Bleed Black And Purple

Kings seeking solutions for lackluster play

2012-01-27T22:47:00.000-08:00

The Kings aren’t there yet. And there aren’t any specific answers as to why.

One of the more general reasons is that the team isn’t playing, well, like a team. Head coach Keith Smart agrees.

“We don’t have a team right now, we have a collection of players trying to fit something together,” Smart said after the 122-93 loss to the Nuggets Wednesday night.

Turnovers, one-pass possessions and an inability to defend the paint were just a few of the breakdowns on full display against the Nuggets.

Jason Thompson said it’s going to take every individual player to make changes in order to turn around this 6-13 season.

“There is a lot of selfish stuff going on right now,” Thompson said. “We have to look at ourselves in the mirror.”

Thompson said that starts on defense.

“You gotta look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘alright my man averages this, he’s going to be 10 below that tonight,” Thompson said.

Smart also says the changes must begin on defense.

“It’s not offense right now, we’ve gotta get our defense together,” Smart said. “If you don’t get your defense together, [and you are] playing bad offensively, you are not going to have a chance.”

Jimmer Fredette, who has seen an increase in production over the last three games, says he and his teammates are getting the hang of where they need to be on the floor.

“I think we are getting better, there is still some confusion sometimes with different things that we need to do, but I think it is getting better than it has been in the past,” Fredette said.

As for the struggles?

“We’re trying to get there, obviously it’s tough, we’re still building as a team; still building with the coaching staff, trying to get where we are supposed to be and we realize it is going to be a longer process than we probably want it to be,” Fredette said. “So now it is us trying to be consistent and trying to make ourselves be a contender every single night.”

Francisco Garcia the consummate professional

2012-01-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

Watching the second half of the 101-89 beat down in Portland on Monday night, I couldn’t help but notice the demeanor of Francisco Garcia.

The six-year forward is the Kings’ most senior player and his effort on the floor recently, and especially against the Blazers, spotlighted that. The game was way out of hand late in the second half, but there was Garcia, calming his teammates down, directing them to where they needed to be on the floor and trying to lead by example. He finished the game with a modest 12 points, 2 assists and 1 steal in 24 minutes of work, but it is the intangibles of his game that make Garcia a consummate professional.

With a limited skill set (he is a decent shooter and an average distributor and defender) Garcia can only do so much to help on the floor, but he long ago accepted an important role on this team: the wise vet. You can’t help but think back to how the forward out of Louisville got to that position.

As part of the team that fell to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2006 playoffs (the team’s last appearance in the post season), the then-rookie looked as though he was going to be a nice compliment to the up-and-coming Kevin Martin. Garcia had a fierce nature about him and wasn’t afraid of the big shot (sometimes to a fault). A decent contract, a few injuries and high draft picks later, and he has been reduced to a pretty consistent role as bench warmer on many different Kings teams that have lacked talent and maturity.

As the longest-tenured King, he often plays the role of advisor to a group of young guys. On nights when he’s not playing, he is coaching from the sidelines, barking out directions. He also is the first guy onto the floor to high-five his teammates when a timeout is called.

He knows when to teach a lesson and when to have a teammate's back.

Last season, two players were arguing in the locker room about the other using a bottle of cologne without permission. Voices began to get loud and Garcia quickly interjected and broke it up. He then slowly turned back around and said, “kids” in an exasperated voice while shaking his head. And we all remember when Garcia contested the team's move to kick DeMarcus Cousins off the team plane after he had a locker room scuffle with Donte Greene last season.

So for what Garcia lacks in his game (he is averaging 5.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and .6 assists this season), he makes up for in his team-first supportive role in the locker room.

Before Paul Westphal was relieved of his duties as coach earlier this season, he had pretty much given up on Garcia. Since taking over, Keith Smart has begun to give Garcia substantial minutes – sometimes at crucial times. And lately, Garcia has been capitalizing on those opportunities. Smart is probably seeking some stability in the back court, since it is taking some time for Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette and Marcus Thornton to gel.

Garcia is currently averaging 16.9 minutes per game, down from his career average of 23.2, but expect that number to increase if he continues to play the way he has.

Fans this season have referred to Garcia as the worst player on this Kings roster. But while his overall talent level may not be up to par with the starters, his role as a vet and mentor is invaluable on the court and in the locker room.

President of SF Giants: Sacramento arena will be catalyst

2012-01-18T23:11:00.000-08:00

Larry Baer helped keep the Giants in San Francisco in the early ‘90s after he and a group of investors bought the team.

That was the good news, but as Baer said at Tuesday’s State of Downtown event in Sacramento, the bad news was they had bought the team.

“We didn’t know what we were going to do to get a new ballpark,” said Baer, who is now the president of the San Francisco Giants.

But after putting together a coalition of private sector interests and public groups who believed in the economic engines of a downtown ballpark and the redevelopment of the conjoining area, they were on their way to revitalizing a rundown waterfront area of San Francisco.

“It was a neighborhood that was waiting to get a catalyst to trigger developers,” Baer said.

That catalyst was AT&T Park, opened in 2000.

The area surrounding the ballpark, known as the South Beach neighborhood, had been full of dilapidated warehouses that generated no economic development, Baer said. He referred to it as a prime spot for the facility and a prime example of why Sacramento needs to punch its ticket on the idea of a downtown arena. Not only because the Giants won the 2010 World Series in that shiny new park that offers stunning views of the Bay, but because of what it has done for the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

“The ballpark in this neighborhood provided not just a comfortable place to work, but a comfortable place to live,” he said.

Baer also said that Sacramento has to consider the amount of non-basketball related uses an arena would have.

“The NBA is going to play in a downtown arena, but a lot of other things will play in a downtown Sacramento arena, such as family shows and concerts,” said Baer, who pointed out that 120 non-baseball events are held every year at AT&T Park.

Further bringing home the point about the benefits of a downtown facility, Baer pointed to how many large businesses have located near the ballpark since it opened. Twitter is eight to nine blocks away and Google’s San Francisco offices also are close. Baer says Facebook told him that 48 percent of the people who work at the company's offices in Menlo Park, actually live in San Francisco.

Why?

“Because they want to be in an area that is vibrant, that is exciting, that is fun,” he said.

He said an arena in downtown Sacramento would "attract folks who are in their 20s and 30s - the web designers, the engineers, the technologists of the future."

Even though AT&T Park was built largely through private funding, Baer made sure to remind attendees at Tuesday's State of Downtown that the private and public sectors must continue to work together to get this done, and that a downtown arena in Sacramento would provide the same “ripple effect” that it did for the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco.

The Sacramento City Council will vote on the lease of several city-owned parking garages next month. If approved, the lease is expected to raise approximately $200 million in upfront cash that would likely be the first tangible financial contribution toward building an arena in downtown Sacramento.

Nice guys finish last - Westphal shown the door

2012-01-05T21:26:00.000-08:00

The old saying goes, "nice guys finish last," and that is exactly the case for Paul Westphal, who was relieved of his coaching duties today by the Kings.

Westphal has a welcoming personality and supported his players publicly unless he felt they needed disciplining (as we all know). He also stood true to the Maloofs’ wishes to have a coach who mingles with the community.

But in the NBA, and really any professional sport, numbers don’t lie. A 51-120 record is not going to cut it. Aside from the record, the inability to define a clear direction for the offense plagued Westphal’s tenure with the Kings.

In previous seasons, he stressed that the offense was based on movement from side to side, but his teams rarely resembled that style of play – often reverting to one-on-one basketball. In his two plus season in Sacramento, Westphal also was never able to figure out how to corral the talents of Tyreke Evans and use them to create more wins.

Back in March 2011, players had no problem expressing how individual play was killing the offense.

“In the second half of the season, we kind of have been going to the hot guy for the most part; kind of milking that player,” said Jason Thompson on March 16.

Former King Omri Casspi shared similar frustrations.

“I think it’s one of the problems, I mean obviously for us as a team, we need to share the ball, we need to play the right way and we need to do it more often,” Casspi said.

Coming into this season, Westphal preached that he was making changes to the offense. But the same stagnant “every man for himself” system has been on full display the first seven games of the season. Even in the emotional win against the Lakers on opening night, the offense wasn’t exactly clicking, shots just happened to be falling.

Rookie Jimmer Fredette has admitted there weren’t any real set plays to Westphal’s offense and that it was about "go out and do the best you can.”

The best you can no longer was working for Westphal and the team’s 2-5 record.

The offensive problems (which often resulted in defensive breakdowns) aren’t all Westphal’s fault. Evans has continued to hold on to the ball too long, Cousins didn’t always choose to play nice with his coach and John Salmons has looked like he just woke up from a long tequila night every game this season.

But a few things are certain: Westphal cares about his players and he cares about this community. When he began getting teary eyed after the road loss to the Denver Nuggets (what ended up being his last game) it was reminiscent of the last game of the 2010-11 season. The Kings lost to the Lakers in overtime and it looked as though the franchise may be moving to Anaheim. Westphal stood at the podium after the game and looked devastated, trying the best he could to hold back tears. It was as if he personally felt he had let the community and the fans down.

Right about now, you can’t help but think he feels even more like this.

Westphal is a true professional and an extremely kind man, but the team had quit on him and the Maloofs and Geoff Petrie did what they thought they had to do – because they are tired of finishing last.

Kings offense could use a veteran point guard

2012-01-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

Some of the Kings’ recent problems are a result of bad transition defense and poor free-throw shooting, but it’s mainly because this team needs a point guard.

It can be argued that the Kings have one of the most explosive backcourts in the league in Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette. But explosive and effective are two different things.

Sharing the ball, or lack thereof, has been a glaring problem over the first five games of the season. That’s because three combo guards do not equal a point guard. Evans, Thornton and Fredette are essentially the same player. Each can create their own shot and each has the ability to add things such as assists and rebounds. It sounds good on paper, but for the flow of an offense, it can be troublesome to have a score-first mentality in all three of your guards. While all of them may be able to provide assists, none of them are focused on it. (Although Fredette did have 5 assists in the win against the Hornets.)

An effective backcourt, especially on a young team, must be anchored by a facilitator whose main purpose is to set up the offense, set plays, push fast breaks, and make sure the ball is moving from side to side. Each Kings possession is generally initiated with one of the three bringing the ball up and it ending with someone taking a long jumper (many times with the shot clock winding all the way down).

