Ros Gold-Onwude will never forget her first hit as the Warriors’ sideline reporter. Oct. 21, 2014 at Oracle Arena, a preseason game vs. the Clippers. She was a mess.

Trying to fit 90 seconds of information on Shaun Livingston into to 20, compounded by the nerves, she could feel herself spinning out of control. Talking fast. Not breathing. All over the place. She had to literally stop, on air, and take a deep breath.

“It was really bad,” she said in a phone interview Friday.

Now look at her. Going national.

Usually a sideline reporter leaving isn’t a big deal. That it is a big deal in the Bay is a sign of the Warriors’ magnetism and how Gold-Onwude has grown. Like the Warriors, she started as a ball of energy and potential and has exploded into a constellation. Covering superstars, she has become one herself. It was only a matter of time before a bigger platform would be necessary.

She’ll be back, for sure. She’ll be covering the Warriors quite a bit. But she’s off.

After three years as the Warriors sideline reporter for the NBC Sports Bay Area, Gold-Onwude has signed a new deal with Turner Sports. She will be part of their NBA coverage, doing sideline reporting for the national broadcasts, including the weekly TNT Thursday game. She’ll also do some reporting and analytical work with NBA TV, and whatever else Turner allows her to do.

The Stanford graduate who has become a local media star is moving to Atlanta, where Turner is based.

She’s come a long way. Seriously. Jerry West confirmed it.

“I was in the halls at Oracle,” Gold-Onwude said. “He came up to me. I said, ‘Hi, Jerry. How are you doing?’ Unsolicited, he said, ‘You know what? You’ve really improved a whole lot. At first, I wasn’t sure. But you’ve really, really … I’m proud of the progress you’ve made. Didn’t know about you at first.’ I said, ‘I thank you.’ I didn’t know how to take it.”

Full disclosure: Ros is the homie. My daughter has even drawn a picture of her.

But now she is a superstar — having transformed the Warriors’ sideline reporter gig into a glamorous role, setting a standard for panache and basketball IQ that is now required to be a conduit for this historical team — so I am just glad she answered my call.

Here’s a transcript of our conversation…

Q: So, why are you such a hater and leaving?

Ros: (laughs) You know, it’s just the next progression and step in my career. You know, it’s funny because everybody makes fun of me for working, you know, 10 different jobs and a lot of that was just to continue to grow. You know, get better skills and continue to have a chance to get my feet wet on bigger stages here and there and on a national stage. And now, I think all that’s come together over the years now to allow me to take a full-time position on a national stage and I’m so excited, you know. Although I’m very thankful, too, because … it’s not lost on me at all how very special the platform was to work for NBC Sports and to cover the Warriors. Which, even though it was the local broadcast, it really felt much bigger. And I’m very thankful for everyone I had the chance to work with.

Q: I know you got that Nigerian in your blood. Are you going to be OK with just one job?

Ros: You know I’m always trying to hustle in some extra stuff. So, um, I will still be – I primarily work for Turner, I imagine it will be a lot of reporting. You know, I will be doing the Thursday games. They’ll also use me in-studio as well. Probably around some NBA TV shows, things like that. I’ll be covering everything NBA from the games, to the playoffs, to hopefully be having a role deep into the playoffs, summer league, the draft. But my first role in this business was as a color commentator and analyst. And that’s near and dear to my heart. So there are some conversations where perhaps I may have the opportunity to continue to work as an analyst where it may fit. Maybe some college. But certainly I would love to be able to cover the WNBA. Basketball for me is year-round and goes across genders and, you know… that’s my life. So I think I will be able to cover the WNBA as well.

Q: Is your goal to eventually be a color commentator/analyst for the NBA?

Ros: I don’t know if that’s my career goal. I think I’m enjoying the versatility in what I can do. I think my goal is just to stay close to the game that I love, which is basketball, and to continue to develop hosting skills. I think that my eye is on hopefully growing in the host role as well. I think right now my first goals are just learn to work within the Turner family and the way they like to learn, the way they like to do things, and try to give the best effort I can to make a splash. And, you know, do well in my first year with them. This is going to be a big stage and potentially a lot of eyes.

A lot of people were watching the Warriors. But there will also be a lot of eyes that are unfamiliar with me and I just want to do well and also do right by the athletes, tell their stories well, really do it justice. Because, this moment is exactly what I have been killing myself for and working so hard for and working so many jobs for. Traveling all year, not living in my home. Studying, studying across women’s or men’s basketball. College or pro. NBA or WNBA. Across different roles. Just to have the opportunity to get to that network stage. That national stage. And I’m really thankful that Turner made the jump. That they saw something in me and they decided to give me a shot. So I cannot wait to start.

Q: The Warriors started winning titles when you came. Are they going to stop now that you’re leaving?

