Golden State Warrior Shaun Livingston Bikes to Work; Says You Should Give It a Shot

When we found out Shaun Livingston, guard for the Golden State Warriors, bikes to work, we had to know more.

Despite being in the middle of the NBA playoffs, Shaun took the time to tell us how he started biking, why he bikes to work and why you should give biking a shot on Bike to Work Day coming up May 14.

Do you remember learning how to ride a bike when you were a kid?

I was about four years old and when I first got on the bike. I fell off and then I got back on… and fell off again. I think by the third time I finally started pedaling and could stay up. I had training wheels at first, but I kept at it and then I was biking all over the place.

Where did you bike as a kid? How did biking make you feel as a kid?

At first I biked just around the neighborhood, but eventually all over the place. I loved being outdoors on a bike. Where I was from, it was a really big deal and a privilege to have a bike, so all the kids that had a bike would ride together around the neighborhood. It was the thing to do as a kid.

How did you get inspired to start riding to work when you moved to Oakland last year? What steps did you take to do this?

The weather started it. I live near Lake Merritt and it’s always nice outside and a ton of people are out and about, so I started to ride my bike around my neighborhood and decided to start riding it to work. It’s a great workout and I just love being outdoors. I’m also only ten minutes from the practice facility so it’s a great way to get my body warmed up before I head into practice.

Where else do you bike besides work?

Right now, I mainly only have time to bike to the practice facility, but eventually I’d like to explore more of what Oakland has to offer and do it on my bike. Right now, if I’m not biking to work, it’s mainly just me biking around my neighborhood, but I would love to get to see more of Oakland on a bike when I have more time after the season ends.

On May 14 tens of thousands of people across the Bay Area will participate in Bike to Work Day. What advice and encouragement would you give someone who’s never biked to work to try it on Bike to Work Day?

I would say just give it a shot. It can be a little intimidating, especially if you’re biking in a place with a lot of cars, but you get used to it quickly and it’s really nice for a change of pace. It also gets you outdoors and in the elements, which is refreshing, especially if you’re biking to work and starting your day that way.

You’re 6’7” and have a 6’11” wingspan. Tell us about finding a bike that fits.

I had to call around to three or four different places. Because I’m so tall and skinny, I needed to get a certain length of a bike and extra padding to make it comfortable, and also to prevent injuries.

What do you see on your commute that could be fixed to make the streets more bike-friendly?

My commute is pretty short, and I love biking around the lake, but it would be great to see more bike paths throughout the area if possible.


This post is presented by the Golden State Warriors, a 2015 Bike to Work Day sponsor. The content is the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s own, and the Warriors do not exercise editorial control.

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