Few NBA arenas still put media courtside. And the limited seating in the arenas that do usually only leaves room for beat writers.

I haven’t been a beat writer since 2013. It has been that long since I had a courtside seat. Until this weekend. I honestly forgot how unparalleled that experience is. Unlike the NFL, MLB or NHL, the NBA can put the media right on top of the action. It is a completely different experience when you add the sights and sounds of being up close.

But on the first two games of the Warriors’ three-game road trip, I was back on press row. Filling in for our beat writer Anthony Slater, who went to Oklahoma City earlier to advance Kevin Durant’s return, I was the “beat writer” for Bay Area News Group in Memphis, which still reserves some courtside seats for media right behind the scorer’s table.

Oklahoma City does, too. But even though Slater was back in the beat seat, the Thunder reserved two seats on press row for publications that travel with the Warriors. It was on.

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know I was like a kid in a candy store, passing along the details from being up close. If not, here is a recap from some of the highlights. It might be a while before I sit courtside again.

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MEMPHIS: The game is a few minutes old. JaVale McGee uses a stop in the action to run to the scorer’s table. He grabbed his inhaler off the scorer’s table, took a puff, then ran back onto the court.

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OKLAHOMA CITY: Draymond was making his way back into the game. He puts some moisturizer on his lips, as he always does, on his way to the scorer’s table.

He walks past a fan sitting close enough to touch Draymond. The fan: Rich Taylor, a San Diego native and San Jose State University graduate who lives in Oklahoma City and managers a popular bar in Bricktown called Pink Parrot. He famously left a burned Kevin Durant jersey on the porch of Durant’s house for sale in Oklahoma City.

Taylor, who wore a black t-shirt that red KOWARD, with the K and D in orange, shouted to Draymond as he walked by.

“Don’t kick anyone,” he said. “Don’t kick anyone.”

Draymond looked back over his shoulder and rebutted.

“I’ma kick you.”

That wasn’t the last exchange between the two. After Durant and Andre Iguodala got a technical foul after a dust-up between Durant and Andre Roberson, Green was sitting on the scorer’s table waiting on the official review.

He ended up barking with the fan again, only this time Green was animated.

The security officer warned the fan, but neither he nor Draymond stopped talking, and Green was getting increasingly agitated. The stepped in and went up to the fan pointing and shouting “Enough!” Taylor pointed at Draymond as if to say “he keeps talking to me.”

The officer turned and pointed to Draymond and screamed “Enough.”

That’s when Iguodala, already unhappy, started screaming at the officer.

“Don’t say nothing to him! You don’t tell him nothing! Don’t tell him nothing!”

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MEMPHIS: On a fast-break to end the first quarter, Stephen Curry drove down the middle, spun away from the basket and threw an over-the-head, no-look pass to an open Patrick McCaw in the right corner. It sailed out of bounds. It was quite the turnover.

Kerr, standing close enough for me to hit him with a ball of paper, immediately spun away from the court and swung a haymaker. He stopped his fist just before he broke his hand on the scorer’s table as he tried with all his might to contain his frustration. It was like The Incredible Hulk was trying to come out and he was trying to stop it.

He stormed to his seat on the bench, where video shows he continued to struggle bottling up his anger.

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Curry walked towards the bench at the end of the quarter, shaking his head. Kerr was still fuming. Curry walked right past Kerr. I expected him to tell Curry to take care of the ball, encourage him to play smarter, get under control. Kerr couldn’t even look at him. Walked right past him with a disgusted look on his face and looked to be venting about it to the assistant coaches in the huddle.

Now juxtapose that with the Kerr from earlier in the quarter. Miffed at a foul called on Kevin Durant, complained to the referee. When Marc Gasol missed the free throw, Kerr turned to some fans sitting courtside, whom he was standing right in front of, and said “See, ball don’t lie.”

One Kerr: light and funny and personable. The other Kerr: a character from Grimm trying to hide that he’s a Zauberbiest.

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MEMPHIS: Durant, not happy with the call, started clapping as he walked by referee Ben Taylor on his way to the bench. Smiling, Durant said “Good job” with all the sarcasm he could muster. When Taylor slapped Durant with a tech, Durant kept smiling and pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards the referee, as if to say “this guy.”

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OKLAHOMA CITY: The jawing between Westbrook and Durant began just inside of six minutes left in the third quarter. A Westbrook runner off the glass over Durant, after which Westbrook told the ref her was fouled, prompted Durant to run past Westbrook and tell him that was an offensive foul. Westbrook barked something back at Durant.

The next time down, Westbrook hit a 3-pointer and barked some more, and Durant barked back. Westbrook hit another 3-pointer and by now they were shouting back and fourth at each other while play was going on.

Curry got in the shouting session after he thought he was fouled on a runner. He got the rebound, converted a layup and started yelling, at the ref and in general — adding to the brewing emotion of Westbrook and Durant jawing.

The next time down, Durant went straight to the rim for a layup. Andre Roberson blocked it off the backboard and was called for goaltending and was called for the foul.

He ended up crossing paths with Durant, and the two barked at each other, drawing close until their foreheads butted. They had to be separated and both were slapped with technicals.

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MEMPHIS: Draymond was having issues with his contact lenses all game. He took an inadvertent slap to the face from Zach Randolph and had to come to the sidelines to put his contact back in. He wanted to pull this off before Randolph’s second free throw, so he was hustling to rinse it off and put it back in. It was like he had to pee and couldn’t get the keys in the door fast enough.

During a timeout later, he came to the bench wincing like something was in his eye. Later, while inbounding the ball, he was fidgeting with his eyes again.

At one point, he walked to the scorer’s table, grabbed a bottle of some clear liquid and just squirted it into his eyes, like he was putting ketchup on fries. It drained down both of his cheeks as he walked back to the bench. For a second, I thought he was pouring hand sanitizer in his eyes.

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MEMPHIS: One play in the third quarter, Memphis point guard Mike Conley Jr. drove on Curry, who stayed on his hip as he drove. Conley pulled up and Curry reached in, slapping his arm, but Conley made the shot anyway.

Draymond screamed “COME ON MAN! STOP REACHING” as he stared down Curry, who looked away from Draymond and started walking towards halfcourt with his head down, smacking his hands together in frustration.

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OKLAHOMA CITY: Emerging from a timeout in the middle of the fourth quarter, Durant was trying to get Curry’s attention. He yelled either “30!” or “Curry!” a couple times before Curry heard him and turned around. Durant walked up on him and said “shoot it” and patted him on the chest.

Curry on the very next possession drove the lane and got his shot blocked by Roberson.

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MEMPHIS: Kerr strikes again. It’s the fourth quarter and Memphis is making a run. Kerr called some action for the Warriors to run. But the aggressive Grizzlies defense took away the first option. Durant went for the one-on-one opportunity and hoisted a 3-pointer, bricking.

Kerr whipped around again, away from the action, but this time he didn’t punch. Instead he pulled on his hair as he doubled over, his eyes widened by dismay. I wished I had my phone out in time to snap a pitcher. The sight would’ve made for an epic “Are you kidding me?” meme.