to a NBA finals win three times and whose skills often leave you dumbfounded, I'm here for the Bay area.
As a Bay of Plenty woman, I support the team that is not only from the Bay too. I also support the team that sports the same colours as my Bay ... and if I could live in any city in the world, it would be San Francisco!
Even though Golden State are behind, it's still early days. Anything can happen and I have all the confidence my Bay team has what it takes to not only provide fans with an exciting competition, but to come out from underneath and take another championship.