In the first five games, Evans, Thornton and Fredette together are averaging 7.4 assists per game. It’s not just about numbers, and this isn’t to say that the starting lineup needs to change, but having someone on the bench who can facilitate when shots aren’t falling or when the other team is on a run, would help alleviate some of the breakdowns. It also might take some of the scoring pressure off Evans and Thornton.

Isaiah Thomas is a nice compliment to the guard rotation and is probably the truest point guard of the bunch, but he is still too raw and won’t be able to provide much stability.

Players have continuously said the offense is open a free flowing. Fredette said it revolves around creating space, pick and rolls and dribble hand-offs.

“It’s not really set plays or anything like that, it’s just go out and do the best you can,” Fredette said.

Evans recognizes that there has been some problems on offense.

“It’s not the greatest offense, but it works when we run it. So we just gotta keep playing hard like that,” Evans said.

The multiple combo guard thing works for the Miami Heat and Lebron James and Dwyane Wade, but this isn’t Miami. This is Sacramento’s young core of guards who could use a little guidance from a veteran point guard. Someone like Chauncey Billups really could have anchored this bunch and provided some leadership.

Westphal tinkered with a three-guard rotation at the end of last season and it worked well, but that was with Beno Udrih, a true point guard.

Evans, Thornton and Fredette are all great players and the Kings and their fans should be pleased to have them, but sooner or later the need for a facilitating point guard becomes apparent and it already has in this young 2011-12 season.

Bulls charge Kings at home

2011-12-30T11:29:00.000-08:00

From head coach Paul Westphal being frustrated with how the Kings failed to play together to players calling their performances “unacceptable,” last night’s 108-98 loss to the Chicago Bulls at home was a tough one to swallow.

There are many things you can point to: they only had 13 assists, they were shooting 8 percent from the field at one point in the first quarter, they shot 58 percent from the free throw stripe, and they were unable to execute their offense when it was needed most.

A lot of it can be attributed to the Bulls looking like a championship contender, but there was an array of problems with the Kings on both offense and defense last night.

Center Chuck Hayes said fast break points was the main culprit. (The Bulls had a whopping 33 fast break points, compared to 14 for the Kings.)

“You cut their fast break points in half; at an average like everyone else, [and] you win the game,” he told reporters after the game.

Marcus Thornton told reporters that the lapse on transition defense may have to do with a lack of effort.

“It’s not confusion, we are just not getting back. Getting back is effort, you know, either you want to or you’re not, and right now we’re not,” Thornton said. “That’s unacceptable; that can’t happen. If we want to be a good team, we have to do something to combat that.”

When asked if the Kings may have problems with teams that like to run the floor (the two losses against the Blazers and Bulls), as opposed to teams with a more traditional half-court offense (the win against the Lakers), Hayes said it’s not an issue.

“We had sparks where we had great moments defensively and offensively…when we got back we played pretty good defense. The quickness of other teams is not the issue, we can run with anybody in this damn league,” Hayes said.

Both Thornton and Hayes said the effort was there against the Bulls, but that there were too many mental breakdowns. Thornton said not to worry, however, because it’s still early.

“It’s three games into the season, we are still getting a feel for each other, you know this team has been together for two weeks now,” Thornton told reporters. “It takes time, the Bulls, they have been together, they are a veteran team and you expect that out of veteran teams.”

The Kings will welcome the New York Knicks (1-2) into Power Balance Pavilion tomorrow night for a New Year’s Eve matchup.

Tickets to Kings games selling well

2011-12-28T15:48:00.000-08:00

It appears the Kings have some momentum behind them in terms of fan support.

Today, the team announced that it has sold out back-to-back games for the first time since 2007. And there are less than 3,000 tickets left for the game against the Knicks on New Year's Eve.

Here is the official press release the Kings put out today:

SACRAMENTO, CALIF., Dec. 28, 2011 – The Sacramento Kings announced today the team has sold out consecutive home games for the first time since April 2007 following a capacity crowd versus the L.A. Lakers Monday night and achieving another sellout Thursday against the Chicago Bulls.

Fan excitement for the Kings young, revamped roster and momentum generated after their 100-91 victory over the Lakers in the season opener has spurred demand for tickets to several early season matchups at Power Balance Pavilion, including Saturday’s affair against the N.Y. Knicks, led by All-Star duo Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire.

A convenient 5 p.m. holiday tip-off time gives Kings fans an ideal way to start New Year’s celebrations early before hitting the town or watching the ball drop. Additionally, $4 beers and a $10.50 Early Bird Bucket Meal for two will be offered between 4-5 p.m. Fans can enjoy these festive incentives, help the Kings tally three-straight sellouts and demonstrate why Sacramento is still one of the toughest road destinations in the NBA.

Tickets to the hot-selling Kings-Knicks game are moving fast, so fans are encouraged to call 888-91-KINGS or visit Kings.com/tickets today.

Backed by consistent fan interest in Kings season tickets, the popular “Back-in-Black Pack” and “Starting 5 Flex Plan,” ticket sales have remained strong throughout the fall and into December, marking a 20 percent increase in demand over the same time period last season.

Beginning at just $16 per game, the “Starting 5 Flex Plan” provides maximum flexibility—offering fans the freedom to create a package that makes sense for their budget while securing great seats to the most desired matchups. Several high-caliber opponents will make stops at Power Balance Pavilion in the coming days, including a New Year’s Day matchup versus the New Orleans Hornets.

Kings display depth in win over Lakers

2011-12-27T09:59:00.000-08:00

Last night’s win over the Lakers may have illustrated that the Kings have more depth than fans have been accustomed to in recent years.

The 100-91 win over the Lakers put their athleticism and youth on display, and on many occasions last night, the Kings seemed to have an array of productive players – more so than the Lakers, which is something you haven't been able to say since 2002.

Four of the five Kings starters finished in double-digit scoring (Chuck Hayes added 7 points and 9 rebounds). The depth wasn't so much displayed in scoring, however, as it was in hustle plays and guys playing their positions properly. Bringing John Salmons back has solidified a small forward spot that head coach Paul Westphal had tried to fill (unsuccessfully) with Omri Casspi and Donte Greene in the past. Jimmer Fredette helps round out the guard rotation with Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton and impressive rookie Isaiah Thomas. And the team still has several capable players off the bench in J.J. Hickson, Jason Thompson, Travis Outlaw and Francisco Garcia (who did not play last night because of a coach’s decision).

Fredette, who finished with a modest 6 points and 3 assists in his first NBA game, said the team's depth is one of the most exciting things about this season.

“It’s a real exciting group; a lot of guys who can play, a lot of depth so we can get up and down the floor…I’m excited to play for the team,” Fredette said.

Salmons is on his second go-around with the Kings. He said the talent level is across the board with this lineup.

“I think we have guys with unique skill sets. We have a lot of guys who can do multiple things on the court,” Salmons said. “We’ve got guys who can make plays for themselves, make plays for others, shoot the three, put the ball on the floor…if we just put it all together and play together we will be good.”

Salmons finished with 13 points and 3 rebounds in 29 minutes of work. He said his role hasn't changed much from his 2006-2009 campaign with the Kings, but the overall talent level of the lineup has.

“We’ve just got more talent than we had last time, so I’m just going to do what I always do; play hard, try to help the team, and try to play the right way. That’s been my role wherever I have been,” Salmons said.

Adding to the depth of the team is the fact that Evans now has two seasons under his belt and DeMarcus Cousins has had a chance to see what it means to be a professional athlete. Throw in a motivated and relentless scorer in Thornton (Evans and Thornton combined for 47 points in the win), and you have a recipe for a nice push at the playoffs - something Salmons wasn’t shy about throwing around in the locker room last night.

“It’s going to be great to play in this building, and hopefully we can get over that hump and make a playoff run,” Salmons said.

Side Notes

The Lakers out-rebounded the Kings last night 45-40, and had more assists (21 to the Kings' 16). But the Kings shot 46 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range (9 for 18). On the other hand, the Lakers shot a miserable 6 percent from three, going 1 for 16.

The impressive three-point shooting for the Kings is an especially good sign because Fredette (the shooting specialist) did not attempt one three-point field goal. That could mean some nice team shooting percentages down the line as Fredette gets more comfortable with the flow of an NBA game.

Player Introduction Ceremony

The game was dubbed a “blackout” by the Kings and fans were handed black T-shirts and purple glow sticks as they entered the building. It resulted in a memorable player introduction ceremony:

Thornton looks ready for leading role

2011-12-21T22:51:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest mysteries to me going into the NBA lockout was why the Kings did not re-sign Marcus Thornton. Having proven his ability to open up the offense at the end of last season, he seemed a natural fit.

But it didn’t bother Thornton. He spent his time conditioning and making sure he was ready for the day when the phone rang. And on Dec. 9, it did when he signed a four-year, $33 million contract.

Over the first (and only) two preseason games this season, Thornton’s desire to be playing ball has been written all over his face and in his game.

“I’m glad they came to a settlement [on the lockout] and got something done, because now I am able to play the game I love,” Thornton said in the locker room last night after hitting a key three-pointer that put the Kings up 92-91 against the Warriors and eventually led to a 95-91 win.

Not only does Thornton love the game, but he loves the clutch moments, and winning.

“Whatever my team needs, just make a play for myself or others – I’m with it. Anything to do to win,” Thornton said.

What is so prevalent in Thornton’s game, more so than just simply his scoring, is his tenacious attitude on the floor. He is fearless driving down the lane and takes pride in rebounding. In last night’s win, he finished with 7 rebounds on top of 21 points and 4 assists. He calls it, "helping out the bigs."

It looks like the wait was well worth it for the Kings. That $33 million contract may have bought the team’s leading scorer and a tough as nails swagger that any franchise would welcome.

As for Monday’s season opener against the Lakers?

“It’s going to be exciting, they [fans] are going to have to hold on to their seats,” Thornton said.

Peja retires, leaves lasting memories in Sacramento

2011-12-19T19:58:00.000-08:00

Peja Stojakovic will forever be remembered as the pure shooter with a friendly demeanor who opened up the offense on some of the best teams Sacramento has had.

Today, the 13-year veteran announced he will retire.

From goofy car commercials with his buddy Vlade Divac, to the smooth shooting stroke that often left opponents frustrated, Stojakovic enjoyed his best basketball years in Sacramento. In the 2003-04 season, he averaged a career-best 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal per game.

When Stojakovic finally won a championship last season, many Kings fans were happy for him despite the fact that he won it as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. One of the reasons? He did things like this for Sacramento:

Thank you for the memories Peja.