Ros: I have been so blessed. People always say they’re blessed. This is a blessing. I had been working within the Warriors organization for a few years before that doing their D-League team. But when I finally got that D-League call up to cover the Golden State Warriors — it was actually the Warriors that pitched me to CSN at the time, now NBC Sports. But they said, ‘Hey, check this girl out, she’s doing the color commentary for our D-league team.’

I was just so thrilled, I would’ve been happy to do anything with the team. Digital coverage. Writing. I had no idea what I was stumbling into. And what was kind of special is in a way, that year, nobody really knew what we were all stumbling into. That was the same year Steve Kerr started. Did he expect to walk in and win a championship? I don’t think so.

The team was good but they really have made an astronomic (insert: Miraculous) rise, soared into prominence in the NBA. Even though I’ve had the chance to go to three NBA Finals, see two championships, and certainly seeing Kevin Durant join the Warriors; and it is a special era I got to see the first year of, that first year that I was a part of, 2015, nothing has touched it because everything was so pure. So innocent and fresh and new and every single thing meant so much to every player. They were division champs and they had t-shirts made and people were turning up in the locker room.

Now when they’re division champs, no one will say a world. Everything was coming so fast at me that first year. I didn’t know anything about the NBA. Now all of a sudden I’ve seen everything the NBA has to offer; playoffs, Finals. I was thrown into the fire. When I think about how I started this job and how I’m leaving it, that’s one thing I can say I’m very proud of. I’ve had great mentors at NBC Sports who watched my work and give me feedback. Working with Bob (Fitzgerald) and Jim (Barnett), they both taught me.

Covering the Warriors is a big stage. You’ve got to get your act together quick. I can really say I’ve improved a lot. My producer Phil Pollicino and my boss David Koppett at NBC Sports. I love them. They were the ones who mentored me and taught me. When I started, it was my first time working sideline so it was a lot to learn. And now I think leaving I feel so much more confident, I’ve learned so much and really it’s all prepared me for this next step.

Q: You’re a star in the Bay. Was it tough to give that up and move to Atlanta?

Ros: Honestly, nobody has loved me the way the Bay Area has loved me. I mean outside my mom and dad, like family. The Bay has shown me so much love. It was so important to me that, while I was taking this job, to make sure I give the proper respects and genuine thanks, gracefully, to Dub Nation, the Bay Area. Because they not only love the Warriors, they loved our broadcast, they loved me. They showed me so much support. Truly unbelievable, unimaginable, flattering, heartfelt, support from them.

The people who write in to say we enjoyed your interview or our daughters are watching you. Even though I am leaving the Warriors and NBC Sports, they will always be near and dear to my heart. The Bay is always going to be a special place for me and a special group of people. It’s my home. I’m from NY, but the Bay is my home. And that will never change.

Q: What do you look forward to most in Atlanta?

Ros: Man, I don’t know. I need all the introductions and plugs that I can get possible. The thing I look forward to most is the work. I love basketball. I’ve been playing since I was 4. It is a huge part of my life. It was my game. It has always been my vehicle. Basketball took me out of Queens, it’s shown me the world, it’s given me a career, it’s introduced me to some of my best friends. And for my family, basketball has always been a connecting, unifying factor for us, something we bond around.

So I’m look forward to getting right into the work and learn. I’m joining a new family and new system. I have many great legends of broadcasting and also legends of the game who work there. I’m literally going to enter this place with my eyes and ears open just trying to listen, take advice and grow as much as I can. And then handle my business. And it’s kind of cool, I’ll really get to see the whole league and cover the whole league in a way that you don’t when you’re a local broadcaster.

Q: How have you handled the rumors and memes that have focused on you lately?

Ros: Unfortunately, I think it comes with the territory, more so for women than men. I’m just going to keep going. I actually imagine it won’t be the last time I’m going to be a part of memes or rumors. I think heading into a national stage I better thicken my skin. I talk about the love I’ve been shown by Dub Nation, I hope I get that from the actual nation. But I know there are a lot of trolls, a lot of traitors. That will come. Nothing is easy.

I’m currently, me and my friends, our big thing right now is live your best life. I’m with the live your best life movement. And I’m just going to be out here trying to live my best life. No nonsense, memes, rumors, jokes, silliness, just outside stuff is going to take the smile off my face or the shine out of my life or the laser focus in where I’m trying to go. I am the only thing that can stop me from getting where I want to go and I’m committed to hard work and building and I truly genuinely love every single day of my job. I don’t take it for granted.

Q: What’s it going to take to get Ros off the singles list?

Ros: You know what? Just bumping into the right person. I have an open heart and maybe moving to Atlanta, who knows. Maybe there is a new chapter of my life there that is waiting for me. Who knows?

Q: Is there time left for the men of the Bay to make one last-ditch effort?

Ros: Y’all better shoot your shot because I’m on my way out. Better pull up from 3. From half. C’mon. Just chuck.

