SAN FRANCISCO – The Chase Center is abuzz as players, coaches, and journalists gather for the Golden State Warriors annual media day. After a long offseason it’s finally time to spotlight a franchise that has won four NBA championships in nine years, but now must bounce back after missing the playoffs for just the third time since 2012.

Head coach Steve Kerr and 14 players rotate at the podium as around twice as many print, web and broadcast media members shoot questions, photos and video for nearly four hours in a crowded designated interview room.

Meanwhile, away from the bright lights in another part of the arena, a humble man toils anonymously. He has performed for more NBA championship-winning teams than Steph Curry has, but few realize that.

And Darryl Arata likes it that way.

“He doesn’t want credit, he doesn’t seek the limelight, he’s just a dedicated person who’s really awesome to have in an organization,” says KGO-TV sports director Larry Beil, a former ESPN SportsCenter anchor, who like Arata, is a University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa journalism graduate.

Arata, a 5-foot-3 McKinley High alum who was born and raised in Honolulu, is living proof that you don’t have to be a giant with a 40-inch vertical leap to fulfill your dreams of making it in the NBA.

Arata, 51, is the Director of Public and Statistical Information for the Warriors. He is a bridge between the team and the media.

He tries to follow the rule of not being the story, but that was impossible when he was interviewed by his hometown media this week as the Warriors opened training camp on the campus of Brigham Young University-Hawaii, and conclude their visit to the islands with their preseason opener Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.

This is a homecoming week for Arata, who is on his first work trip to Hawai‘i with the team.

Arata’s dreams of playing in the NBA ended when he realized he was not going to get taller than a foot shorter than the average NBA guard. But that didn’t stop Arata from chasing a career at basketball’s highest level.

“You don’t have to be athletic to be involved with sports,” says Arata in an interview this week. “This was my way of getting into sports and there’s still other ways to get there.” 

Part of his job is creating game notes that consist of 40 or more pages for every Warriors game.

“It’s hard to describe for people who don’t work in the media to grasp the volume of statistical information and details that are distributed every game, and Darryl is the man doing it all,” Beil says. “I’m sure he’s up till 2-3 in the morning after every game updating statistics and grinding and grinding to get everybody the information they need.”

Arata says he’s up until much later than that and is thankful he’s a night owl.

He also helps prepare the arena on game days, or, in this case, on the first day of a hectic week, media day at the Chase Center.

“Not too many people know too much about him, but he’s one of those behind-the-scenes people that’s very important for an organization,” says Kyle Sakamoto, a sports writer at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, and Arata’s friend since childhood.

Arata is too humble to say it, but Kerr indicated in a 2021 interview that he is also a friend. It makes sense, since this isn’t the first time they’ve worked together.

“Darryl is a great guy,” Kerr told Kerith Burke in an NBCBayArea article. “We always share a sarcastic thought or joke together.”

 The Arata-Kerr connection goes back nearly three decades, when their careers intersected in Chicago.

Arata grew up a Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls fan and his goal was to work for them. In 1996, he had recently graduated from UH and the Bulls had an internship available. Arata went for it.

Now-retired UH basketball coach Riley Wallace called Bulls’ GM Jerry Krause to endorse Arata. Arata then flew to Chicago for an interview and was offered the internship before he returned home. 

Years later, Arata’s boss with the Bulls, Tim Hallam, said he was chosen because he flew to Chicago at his own expense to interview with them. There was another candidate from Iowa who didn’t find his way to the Windy City.

The internship turned into a full-time job, and Arata worked for the Bulls during their last two championship seasons of the Jordan era. 

“A lot of kids only know Jordan from his shoes or ‘The Last Dance,’ but it was different seeing him live,” Arata says. 

In 1999, Chicago experienced its worst blizzard in 32 years. Arata, who was already starting to get homesick, saw it as a sign to return to Hawai‘i. 

He worked at UH for a year as the media relations contact for men’s basketball. In 2000, a friend told him there was an opening with the Kings and Sacramento became Arata’s home for the next 16 years. 