Small Market, Big Heart documentary to premiere at Crest Theatre

2011-12-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

Straight from the Small Market, Big Heart Productions press release, see below:

Small Market, Big Heart, the full-length documentary designed to share the compelling story of the people of Sacramento and their battle to acquire and preserve a professional sports franchise over the last 26 years, will premiere at the Crest Theatre on Jan. 9 at 7:00 p.m.

The film, a collaborative effort between leaders of the Here We Stay grassroots campaign and other fellow Sacramentans, was produced over a six-month span.

Small Market, Big Heart sets the stage for what is to be the future of the Sacramento region. The story is told through the eyes of long-term members of the media, former and current figures of the Sacramento Kings franchise, local politicians and lastly, the people of the Sacramento community.

"We are excited to share this story about such a unique community and set of circumstances surrounding the Kings franchise and the fight to build a new facility," said Director Tobin Halsey. "A ton of hard work went into this from a lot of different people, and we can't wait to share the final product at the historic Crest Theatre."

Some of those featured in the film include Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, TV and Radio Broadcaster Grant Napear, Sacramento Developer David Taylor, Former Kings Guard Doug Christie, Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna, Kings Radio Voice Gary Gerould, Former Kings Managing Partner Gregg Lukenbill, Sacramento Bee Columnist Marcos Breton, Sacramento Kings Director of Player Personnel Jerry Reynolds, and KHTK 1140 Radio Host Carmichael Dave.

Ticket information will be made available later this month. The event will be free for those who reserve tickets, and Pizza Rock will host an after-viewing party with food and drink specials.

Small Market, Big Heart Productions also is planning subsequent showings around the region. Following its release, the film will be revisited when a final outcome is decided on the fate of a new entertainment and sports complex.

The film’s website (www.smallmarketbigheart.com) features more information, including a trailer.

twitter.com/SMBHdocumentary
facebook.com/smallmarketbigheart

Kings buy strong defense, toughness in Hayes deal

2011-12-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing any basketball team could use, it is defense and toughness.

That's what the Kings paid $21.3 million for today when they signed former Houston Rocket Chuck Hayes to a four-year deal.

The center's numbers don't jump off the page (4.4 points and 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists over his six-year career), but he is coming off a career-best season in which he averaged 7.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in 28 minutes of work.

The Rockets liked Hayes and were interested in re-signing him. They started him at center in 63 games last season despite the fact that he is only 6'6''. The reason? As Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle pointed out earlier this year, Hayes makes it his goal every night to shut down the best players on the opposing team. Offense is a secondary thought, and he doesn't back down from anyone, even Kevin Garnett:

Throwing a player with that sort of mentality in with DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson could make the Kings front court a force on the defensive end. This is likely the reason why the Kings renounced the rights to Samuel Dalembert today (aside from Hayes being cheaper). And unlike Dalembert, who at times forces the issue on offense, Hayes lets the flow of game dictate his shots.

His style of play will be welcomed with open arms by Kings fans who have craved a blue-collar type player since Jon Brockman left. Hayes also is a local boy - he went to high school in Modesto.

The Hayes signing isn't a blockbuster, but good teams have players like him on their rosters for their high basketball IQs and ability to lead by example.

In an expected move, the Kings also re-signed guard Marcus Thornton to a five-year, $40 million contract today. I recently discussed why re-signing Thornton was so critical.

Kings bring back cherished black jerseys

2011-12-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Kings have not sported all black since the glory days of a decade ago.

Now, in what is likely to be a season of epic proportions considering everything that transpired earlier this year, the black jerseys are finally back.

The mesh Adidas jersey, made with 60 percent recycled “climacool” fabric, is sharp. It incorporates the historical aspect of the franchise with retro font that dates back to the ‘80s when Reggie Theus was the team’s go-to guy. The black is merged with modern purple and silver trim in what is being dubbed by the Kings as a sign of prestige, defiance and honor.

They do look slick, and fans surely will be excited about the throwback to the Webber/Divac years. Many fans have clamored for the team and the NBA to bring back the black jerseys since 2002-03.

The launch of the new look will happen on opening night, Dec. 26, when the Kings take on the Los Angeles Lakers at home. (The game will be a “blackout.”) The Kings will then wear the jerseys on the road in Portland the next day on Dec. 27. Beyond that, a schedule of games that the Kings will be wearing their new digs is being worked on, according to the team.

Fans who are interested in purchasing one, can visit kingsteamstore.com.

Kings must sign highly sought after Thornton

2011-12-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

It looks like there is a chance that the Kings could get outbid on Marcus Thornton – someone they can’t afford to lose.

Sports Illustrated’s Sam Amick today tweeted that 4 or 5 teams are currently expressing interest in the guard out of LSU. According to Amick, The New Orleans Hornets, the team that traded Thornton to the Kings last season for Carl Landry, is one of those teams.

One of the most confusing things this off-season was why the Kings did not sign Thornton to a contract before the lockout began.

The Kings’ offense opened up after Thornton arrived in Sacramento last season. His shooting and ability to get out on the fast break supplied a shot in the arm to what had been a sluggish scoring attack. Thornton is a pure scorer, who also grabs rebounds and lends a defensive hand.

In 27 games with the Kings last season, he averaged 21.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 steals. Placing those stats next to Tyreke Evans, and then mixing in a little Jimmer Fredette could be a recipe for years of backcourt success.

The 6’4’’, 205-pound Thornton has said he enjoys playing for Sacramento, and he may have a certain amount of respect for the franchise because they showed faith in him. Geoff Petrie and Paul Westphal, as well as the fans, better hope this is the case because Thornton is a young talent with high upside, and could be a key piece to the rebuilding effort.

Here We Stay launches new letter-writing campaign

2011-11-30T07:45:00.000-08:00

The lockout is now over and NBA basketball will be back on Christmas Day, but there is business to tend to a few weeks before that, according to the Here We Stay grassroots movement.

The Dec. 13 Sacramento City Council meeting will include the results of a study conducted by city-hired consultants to develop a contract to lease 8,000 public parking spaces in downtown Sacramento. The lease of the spaces has the potential to generate millions of dollars for a new entertainment and sports complex. At the meeting, the council also will likely be asked to vote to move forward with a search for a company to lease the spots to.

The Here We Stay campaign, a local movement dedicated to getting a new entertainment and sports complex built here in Sacramento, is asking residents of the region to email (copy and paste) the below letter of support for a new facility to all of the members of the Sacramento City Council.

The e-mail addresses are:

aashby@cityofsacramento.org

jschenirer@cityofsacramento.org

ssheedy@cityofsacramento.org

scohn@cityofsacramento.org

rkfong@cityofsacramento.org

kmccarty@cityofsacramento.org

bpannell@cityofsacramento.org

dfong@cityofsacramento.org

To email the mayor, use this form: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/mayor/forms/emailCommentForm/

Here is the letter to copy and paste:

Dear Council Member,

I am writing to express my optimism about a new entertainment and sports complex and my dissatisfaction with the fact that Sacramento is ranked as one of the five most miserable cities in the nation, according to Forbes.com.

We as citizens, and you as our representatives, have an opportunity to change that ranking and alter the future of our region forever. Creating jobs, economic growth, and building a cultural hub for generations to come is important to me and my family, and a new entertainment and sports complex would provide all of that.

No matter your current position on building a new complex in the downtown rail yards, I ask you to please keep an open mind and urge you to consider moving forward with the financing plan at the Dec. 13 council meeting.

We are at a fork in the road as a city, and if we choose to revitalize our downtown, we can build our way out of this recession and make Sacramento a destination.

Let's make history together and show the rest of the country that we are one of the most exciting places to live.

Thank you for your time,

(Your Name Here)
Here We Stay

Jimmer gives the people what they want

2011-11-22T14:39:00.000-08:00

When you are publicly known for something, it's expected you give the people what they want. Think Dave Chappelle - dude had to do the Rick James saying ("I'm Rick James b$&*#!) everywhere he went. A few years back he snapped while doing a show in Sacramento because some hecklers kept demanding he say it.

Comedy and basketball are quite different, but Kings rookie Jimmer Fredette has to feel like Chappelle sometimes.

Fans in Sacramento expect Fredette to pull up for a three the second he crosses the halfcourt line. On Sunday night at the Goon Squad Classic charity game, you could hear the crescendo of chants prodding Fredette to "shoot it Jimmer!" And hey, it is a charity game so the man gave the people what they wanted; and he succeeded several times. He's Jimmer Fredette b$@*%!

Fredette said he is used to the situation.

"That's just what happens, it's been happening for a long time now. It's all about just playing your game, " Fredette said. "Obviously, in the games you are not just going to pull up from halfcourt no matter what the people want you to do. You gotta play within the style, play exactly how you want to do it, and however the coach draws it up that night - so that's what I'm going to be doing."

Well, surely Kings head coach Paul Westphal will call the "Jimmer from halfcourt" play several times during games.

But his teammates provoke it as well. At one point during the charity game, he got into a playful shooting challenge with Tyreke Evans. Evans crossed halfcourt, stopped and backed up the halfcourt mark and nailed a shot with Fredette guarding him. Not to be outdone, Fredette came back on the next possession and did the same.

Following the game, Fredette commented on Evans' jumper.

"It looks like he's been working on it and trying to get a great jumper, and he shot the ball well tonight. It was great to see, so I battled against him a little bit," Fredette said.

Outside of the exciting shooting, Fredette's on and off-the-court personality shined. He moved the ball well - his passing (against an And-1 tournament style of defense) was on point. He hit cutters, open shooters in the corners and set up a few alleyoops. He also never seemed to break a sweat or get tired even though he played the entire game, so he definitely looks like he is in game shape.

Fredette fit right in, joking with his new teammates and going along with a rookie hazing that also involved Isaiah Thomas.

One of the players who stayed on the floor the longest after the game, Fredette said he loves the fans in Sacramento and has been communicating with them on Twitter.

"They are some of the greatest fans in the NBA, so it was really exciting for me to be able to play for them tonight, and hopefully they had a great time," Fredette said.

Greene and Thompson

Donte Greene's efforts to organize the Goon Squad Classic on the campus of UC Davis were impressive. The game brought NBA basketball to Sacramento during the lockout and raised money for many great local charities.

It's evident that Greene and Jason Thompson are really close friends, and they may now be the heart and soul of this Kings squad - along with Francisco Garcia. With personalities like Chris Webber and Vlade Divac, Greene and Thompson are great communicators and enjoy being around the fans.