Q: What player are you going to miss the most?

Ros: That’s not fair. How can I miss these guys? They’ll have 500 national games. I’m going to see them, I’m sure.

Literally, when I got the offer from Turner, I was so happy. I was actually just coming off a train in New York, because I’m covering the Liberty right now, and I literally started to cry of sadness. Because I was happy to have the offer, but this is my family. It’s been three years with the team. We’ve gone through some beautiful moments, some traumatic moments. Especially when you travel with the team, home and away. You get to know each other, know each other’s family, know each others business. You really get to know these guys in a very intimate way. These are people I will never forget.

You know how they say you always remember your first? This is my first NBA experience. Everything I know about the NBA is them. And I will say this, my experience is so unique in the sense that I know that not only was this team winning, but I really caught a great group of men. Everybody respected me. Everybody gave me a shot, took me seriously. Nobody disrespected me. Everybody was professional.

In fact, over the years, it’s like these guys have invested in me. When I was getting games here and there on a national stage, or they were watching the NCAA tournament when I was covering it, Draymond (Green) would reach out and say, ‘I thought you did well at this, I think you can do this better.’ Klay Thompson hit me up — you know, sometimes you’re like, ‘does Klay even know I’m a reporter?’ — and messaged me to say, ‘I’m so proud of you, I see you right now in New York.’ Coach Ron Adams — always something positive. Steve Kerr talks to me about doing the tournament. Leah, coach Adams’ wife, will reach out, text me during games, ‘We’re so proud of you.’ This has become so much more than just covering a sports team. Rick Welts, the team president, has reached out to me about more than just basketball, what am I up to in life. These people have become my friends. Raymond Ridder. I’m going to miss him. I’m going to cry.

Q: What was your most embarrassing moment with the Warriors?

Ros: Oh my god. So many. The first moment that I was ever viral or in a meme situation was when I was interviewing Klay Thompson. So he was really good on both sides of the court, he was playing good offense and good defense. I was like ‘Hey, you play both sides of the court. How much do you feed off the D.’ Of course, at the time, nobody cares about the context of the question. All they took was me saying, ‘how much do you feed off the D.’ And Klay starts to laughs, and then I start to laugh because I realize the double entendre there.

This was my first experience with a moment being played over and over again on the internet. All my friends are hitting me up and saying did you see this. I was so embarrassed. And that was my first time. I was really embarrassed. I really didn’t know how to handle it. But now I’ve seen so many of things. I see the meme where there’s a ref looking at my butt. Now I just laugh it off.

Q: What were some of the best memories?

Ros: The highlight of my career probably was when I had to go into the locker room after the 2015 championship and did not know what to expect. The guys just completely came over and gave me a champagne shower. We were in Cleveland. (Leandro) Barbosa literally emptied a whole bottle over my head. (Andrew) Bogut came after me. Looking back, I don’t think I was graceful. I was screaming, trying to run. I wish I could’ve been jumping more, happy. That was the highlight of my career, being in that locker room and they’re sharing a small piece of that moment.

I think one of the funniest moments moments was the championship parade and interviewing Draymond Green. ‘Yup. Nope.’ That was so funny. I just had to try and not get in his way. It was just so funny.

I would say all of the historic moments I got to see, being on the court (for) 73-9. Klay going off for 60 in three quarters, or him having 37 in a quarter. Occasionally there were moments where I was trying to be in the broadcast and and think about what the next hit was. And I was literally like, ‘Who cares about the next hit? Come out there and watch this history.’ Watching Steph go off and pull from three and the joy he played with. Sometimes, in the moment, you don’t realize you are watching future legends.

I would say the best moments being with NBC Sports and the Warriors would have been the team dinners. The travel on the road, these beautiful team dinners. You eat well, family and friends would be there, they would go on into the night and the way they would bond, the chemistry. Often our broadcast crew would sit together. Bob and Jim are hysterical. Especially Jim Barnett. It’s much like when I was at Stanford when I think about my time playing with the women’s basketball team. When I think about what I miss most I think about team meals and the bus rides. When I think about this experience, I think about team dinners. That’s where the magic happens.

Q: Any one jump out in particular?

Ros: This past preseason, we were in Vegas. KD had just joined the team. I think he was still learning everyone. I think that was a nice night for him. A lot of times, the players will sit together and coaches will sit together, broadcast would sit together. We thought the guys were going to go out and go have fun with each other and we thought we’d stay and have dinner. I was sitting with some of the coaches. Jarron Collins and his wife Elsa, I was with them.

But by the end of the night, it was late and nobody was going anywhere. I was watching KD, I think he was kind of in awe over how special the Warriors’ chemistry was off the court. I think that dinner was kind of special for him. And at the top of the season, when a lot had changed, a lot of new faces, that dinner was special, it was fun. That was a bonding moment. Fun.

(Top photo: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)