The Kings were not very good during most of Arata’s time there, but he did get to Sacramento in time for the 2002 team featuring Chris Webber and Mike Bibby that nearly beat the Kobe-and-Shaq-led Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Following Kevin Durant’s signing with the Warriors in 2016, Arata was offered a job at Golden State. Raymond Ridder, the Warriors’ Senior Vice President of Communications, approached Arata because they knew they were going to need more media help with Durant’s arrival. 

Arata joined another professional from Hawai‘i, Mid-Pacific graduate Nanea McGuigan, who is now the Senior Director of Basketball Administration and Player Programs for Golden State.

“You are a special, special part of our organization, you deserve all the recognition for making things go,” Curry said of McGuigan at the Warriors’ 2022 NBA championship ring ceremony.

Curry is the one player who has impressed Arata most during his 27-year career with three NBA teams – even more than Jordan, his childhood hero. 

“Steph is one-of-one, there’s no player like him,” Arata says.

The greatest shooter of all time is a joy to watch on the court, but he’s also widely regarded as an even better person. Arata confirms that.

“What you see about his personality is true,” Arata says. “He’s absolutely that kind of genuine person, which is incredible to me.”

With the 1996-1998 Bulls, the 2017-2018 and 2022 Warriors, and the 2002 Kings, Arata has seen some of the best teams in NBA history.

Arata doesn’t like to talk about himself and the spoils of victory. But not many people other than he and Kerr – who has been a part of nine NBA championships as a player or coach – have had careers that started with Jordan and continue with Curry.

“I was just at the right place at the right time,” Arata says. “I’m just very fortunate.”

While at UH, Arata worked at the school newspaper, Ka Leo O Hawai‘i, before moving to what was then called the sports information office. He didn’t know this place existed until the longtime director, Eddie Inouye, told him they needed student writers. 

Arata did anything he could do to learn. He helped with various sports including men’s basketball, football, men’s and women’s volleyball, cross country and sailing.

Arata credits his success to Inouye, Wallace, public relations professor Craig Miyamoto, and English professor Susan Schultz. 

“If not for them, I probably don’t get my start,” he says.

Sakamoto is justifiably proud of his good friend.

“He’s very well respected in the Golden State Warriors and the NBA community for what he’s done as far as stats and keeping track of everything,” Sakamoto says. “He really wants to go out there and put forth the best work possible and he’s done that for many years.”

Arata likes to go to movies in his free time. “Deadpool & Wolverine” is among his recent favorites. He returns to Hawai‘i at least three times a year and enjoys spending time with his friends and family more than anything else.

He also looks forward to eating local food when he’s home. Okata Bento in Kaimuki is his favorite. 

Arata and Sakamoto have been friends since they met at Maʻemaʻe Elementary School. They also attended Kawananakoa Middle School, McKinley and UH together.

“We love to watch WWE wrestling together, talk about sports, or catch up on life,” says Sakamoto, who also majored in journalism and has worked in the sports departments of Honolulu daily newspapers since the 1990s. In fact, he’s among the reporters covering Saturday’s exhibition game who will benefit from his friend’s diligent work.

Arata is admired by many for his determination and consistency.

“I think it just shows that if you work hard and you’re dedicated, just keep grinding and grinding and you’ve got a good chance to be successful,” Beil says. “Darryl is a perfect example of that.”

Arata stresses internships and experience for people who seek careers in media. 

He says the UH sports information office, which is now called sports media relations, was a great place to start. 

“He’s very happy with what he’s doing and I’m just really proud of him,” Sakamoto says. “If others can aspire to be like him and do what he’s doing, I think that’ll be terrific.”

The key to it all is being a team player. Selflessness and humility can take you a long way. 

Beil recalls a time during the 2022 playoffs when he was trying to get access to the TV or radio broadcast so he could track the games. Arata came out of nowhere and bought him an old-school transistor radio with headphones.

“Who would do that? Nobody would do that,” Beil says. “That’s a first, and I’ve been doing this for four decades. Nobody bought me a radio before to help me do my job.

“That just speaks to his willingness to help and his overall selflessness,” Beil adds. “I’m sure he had better things to do than run to the store and buy a transistor radio.”

Very few people have interacted with Michael Jordan and Steph Curry on a daily basis.

But for Darryl Arata, it’s just another day at the office.