Spencer Hawes on Sacramento arena

Former Kings center Spencer Hawes participated in the game and he continued to echo his support of the Kings staying in Sacramento.

In March, he told the fans in Sacramento not to give up until the moving trucks for Anaheim pulled up.

On Sunday night, the Seattle native shared similar sentiments.

"I already saw it firsthand with the Sonics - the organization I grew up with - and then they started talking about the Kings [leaving], another organization really that I grew up with - coming here when I was 19," Hawes said. "Just keep putting the pressure on them and continue to show that, obviously, this market has proven it can support a team, and can continue to do that."

Jimmer wins dance off at Goon Squad Classic

2011-11-20T23:10:00.000-08:00

Sunday night during the Goon Squad Classic charity event at UC Davis, Kings rookies Jimmer Fredette and Isaiah Thomas were coaxed into a dance off by forward Donte Greene.

Fredette's moves were too much for Thomas, and apparently too much for Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (known for his rendition of the "Dougie" dance), who refused to join in even though he was sitting courtside.

More sights and sounds from the Goon Squad Classic to come.

Bobby Jackson to step into Kings coaching position

2011-11-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

Former Kings guard Bobby Jackson is a true Sacramentan in every sense of the word – he kept his home here after he was traded to Memphis in 2005, conducted basketball camps for kids here, and all over town is revered for his work on the floor during the Kings’ glory years.

He is, in Sacramento terms, a living legend.

And now he will become an assistant coach with the Kings. On Monday, Jackson said this on Twitter: "What up tworld I have decided to join the Kings coaching staff as and Assistant Coach once the Lockout ends.”

It is expected that the Kings will make it official on Tuesday. Jackson had previously served as a "team ambassador."

A glimmer of positive news in the midst of a lockout that is shaming the game of basketball, Kings fans should be celebrating Jackson’s hire. Jackson played six seasons with the Kings, his best of which was the 2002-03 campaign when he averaged 15.2 points, 3.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

He has constantly been in and around Arco Arena/Power Balance Pavilion since he left the game after the 2008-09 season. Jackson's presence always has been a subtle hint of his interest in a larger role within the franchise. He often works with players on their shooting in the practice facility, hangs out in the tunnel during games, and has done his share of scouting alongside former Kings forward Shareef Abdur-Raheem (who currently is an assistant general manager for the Kings).

The former 6th Man is much deserving of the position and a natural fit – he is well-versed in the game and is respected by the group of young players currently on the roster. Overall, this is a good move for the Kings. Hopefully we get to see B-Jax sitting next to Head Coach Paul Westphal on the bench sooner rather than later.

Small Market, Big Heart set for December release

2011-10-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

The Sacramento Kings and the people of this region share a unique bond that sets Sacramento apart from other markets.

That bond is featured in the new documentary Small Market, Big Heart, produced by myself and fellow blogger James Ham over at CowbellKingdom.com.

Working alongside director Tobin Halsey, we have moved into post-production on the film, which is designed to share the compelling story of the people of Sacramento and their battle to get and keep a professional sports franchise over the last 26 years.

As a small market, Sacramento has faced enormous adversity, first in landing an NBA franchise and then maintaining that franchise through both good and bad economic times, relying on support from the community. The film illustrates Sacramento’s struggle to remain relevant in the high-stakes game of professional sports. It also delves into the battles the community faced in getting Arco I and Arco II built, as well as the current fight to build a new entertainment and sports complex in downtown Sacramento.

Small Market, Big Heart sets the stage for what is to be the future of our region. The story is told through the eyes of long-term members of media, former and current figures of the Sacramento Kings franchise, local politicians and lastly, the common people of the Sacramento community who stood tall in the face of adversity. Some of those featured in the film include Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, TV and Radio Broadcaster Grant Napear, Sacramento Developer David Taylor, Former Kings Guard Doug Christie, Kings Radio Voice Gary Gerould, Former Kings Managing Partner Gregg Lukenbill, Sacramento Bee columnist Marcos Breton, Sacramento Kings Director of Player Personnel Jerry Reynolds, and KHTK 1140 Radio Host Carmichael Dave.

The NBA has given Sacramento until March 1 to get a financing mechanism in place for a new entertainment and sports complex. If that doesn't happen, the city may lose its most recognizable community asset. During these crucial times, it is important for the community to have knowledge of the unique history of the Sacramento Kings and how important it is for the franchise to stay in the River City.

We will release this film in December of 2011 while the story is still unfolding, and then revisit the ending when a final outcome is decided.

Here is the trailer for the film:

For more information, visit smallmarketbigheart.com.

Kings fans, players defy lockout blues; plan exhibition game

2011-10-12T20:47:00.000-07:00

The NBA lockout sucks. OK, now that we got that out of the way, let’s take a look at the spirit of hope that is still alive and well in Sacramento and the fan base that refuses to be deprived of their favorite team.

Kings fans will miss out on the first two weeks of the 2011-12 season (so far) because of the lockout, but that may not stop them from getting a taste of NBA basketball very soon.

Tuesday night, the Twitter machine worked its magic. Kings fan Amy Hyden (@sacgirl88) tweeted the idea of Donte Greene setting up an exhibition game in Sacramento and soon after that, Greene was tweeting players and asking them if they would be interested in participating. Shortly after that, the event had a name: “The Goon Squad Classic.” And then “#GSC” was trending in Sacramento – ahhh Twitter.

So far, Greene has got Kings players DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson, Hassan Whiteside, J.J. Hickson and Washington Wizards guard John Wall to agree to participate. Greene has said that he is considering The Pavilion at UC Davis as the location for the event. The media is beginning to promote it and KHTK host Carmichael Dave is now assisting Greene in the planning.

If the Goon Squad Classic happens it would be great for the community. With the last impression of NBA basketball still being the emotional April 13 game against the Los Angeles Lakers, a light-hearted, fan-friendly game would be refreshing. The other beauty to it is that both the fans and the players would be actively defying the lockout.

But really what this illustrates is how the community has the ambition and desire to make things happen (as well as players who see that fire and want to reward it). It’s the reason most people are Kings fans and it’s the same reason that a simple tweet by a fan may turn into a full-blown NBA exhibition game.

And why not? With momentum on Sacramento’s side in terms of building a new entertainment and sports complex, the fans have every reason to do what they can to sidestep the doom and gloom of the lockout.

After all, it was just six months ago that this community was fighting tooth and nail for the franchise not to move to Anaheim. Now, Mayor Kevin Johnson has established a financing road map for a new entertainment and sports complex and is currently in the process of implementing it with the NBA and entertainment company AEG. All indications are that a financing mechanism will be in place by the March 1 deadline, which would theoretically cement a new complex and keep the Kings in Sacramento – a colossal win for this city.

But it’s the little steps along the way that will push this process along and make it happen. If the Goon Squad Classic takes place and the fans pack UC Davis to see their beloved black and purple, then it provides yet another example for the NBA as to why this small market is worthy of keeping its only professional sports franchise.

And even if this charity game doesn’t happen, the fact that it got this far is telling enough.

The bottom line here is that our players will not be suiting up in those awful Royals jerseys in Southern California this season. Instead, they would rather play for free in front of thousands of fans in Sacramento during their off-time. And for that, the lockout can suck all it wants because in Sacramento, basketball will go on.

Arena effort gains momentum following Sacramento City Council vote

2011-09-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

Momentum to get a new entertainment and sports complex built in downtown Sacramento is increasing after city council voted last night to spend $555,000 on hiring outside consultants to analyze the details of the project.

Following a lengthy debate, the council voted 7-2 in favor of the move (as well as the agreement for the exclusive right to negotiate with the Taylor/ICON Group). The $555,000 would pay for the city to hire consultants to analyze the legal and municipal aspects of the project and conduct an assessment of city parking.

The move is a major indicator that the city is motivated to revitalize the downtown rail yards through a new entertainment and sports complex.

“We need to figure out how we’re going to invest in ourselves and in our future,” Councilmember Rob Fong said. “If we don’t do this tonight, then we’ve effectively said that we’re going to go in a different direction and we’re sort of done with it all.”

But they did do it, and in doing so added to the positive news earlier this week that major entertainment company AEG is interested in being a part of the project.

The two no votes came from Councilmembers Sandy Sheedy and Darrell Fong. Sheedy pointed to recent layoffs of city employees and police officers as her reasoning for opposition.

“How many police officers could have been retained with that money?” Sheedy asked. “I just think that we are moving ahead with money that we can’t spend.”

Shortly after Sheedy’s comments, Councilmember Angelique Ashby, who voted for spending the money on consultants for the project, responded with a counter argument.

“I just simply do not see this as an either or discussion about public safety or this assessment,” Ashby said. “We lost over 40 [police] officers…we have got to restore that, but that being said, half-a-million dollars of one-time funds would not do that; that’s not the solution.”

Today, Marcos Breton of The Sacramento Bee had this to say regarding the subject:

"...let's say you spend it on cops. How do you keep those cops once the money is spent? You don't. You lay them off again unless you've found a way to increase city tax revenue. You don't keep cops around with one-time money that is gone once it's spent. The same goes for homeless programs, city parks and pools. With the arena, you have the interest of AEG, one of the biggest arena and stadium operators in the world. If they invest $100 million in the railyard, it could be the catalyst to attract more businesses and a more varied and sustainable local tax base."

Also today, it was reported that Sacramento will soon be able to hire 50 new police officers through federal grants.

The nod of approval by the council gives Mayor Kevin Johnson’s effort to get a deal done a shot in the arm. Johnson told the public and the council that he wants to wrap up the financing agreement with the city, AEG and the Taylor/ICON Group sometime between October and December, and also begin negotiations with the NBA. The NBA has given Sacramento until March 1 to get a proposal in place or the Maloofs will be allowed to file for relocation to Anaheim.

“I think everybody knows the March deadline is kind of looming and I think what we’re trying to do is almost self impose a timeline that’s a little bit quicker than that,” Johnson said. “We want to be quick, but we don’t want to hurry."

Here We Stay calls on public to attend Tuesday council meeting

2011-09-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Think Big Committee released a financing plan complete with a menu of options that it believes would generate the $387 million necessary to fund a new downtown entertainment and sports complex. Now, the grassroots campaign Here We Stay is calling on the public to attend Tuesday's Sacramento City Council meeting to provide feedback on the plan.

The financing strategy seems to be taking shape (calling for a financing mechanism that is split three ways between private interests, the public and the Kings). Here We Stay believes the public has a chance to continue to build momentum and make their voices heard at the council meeting next Tuesday at 6 p.m. The campaign is asking all residents, not just Kings fans, to come out to City Hall and be part of the discussion as the Think Big Committee goes over the financing plan in a detailed fashion.

Yesterday, it was announced that the plan aims to generate:

• $91-$156 million in private contributions from the Kings, arena operator and arena vendors.

•$94-$123 million from public land, transient occupany taxes and signage.

•$90-$121 million from a business improvement district and other resources such as parking, tickets surcharges, naming rights and cell phone towers.

At the upcoming council meeting, the public will get a chance to hear a more detailed description of these options, listen to discussion about the plan live in person from the council members and even have the opportunity to speak directly to the council. Here We Stay is encouraging attendees to bring signs and a positive attitude to the meeting.

Sacramento has come a long way since April when the Kings were inching toward Southern California. Public support, an activated business community and a driven mayor helped keep the team out of the hands of Anaheim’s grasp for at least another season, and bought some time to put together a financing plan that makes sense for the taxpayers and the team.

USA Today recently declared that Sacramento is moving “full speed ahead” toward keeping the Kings and building a new facility, and certainly the release of Think Big's financing options is a big reason for that. But another big reason is how the community has rallied behind this cause. The residents of this region know what is at stake: thousands of jobs, economic activity, a rejuvenated downtown, a team to put their support behind, top-notch entertainment events…civic pride.

As I mentioned in May, the arena saga has never been a battle between Sacramento and Anaheim – it was and still is a battle between Sacramento and Sacramento.

Cow town v. major metropolitan city.

Develop v. stay the same.

Build our way out of the recession v. wait.

These are the things at stake. Civic pride is not just about results, it takes work and commitment from everyone to enjoy the fruits that come with it. Participation and pushing politicians in the right direction has been the goal of the Here We Stay campaign since it began last October, and the group plans to continue that push at 915 I Street on Tuesday.

More Information

When: Tuesday, Sept. 13, 6 p.m.
Where: Sacramento City Hall, 915 I Street
Who: Those interested in a new entertainment and sports complex in Sacramento.
How: Showing up. Speaker slips are available from the city clerk in the council chambers.

River Cats founder on new ESC: ‘We can create a lifestyle here’

2011-08-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

Warren Smith helped bring minor league baseball to Sacramento and now he is part of the team trying to keep the River City's professional basketball dream alive.

Raley Field

In 1998, the Vancouver Canadians were purchased by a Sacramento business group that included Smith, Bob Hemond and the late Art Savage. Construction began on Raley Field in West Sacramento in August 1999, and in May 2000, it opened as the new home of the Sacramento River Cats. The team won two Triple-A Championships (2008 and 2009), and four Pacific Coast League Championships (back-to-back PCL Championships in 2003 and 2004 and again in 2007 and 2008).

Smith left his executive vice president position with the River Cats in 2008 to serve as president of a small biotechnology company and has since helped start the renewable energy company Clean World Partners. But he is still a minority owner of the team and deeply entrenched in the Sacramento sports scene. Earlier this year, as the city was abuzz at the news of the Maloofs looking into relocating the Sacramento Kings to Anaheim, Mayor Kevin Johnson reached out to Smith.

Smith said Johnson initially wanted him and others to help raise $5 million in corporate dollars to show the NBA that Sacramento’s business community is strong enough to support the franchise. In April, that number was far surpassed, hitting $10 million in sponsorships and tickets.

“There is so many wonderful things about Sacramento and one of the things I love the most is the people; when you have a problem or you want to get something done there are usually people who want to help,” Smith said.

And Smith, who spent most of his formative years in Hawaii and fell in love with the Sacramento region after attending the University of California, Davis, wasn’t done helping. In May, he was recruited (again by Mayor Johnson) to be a member of Think Big Sacramento – a group of more than 70 local leaders tasked with coming up with a financing plan for a new downtown entertainment and sports complex.

“If we’re going to lose a team what does that say to all the people that may be considering relocating a company or building a company here in Sacramento?" Smith said. “We’ve lost tens of thousands of jobs in the public sector and what jobs [Sacramento] had in the private sector have really fallen off, so we can’t afford to lose the Kings. I wasn’t just going to sit back and not participate; not be part of the solution.”

For Smith, joining Think Big was a no brainer because it was a step toward keeping the Kings, creating jobs and maintaining Sacramento’s sports legacy for years to come. His Think Big group is now less than two weeks away from announcing a menu of financing options, and he says things are headed in the right direction.

“We’ve got the best chance that we have ever had to get it done. I still think it is going to be a challenge, but it is a challenge that can be overcome,” he said.

Much like Gregg Lukenbill, who was responsible for bringing the Kings to Sacramento in the early ‘80s, Smith knows this region can and needs to continue to support professional sports.

“I think a lot of people look at Sacramento as a great place to be only because it’s between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, but you know what, we can create a lifestyle here that’s actually our own and one that we have pride in,” Smith said.

Along with his River Cats partners, Smith saw something in Sacramento in the late ‘90s that pushed their campaign to attract minor league baseball – one of the largest citizen populations in the country without professional baseball.

“Everybody in baseball that we talked to said, ‘yes, you could very well be a major league market, but you can’t be one until you can prove you can be a minor league market first,’” Smith said.

His group was able purchase the team, negotiate land purchase agreements, naming rights contracts and work out bond financing to pay for Raley Field – proving that Sacramento can be a minor league baseball market. And for the last 26 years, the same city has proven that it can be a professional basketball market. But if Sacramento is going to continue to sustain an NBA franchise, it is going to need to invest in itself, Smith says.

“Our community has had the joy of these two facilities [Power Balance Pavilion and Raley Field] but in all fairness they haven’t invested in these experiences,” Smith said. “I am more interested in us learning to make an investment in ourselves.”

Many things could come with investing in a new entertainment and sports complex: jobs; activation of the riverfront; more facilities such as a performing arts center and larger convention center’ and better roads; better freeways; and more.

All signs are pointing to this investment coming in the form of a public-private partnership, and Smith says Think Big has identified enough options from both sides of the spectrum to make it financially viable if done correctly.

“There are many different things in this program that spreads the risk,” he said. “We know they are going to have a lease from the Kings, so that will be a certain amount of money every year.”

The Maloofs have said they do not want to own and operate the facility (as they do now at Power Balance Pavilion). Instead, they simply want to be a tenant and most say this leaves the door open for a multitude of financing options. “It becomes a whole different discussion versus building something entirely for the team,” Smith said.

Financing options being looked at are, but not limited to, private investment, user fees, car taxes, city-owned parcel sales and billboard advertisements. (No where has there been a mention of a sales tax increase.)

“They [Think Big] will show the ranges of revenues [for every financing option], so we will at least have a range of what can be contributed,” he said.

Once the financing options are announced on Sept. 8, more detailed analysis will be conducted by the city from September to December, with an eye on finalizing the plan by the NBA’s March 1, 2012 deadline.

What is key in the eyes of one of the men responsible for changing the face of Sacramento sports is the public dialogue once the financing options are out there for everyone to see.

“I’m hopeful out of that we have a dialogue instead of people just saying ‘ah, that’ll never happen,’ what we should be saying is, ‘that’s an interesting idea but have you thought of it this way?’” Smith said. “We need to be coming up with solutions.”

Israeli journalist comments on Casspi in Cleveland, impact on country

2011-08-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Bleed Black and Purple recently spoke to Elad Zeevi of Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, about the opinions of Omri Casspi in Israel and the reaction to the trade in June that sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Below are excerpts from the interview:

How did people in Israel feel about the Casspi-for-Hickson trade?

Positive by most basketball journalists who agreed that Cleveland could be a good place for Casspi to start his second-coming in the NBA; he could get a lot of playing time there. Most people believe it's a good thing, but I think that also has to do with how Casspi looked at it: He was very happy and optimistic about the move.

So you think Cleveland is a better fit for him?

I believe the Cavs could be a better fit for him mostly because it's a fresh start. He reached a point where he was very unpleased about the way things were going in Sacramento – the way the team played, the way the coach used him. The current forward situation in Cleveland gives him hope for a major role, and with [Kyrie] Irving at point guard after a horrible year, the Cavs are bound to be better.

Casspi recently injured his knee while training with the national team and may not be able to play in EuroBasket 2011, will this hamper Israel’s chances quite a bit?

Israel has a slim chance to do something in EuroBasket, so without him it could be more difficult. There is a concern, but there are some optimistic voices that say he should be fine. Guess we will just have to wait and see.

You have been watching Casspi since he was 15, have you noticed a change in him since he joined the NBA?

He always had this confidence in himself every since he was a kid, but I think the change is more in the environment, he is treated like a superstar now – he is in commercials, basketball camps. His status has been upgraded in the national team too so now he is an undisputed star.

Did you know right away that he was NBA-bound?

The first time I saw him was in the schools league. He was bigger and more athletic than the others, but he wouldn't play inside, he loved to play the outside game and I think he insisted on it …could have been a different story right there. You could see right away he was not like the other players, he was more determined, more aggressive. He wanted it bad, the points, the rebounds, the wins. For the NBA? Sure, he was a prospect, but so were Yotam Halperin and Lior Eliyahu. They were talented enough, but Casspi always had more ambition. They were laid back compared to him.

Has he been back in Israel much since the season ended?

Ever since he finished the NBA season he has been in Israel, maybe with the exception of an L.A. basketball camp for a few days.

Are there any young players in Israel right now that may have a chance to make it to the NBA?

I have to say no. Israel had a bad summer in basketball, and the young national team didn't really live up to expectations. I don't see a player who can reach the NBA anytime soon. Casspi built himself for the NBA ever since he was a child, but I just don’t see a “Casspi 2.0” right now.

Do people there think of Casspi as the "Michael Jordan" of Israel?

Casspi’s status is above the rest of the Israeli players. People don’t really think of him as Jordan, because they have known about him for years and know what he can and can't do. But just because he is playing in the NBA, he is getting more respect, I believe. Kids look up to him.

What do you think his potential is now that you have seen him in the NBA for a few years?

Tough one. My personal opinion is that he can be a very solid NBA player with the right situation (minutes, team, and coach). He won't be a star, but he can definitely become a key player. He has tons of energy, he can get the crowed going – and those are just the X-factors. I must admit that he really surprised me in his rookie year with his shooting; I didn’t see it coming. I was expecting 4-5 points and 2 rebounds a game, and he was so much better than that. (44 percent from the field, 10.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.)

What is the opinion of the Sacramento Kings in Israel?

The Kings were kind of unknown for the average Israeli fan until Casspi got there. With all do respect to the [Chris] Webber and [Vlade] Divac team last decade, I guess they will be just that for the Israeli fans now that Casspi has moved on.

Are there a lot of Casspi/Kings jerseys on the streets in Israel and do you feel that basketball is gaining popularity there since Casspi entered the NBA?

You see a few Kings-Casspi jerseys, but not as much as you would think. The Israeli fans still prefer the mainstream Kobe [Bryant] and Lebron [James] jerseys – they are more popular on the playgrounds. The NBA has always been popular here, and I think the “Casspi effect” increased the interest a little bit more. A lot of his games are televised, and that's a plus.

Senator Ted Gaines on progress of entertainment/sports complex financing

2011-08-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

Co-Chair of the Think Big Executive Committee and State Senator Ted Gaines spoke to Bleed Black and Purple recently about the progress of the effort to establish a public-private financing plan for a new entertainment and sports complex in downtown Sacramento.

The Think Big Committee has until Sept. 8 to come up with a viable plan for a public-private financing mechanism for a new facility. The NBA has given the city until March 1, 2012 to set a plan in motion.

Gaines (R-Roseville) represents the 1st Senate District, which encompasses all or parts of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento and Sierra counties. Prior to his election to the State Senate in 2011, Gaines represented the 4th State Assembly District. While in the Assembly, he served on the Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media Committees.

Gaines brings a reputation of being an advocate for cutting state spending, keeping taxes low and private-sector job growth to the Think Big Committee, which has more than 70 members.

Below are some excerpts from the interview with Gaines:

On business involvement:

“The exciting thing about all of this is that a lot more businesses have been stepping up over the last few months and helping with their support of retaining the Kings here and their desire for a new arena.”

“There has been a good effort [by Think Big in] reaching out to the business community; we still have a lot of large businesses in the Sacramento region that need to be contacted and we need to communicate our message to them and ask them to help out.”

On taxes:

“My constituents are saying they don’t want their taxes increased and so we are looking at all of the options.”

“It is regional in a sense that there is a lot of interest in trying to make it happen …They [constituents] want to help out and they want to collaborate, but they don’t want anymore money taken out of their pocketbooks.”

“We want to get it done efficiently and quickly.”

On how this is different from past efforts:

“They are putting the pieces of the puzzle together for a viable proposal … They are really digging a lot deeper for additional sources of revenue. The city of Sacramento is willing to focus on 40 parcels that could be sold and that capital could be invested in the arena, and that is a huge step forward.”

“They are not requesting a tax and there is a lot of grassroots support.”

On the Kings:

“I think it is a black eye to the region if we lose the Sacramento Kings, and I am not sure we would be able to get an NBA team to come back. So in my mind, I think we ought to do everything we can to try to keep them here.”

“It is interesting to see how dramatic the improvement has been with season ticket holders – a month ago they [season ticket sales] were higher than they were all season last year, so that is very encouraging.”

On the Maloofs:

“I think they provided an opportunity to the city in terms of not demanding an ownership interest in the arena. That is very helpful because it gives the city an opportunity to raise revenue [in other areas].”

On what a new facility would mean to the region:

“It gives us the opportunity to do something fun locally and our kids really enjoy going to Kings games, the circus, Disney on Ice - those sort of events that would take place at a new arena. So I think it provides an asset to the region that we could be proud of for decades and it is just a matter of executing it in the right manner.”

“A lot of people look at our airport and they see that as something to be proud of; we can build a beautiful airport that is the gateway to our region and is something we can be proud of, and I would think of the arena in similar fashion.”

For more information on the Think Big Committee, click here.

Seattle's fire still burns to bring back Sonics

2011-08-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

The 2008 departure of the SuperSonics from Seattle was surrounded by turmoil after a fight between the city, the public and the NBA spilled into the courts.

The result: An embattled fan base watched bewildered as Kevin Durant and the rest of the green and gold, rich with 41 years of history, packed up and left for Oklahoma City.

Three years later, Seattle’s fire is still burning.

“During the playoffs this year everyone was watching the [Oklahoma City] Thunder succeed with our draft picks – Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook,” said Adam Brown, a producer of the documentary Sonicsgate. “That young, exciting team was built on the backs of Sonics fans after we watched losing seasons for the last six years before the team left.”

The producers of the film/movement Sonicsgate, a documentary that dissects the franchises’ move to Oklahoma City, are still active politically and have been helping organize Sonics events - and they feel it is starting to pay off.

“Momentum is at an all-time high in our fight to bring back the Sonics,” Brown said.

The reason why Brown says this: a “Sonics Night” at a recent Seattle Mariners game; a Sonics-centered basketball charity event; a Sonicsgate trip to a Denver Nuggets playoff game last season (at which the group graciously rang cowbells in support of Kings fans and Here We Stay’s fight to keep the team in the River City); and an online survey aimed at showing the local politicians that there is a desire to get a team back in Seattle.

“We feel like Sonicsgate is sort of mission accomplished in terms of getting the issue out nationally and firing up the fan base,” Brown said. “So now we are focusing on a way that people can channel their energy locally for the arena battle because, as you guys know in Sacramento, that is what it is all about.”

So far, 1,000 people have filled out the group’s survey. The Sonicsgate movement hopes to get a total of 10,000 responses.

Additionally, a “Seattle SuperSonics Taskforce” – a group of bi-partisan elected officials, community leaders and business owners tasked with coming up with a plan for building a new arena in Seattle in hopes to lure another team – has been formed. A representative of Sonicgate is present on the taskforce.

Similar to Sacramento’s Think Big Committee, the Sonics Taskforce is trying to hash out a feasible private-public partnership that would fund a new facility in Seattle or Bellevue (a Seattle suburb rich with software money).

“It will be interesting to see who steps up with their plan first … People are starting to understand that it doesn’t have to take money directly from education or other important social services [to build a new facility],” Brown said. “This can be accomplished using significant private investment and the public component will be more infrastructure-based like transportation, freeway offramps and parking garages.”

The Task Force has met once so far, with intentions to convene discussions again in August.

The effort to build a new complex in Seattle runs parallel to the fight in Sacramento, with the obvious differences at the moment being Sacramento currently has an NBA anchor tenant in the Kings and a former NBA mayor in Kevin Johnson. But both Think Big and the Sonics Taskforce have one specific major goal in common – staying away from a public tax increase.

“We are really focused on getting this done and we want it to get done using sound fiscal policy, not burdening the taxpayers unfairly; this should be a public-private partnership,” Brown said.

Brown is glad to see this Taskforce in action after, as he puts it, the “ineptitude” of local politicians leading up to the relocation of the Sonics.

“Our local government really screwed this up at every turn,” Brown said. “They didn’t make any sort of effort to make it work, it seems like they just viewed it as a lost cause and there wasn’t a lot of political gain to be had.”

Centered around the moniker “No Team is Safe,” Brown said the Sonicsgate movement has had to push back against those who call them out for wanting to essentially “steal” another team from another market.

“A lot of the Oklahoma people yell hypocrisy because we want a team to come back and the only way that is going to happen is through relocation because the NBA is not going to be expanding,” Brown said. “We understand the situation in that we lost our team and ultimately we feel that we deserve a team, so we would hate to have that heartbreak happen in another city, but ultimately we are here to represent Seattle.”

Brown points to the New Orleans Hornets as the team that would most likely be relocated due to the fact that the franchise is currently owned by the NBA.

“We won't give up until a team comes back here, and it has really grown to have a life of its own to a point where even if we stopped, the movement would continue even without us.”

In Sacramento, the city and the fans don't seem be giving up either. There is a strong effort being conducted by Mayor Johnson to get a financing mechanism in place - something Seattle could have used from their local elected officials leading up to the relocation of the Sonics. And, most importantly, the Kings are the only show in town, while Seattle is both the home of the NFL's Seahawks and the Mariners of MLB.

The NBA has given Sacramento until March 1 to come up with a financing mechanism for a new facility. Think Big is set to release its financing report on Sept. 8.

To get updates about recent news on a new entertainment and sports complex in Sacramento visit Here We Stay’s Facebook page and Think Big's website.

Jimmer offered free golf to practice game after poor showing in Tahoe

2011-07-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

New Kings guard Jimmer Fredette finished dead last at the recent American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, so a local business is offering the former BYU star a place to work on his putting game.

The Scandia Family Fun Center (a miniature golf course) off of I-80 near Madison Avenue recently began displaying a very visible “Jimmer Golfs Free” billboard.

General Manager Stephen Baddley said he has wanted to put up a “Welcome to Sacramento Jimmer Fredette” sign for a while now, but after watching the 6’2’’ shooting guard finish 83rd at the Tahoe tournament he knew what the billboard needed to say.

“Jimmer can practice here, golf free all he wants. Scandia opens its doors to Jimmer Fredette so that he can do us as proud on the golf course as he does on the basketball court,” Baddley said.

Baddley, a Utah native, says Fredette is his favorite player and is excited about the fact that he will be joining the Kings next season.

“Jimmer is probably the most versatile and prolific player BYU has ever had,” Baddley said. “I like that the guy is a baller, but he doesn’t have the attitude to go with it – he is just a class act across the board.”

The deal for free miniature golf stands as long as Fredette is a member of the Kings. And Baddley is willing to throw in a bonus.

“If he brings his girlfriend, then his girlfriend is free – Jimmer and a date,” Baddley said.

There have been a few hiccups to the deal already.

One customer came in claiming to be Jimmer and a staff member wasn’t sure if they were telling the truth because they didn't know what the real Jimmer looks like. Because of this, Baddley has been busy getting his staff acquainted with Fredette's appearance.

“It might be helpful if Jimmer gave us an autographed picture of himself that we could hang up so that he can be better identified by the staff,” Baddley said.

No word yet on if Fredette is going to take Baddley up on the offer. It also is uncertain if putting a golf ball through windmills and a clowns mouth translates into an improvement on a pro course, but the offer is yet another example of how Kings fans are ready to welcome their new draft pick with welcome arms.

Talking Ron Burkle and AEG

2011-07-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Billionaire and co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins Ron Burkle may still be in the picture when it comes to the Sacramento Kings and the city’s efforts to build a new entertainment and sports complex.

Chris Lehane, executive director of the Think Big Executive Committee, was quoted last month as saying, "Ron Burkle in Sacramento has a nice ring to it."

And that opinion is still going strong.

"I still think it has a nice ring to it. I think Ron Burkle in Sacramento anytime has a nice ring to it," Lehane said this week.

Lehane, a Democratic political consultant and partner in the strategic communications firm Fabiani & Lehane, helped the Penguins build their arena – CONSOL Energy Center, which opened in August 2010. Lehane wouldn't comment on what Burkle's current involvement is, but said Burkle (who has expressed interest in purchasing the Kings) is keeping an eye on things in Sacramento. The bottom line for now, however, is the team still under different ownership, he said.

"The Kings are owned by the Maloofs and hopefully everything works out in a way with the best economic interest of the Maloofs in their ability to own the team and keep the team here, but having Ron out there and his support for this is a big bode of confidence for the community," Lehane said.

Lehane also said Mayor Kevin Johnson has had "positive and constructive talks" with AEG, one of the leading sports and entertainment companies in the world. AEG is the operator of the Sprint Center in Kansas City and several other arenas across the world. To view all of the arenas AEG operates, click here.

"We have looked at what they have done in Kansas City and see some similarities to this market…and obviously they have been very successful in Los Angeles with Staples [Center] and so there is a potential for a natural synergy there," Lehane said.

Other potential operators are being communicated with as well.

"I think the operators are potentially interested because the Kings themselves have made it clear that they don’t want to be an owner/operator, they don’t want to be a developer; they want to be a tenant and so that creates the potential for a lot more revenue sources," Lehane said. "We have heard this from event organizers, from AEG and some others: Sacramento in terms of the demographics and population is a great market … If we build it, we know they will come."

Lehane also was a member of Mayor Johnson’s Sacramento First Citizens Task Force, which was established in 2009 to assist "the city’s quest for a new entertainment and sports complex." Earlier this year, the task force chose the ICON/Taylor group’s arena proposal. Think Big is currently working to find a financing mechanism for a that proposal.

The 70-member committee, led by Lehane, is gearing up to announce a private-public financing plan around Labor Day – what that plan will look like is still underdetermined, but could include several funding sources such as an increase in hotel/rental car taxes and additional fees for tickets and parking at events at Power Balance Pavilion.

The committee is attempting to steer clear of any sales tax increase.

"At the end of the day, all of this stuff has to make sense to the taxpayers and if we are able to identify a public-private partnership that works, then it all begins to come together," Lehane said. "Whatever level of public contribution is ultimately identified, there is going to be a real rate of return to the public and [we want to make sure] that it represents a good deal for them."

Trade no surprise after cavalier approach to Casspi’s role

2011-07-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

After the fallout that was not getting the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft, i.e. Blake Griffin, the dust settled and the Kings’ picks were accepted with praise by fans and national media alike.

The Kings managed to select Tyreke Evans (the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year), a serviceable center with a motor that doesn’t quit in Jon Brockman and a superstar within the borders of Israel known as Omri Casspi that has arms and legs like a gazelle and an unmatchable fierceness.

Evans is still around, likely for some time, but despite their positives, the other two have now been sent packing in favor of a new direction.

Brockman was let go last summer and replaced with Samuel Dalembert and DeMarcus Cousins, and after two seasons full of ups and downs, last week the Kings parted ways with the “Michael Jordan of Israel” in favor of Cleveland Cavalier forward JJ Hickson.

Though Casspi still has upside in the NBA, the writing has been on the wall for some time in Sacramento. Never quite maintaining the consistency in his game to completely stave off Donte Greene for the starting small forward position, head coach Paul Westphal wasn’t shy about inserting him in and out of the lineup last season – something that seemed to dig into Casspi’s somewhat bloated pride.

A telling moment came during the 2010-11 preseason after Casspi finished a rebound shy of a double-double in a win over the Cavs. Casspi had played with intensity on both ends of the ball and contributed well. In the press conference after the game Westphal pronounced, “I like Casspi off the bench,” and then went on the declare that Greene would be the likely starter during the regular season.

That decision did stick for a while at the start of the season and in January, rumors swirled about Casspi being traded to New York or Chicago. At that point, Casspi told Bleed Black and Purple that he was still happy in Sacramento, but would only go as far as complimenting Geoff Petrie as a mentor.

“I love Geoff … Whenever we do [talk] it always has a lot of meaning and I have learned a lot from him,” he said.

Despite the pleasantries directed at Petrie and Sacramento, his displeasure with the way the team was playing and his diminished role was written all over his face. Even though the team had seen improvement as the season winded down following the Marcus Thornton-for-Carl Landry trade, Casspi was tired of the offensive and defensive schemes.

Quietly and quickly changing into street clothes in the locker room after a March 16 loss to the Cavs, Casspi dissected all of the team’s offensive and defensive problems.

“We need to share the ball, we need to play the right way and we need to do it more often,” he said.

On defense, he had become even more frustrated.

“We don’t show anything on the pick and roll, we need to make an impact and stop the ball,” Casspi said.

Then Casspi lashed out on an Israeli sports website, claiming that there were playoff teams interested in him and that he hoped to be on a team “that appreciates me as a player and a person, a team that plays like a team.”

Whether it was a breakdown between him and Westphal or an inability to mesh with his teammates, Casspi, with all of his marketability across the country and the world, was ready to move on and obviously, so were the Kings.

A very gracious and open individual, Casspi welcomed Sacramento as his home and always took time for the fans.

Following the trade last week, he tweeted the following: “I want to thank the organization - Sacramento Kings for the great opportunity to play in NBA. It been an amazing two years and I have memories that ill never forget. Kings fans always been great to me and I'm so grateful for the amazing two years.”

NBA releases statement on lockout

2011-06-30T22:38:00.000-07:00

Official release from NBA per NBA.com

NEW YORK -- The National Basketball Association announced that it will commence a lockout of its players, effective at 12:01 am ET on July 1, until a new collective bargaining agreement is reached with the National Basketball Players Association.

"The expiring collective bargaining agreement created a broken system that produced huge financial losses for our teams," said NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver. "We need a sustainable business model that allows all 30 teams to be able to compete for a championship, fairly compensates our players, and provides teams, if well-managed, with an opportunity to be profitable."

"We have made several proposals to the union, including a deal targeting $2 billion annually as the players' share -- an average of approximately $5 million per player that could increase along with league revenue growth," said Silver. "Elements of our proposal would also better align players' pay with performance."
"We will continue to make every effort to reach a new agreement that is fair and in the best interests of our teams, our players, our fans, and our game."

During the lockout, players will not receive their salaries; teams will not negotiate, sign or trade player contracts; players will not be able to use team facilities for any purpose; and teams will not conduct or facilitate any summer camps, exhibitions, practices, workouts, coaching sessions, or team meetings.

Kings now have shooting specialist in Fredette

2011-06-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

With the tenth pick in today's NBA draft, the Kings selected Jimmer Fredette out of Brigham Young University.

Fredette averaged 28.9 points, 4.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals last season for the Cougars.

Fredette will step right into the much-needed role of shooting specialist on a Kings squad that is anything but deadly from the field. The 6'2'' guard shot 45 percent from the field last season and close to 40 percent from three-point range.On top of that, Fredette has respectable ball-handling abilities, a pretty nice-looking crossover and the ability to take into the lane.

If stats aren't enough for you, check out this video:

Kings to host regional viewing parties for draft

2011-06-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

The Kings will host NBA Draft parties across the Sacramento region on June 23 at seven locations. Special guests at the various events will include Tyreke Evans, Donte Greene, Jason Thompson and Hassan Whiteside.

Doors for the parties will open at 4 p.m. at the following locations:

    * MIX DOWNTOWN in downtown Sacramento
    * OSHIMA SUSHI in Natomas
    * DAVE AND BUSTERS in Roseville
    * HACIENDAS in Folsom
    * BISLAS in East Sacramento
    * BULL WINGS in Elk Grove
    * PIZZA ROCK in downtown Sacramento

The draft itself begins at 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) and will be televised on ESPN.

Arena meeting spotlights public-private partnership

2011-06-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

The first public meeting of Mayor Kevin Johnson’s Here We Build coalition had two objectives: demonstrate what a public-private partnership would look like for a new Sacramento arena and supply some models to consider.

Those in attendance at the Sacramento Public Library on Thursday included several key players in the arena discussion such as Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna, developer David Taylor, Rancho Cordova City Councilmember Linda Budge and Sacramento City Councilmember Steve Cohen.

A 30-minute presentation was led by Dan Barrett, the founder and principal owner of Barrett Sports Group, LLC, a firm that provides strategic management consulting services to the sports and entertainment industries. Barrett has more than 18 years of experience in planning, financing, developing and operating sports, entertainment and real estate projects.

During his presentation, Barrett discussed the scenarios of a publicly funded arena and a privately funded arena and pointed out that neither model tends to survive alone long-term.

“It is critical to structure a deal that makes sense financially for both parties [public and private],” Barrett said. “If one party wins a negotiation, both parties are ultimately going to end up suffering.”

He went on to list a variety of factors to take into consideration.

“You need to think about the economics of the NBA, you need to think about the economics of the marketplace, the discretionary income [of the public] and then the limitations that come with the corporate base,” said Barrett, who commented on the positive fact that there are no competing professional sports franchises in Sacramento and the challenge that the limited corporate base in the River City creates.

Barrett pointed out that in every single-tenant/NBA-only arena built since 1990, the public sector has funded approximately 68 percent of the construction cost while the private sector has funded 32 percent. Since 2000, that public sector investment has gone up to nearly 84 percent, putting the private sector investment at 16 percent, Barrett continued.

Expounding on the idea that neither a completely private, nor a completely public funding mechanism may be viable, Barrett brought up the Rose Garden in Portland where billionaire Paul Allen funded the arena himself. Allen ended up taking it into bankruptcy in 2004 which forced him to restructure the deal with the noteholders, Barrett said.

On the flip side of this, publicly-financed (through a tax increase) Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati has put a serious strain on the local budget because revenues are not coming as the city had hoped.

So what to do? The answer, at least as it was phrased in this meeting, is a public-private mechanism.

Though Barrett (who controlled most of the presentation that also featured Chris Lehane, a partner with Fabiani and Lehane and former Sacramento City Treasurer Tom Friery) did not come out and officially endorse the idea of instituting a hotel and rental car tax in Sacramento, he discussed several other public-private arena partnerships that utilized such a tax. Those examples included projects in Orlando, Memphis, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.

Here are some examples Barrett brought up of cities with similar-sized markets to Sacramento and how they funded their arenas:

Orlando, Amway Arena: The Orlando Magic contributed $50 million up front (of the total $480 million) and now pay rent on the building as a tenant combined with revenue sharing that goes to the city of Orlando. The project relied heavily on hotel and rental car taxes (a penny increase), which raised a whopping $270 million. A land sale contributed $62 million. The city of Orlando now operates the building and covers the expenses in exchange for the revenue that comes from the family shows hosted there.

Memphis, FedExForum: $13 million was raised through a surcharge on ticket taxes. The bulk of the financing came from the city, county and state. A hotel and rental car tax was involved and $65 million of the total $250 million price tag was generated through a sales tax rebate (sales tax generated by the project itself was rebated back to go toward funding payments for the actual project).

Kansas City, Sprint Center: The city got the giant sports and entertainment company AEG to invest $50 million and the city covered $225 million mainly through a rental car and hotel tax – $4 per day for car rentals and $1.50 for hotel rooms.

“It’s really cobbling a series of funding sources – public and private – to try to make it work,” Barrett said during the question and answer portion of the meeting.

Thursday's session was the first of seven public meetings of the Here We Build coalition. The next will be held on June 30 and discuss the economic impact a new arena would have on downtown Sacramento.

Thornton signing inevitable

2011-06-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

The Kings extended a qualifying offer to guard Marcus Thornton today.

The move makes Thornton a restricted free agent and brings this inevitable signing that much closer to a reality. (The only thing stopping it at this point is another team offering him a deal that the Kings would not be willing to match.)

Thornton, who was acquired by the Kings in February in an exchange that sent forward Carl Landry to the New Orleans Hornets, was one of the best players on the team during the final months of last season.

When Thornton came to Sacramento his minutes skyrocketed (16 mpg to 38 mpg) and so did his numbers. His points and assists nearly tripled when he joined the Kings (21.3 points and 3.4 assists per game, compared to 7.8 points and 0.9 assists in New Orleans). His field goal percentage, steals and rebounds also increased.

With the addition of Thornton, the Kings would have a solid rotation at guard with Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih. Toward the end of the season, head coach Paul Westphal opted to play the three guards at the same time with some success. (The only problem is Udrih is still the closest thing the team has to a true point guard.)

Thornton is a clutch player who isn’t afraid to have the ball in his hands late in the game and has an on-the-court swagger that matches the fire of DeMarcus Cousins.

Jimmer fever

2011-06-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

Jimmer Fredette, the 6’2’’ guard out of BYU who is quickly moving up the draft ladder in the eyes of many NBA general managers, will be in Sacramento tomorrow for a pre-draft workout along with two other players, according to The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Jones.

Word around the Kings camp is that Fredette, who is a lockdown three-point shooter that averaged 28.9 points in 27 games for BYU last season, is slowly turning into a viable option for the Kings in the draft (although his somewhat one-dimensional game would suggest there will be more talented players available at 7). He also has a cult following equipped with his very own YouTube channel for fans to keep tabs on him. According to a press release put out by Tupelo-Honey Productions, the channel will document the draft process with his friends, family, agents and fitness regiments.

If you have "Jimmer Fever" check out the YouTube channel here.

Fredette would supply the Kings with a much-needed asset – shooting. He shot close to 40 percent from three-point range and 45 percent from the field last season. His defense and lack of athleticism (think Mike Bibby) is often cited as his down side.

UCLA forward Tyler Honeycutt and Tennessee forward Tobias Harris also will be involved in tomorrow's workout.

Ricky Rubio finally decides to join NBA

2011-06-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

According to several media reports, Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio will join the Minnesota Timberwolves next season.

Rubio was a hot commodity during the lead-up to the 2009 NBA Draft, but the Kings ended up passing on him with the fourth pick in favor of Tyreke Evans. The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Rubio with the fifth pick and he subsequently jetted back to Spain due to contractual obligations with his former team DKV Joventut.

Later in 2009, Rubio joined Regal FC Barcelona and his numbers don’t exactly jump off the stat sheet. In 42 games, he has averaged 6.6 points and 3.8 assists in about 21 minutes of action per game.

In October of last year, Rubio went scoreless in an exhibition game between FC Barcelona and the Los Angeles Lakers.

In Minnesota, Rubio will likely compete with Jonny Flynn for the starting point guard spot. The Timberwolves took Flynn with the sixth pick in that same 2009 draft.

And if you hadn't heard, Tyreke Evans went on to win the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year, averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

A few key points taken from Taylor/ICON presentation

2011-05-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some key points taken from the presentation today at City Hall regarding the new entertainment and sports complex (ESC) plan.

•75 percent of events at Power Balance Pavilion are not basketball-related.

•ICON/Taylor studied arenas in comparable markets such as Cleveland, Orlando, Portland, Kansas City and San Antonio to come up with the plan.

•The building would cost $387 million.

•Seating would include 18,594 for NBA games and 17,400 for ice-related events. (Seems to be motivation to lure a hockey team to Sacramento).

•There is currently no cost analysis or plan for an on-site practice facility, but it was stated by the ICON team that it wouldn't be difficult to do.

•The event floor would be 90,000 square-feet.

•The ESC plan is compliant with NBA and NHL guidelines.

•The East entrance would serve as the main public entrance equipped with an exterior balcony, large TV monitor to illustrate what is going on inside, retail stores and the box office.

•The building would be located at 5th and I Streets and be connected with Light Rail.

•The West side entrance (I-5 side) would be used for loading docks. It would be designed to fit six high-definition TV trucks (in accordance with NBA requirements).

•The current site in Natomas could be redeveloped into a higher education campus, hospital, auto-mall or a mix of all of these.

•The current Natomas land is worth $8.5-$11 million right now. That could increase to $17-$20 million over the next three years.

•All but three NBA teams have arenas downtown (Pistons, Warriors, and Kings).

•The ESC would have four levels.

•Courtside club area with 96 seats for suites.

•Restaurant in Northeast area of building.

•There will be stacked levels of seating close to the floor to create an intimate environment.

•Construction start date of 2013.

•Downtown location would be $3.3 million more than building a new ESC in Natomas.

•Push is for the building to be publicly owned with the Kings as the main tenant - which could mean more of a private investment and less of a hit to taxpayers.

•There is no parking structure planned. There are 8,200 existing parking spaces within four blocks. The ICON Group said a joint partnership with the owners of adjacent railyard land could help make a parking structure happen.

•The city will now study the plan for 100 days and Mayor Kevin Johnson will be putting together a coalition to come up with financing ideas.

Here are a few quotes from today's meeting:

Mayor Kevin Johnson: "I really think this is our moment."

Gavin Maloof: "Very positive reaction to today. Very different situation this time around."

President and CEO of ICON Group, Tim Romani: "Seize the day Sacramento."

Thursday marks new era in effort to build sports/entertainment complex

2011-05-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

Thursday marks the first step in the new era of the effort to build a sports and entertainment complex (SEC) in the Sacramento region.

The ICON/Taylor Group will present its financial feasibility study to the Sacramento City Council at 1 p.m. during a meeting open to the public. Today it was reported that a new SEC would cost $370 million. More details (presumably how it will be paid for and at what locations) will be revealed at the Thursday meeting.

The Here We Stay campaign is urging all citizens/believers (not just Kings fans) to attend the meeting. Public comment will take place at the beginning of the meeting, at which point those in attendance will have the opportunity to address the ICON/Taylor group as well as Mayor Kevin Johnson and the rest of the city council.

Details are below:

Date: Thursday, May 26

Time: 1-3 p.m.

Place: Sacramento City Hall, 915 I Street, Downtown Sacramento

Who: Small business owners, those who enjoy entertainment such as concerts, professional wrestling, Kings games and Disney on Ice, as well as those who like to attend religious events and political conventions.

Why: To make sure the residents of the region are informed and engaged in the effort to build a new SEC.

How: Through power by numbers/voices. Public comment begins around 1 p.m.

To view the entire meeting agenda click here.

Five possibilites with the 7th pick

2011-05-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

The Kings landed the 7th pick in the NBA Draft and the “experts” are saying it will be a weak class. If that ends up being the case, Geoff Petrie certainly will have his work cut out for him.

It would have been great if the Kings could have added Arizona forward Derrick Williams to their roster, but since that is off the table it is time to move on.

Below are some of the players who are expected to be possible options with the 7th pick (stats are from their most recent season).

Brandon Knight, Guard, Kentucky – 17.3 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4 RPG

It is highly unlikely that Knight will slip to 7 because his talents would be a nice addition to any squad. He is lighting-quick and his first step off the dribble can leave defenders looking confused. He seems to have great court vision to go along with a nice midrange game and three-point shot. The problem would be that the Kings already have two similar players in Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton. Knight may be the type of player who needs to have the ball in his hands a lot to be effective. At this point, the Kings needs a point guard who can be more of a facilitator rather than someone who dominates the ball, ie. a true point guard.

Enes Kanter, Center, Kentucky/Turkey – Stats unavailable due to ineligibility

Kanter is a bit of an unknown. He did not play for Kentucky in his freshman year because of cash he received from Fenerbahçe Ülker (Turkish team), but he has nice handling abilities and can run the floor with the best of them. At 6'10’’ and 250 pounds, he is a strong rebounder and is pretty immovable under the basket. He studied Cousins while he was at Kentucky and has said that he enjoys Cousins' game. Like Cousins, Kanter doesn’t shock you with his leaping abilities, but he has a lot of patience and a way of being in the right place at the right time for the rebound. As a side note, Kanter wants to be a professional wrestler when his basketball career is over. He looks up to The Undertaker.

Jan Vesely, Small Forward, Czech (26 games with Adriatic) – 10.3 PPG, 1.3 APG, 4.4 RPG

This guy is extremely quick and athletic even though he looks like a tall Adam Samberg. Vesely is a Euro player who attacks the rim with authority and is extremely long. He can run the floor and wouldn’t need to have the ball in his hands a lot to be effective. Evans and Thornton have proven they can run the fast break pretty well together and having a wing player who can get out and finish on the break with them would be a nice combination. He dunks all over everyone in the Euroleague but with his thin frame, one has to wonder if it will translate against NBA centers. Though Vesely is a decent shooter, it still remains to be seen if he can create off the dribble. If the Kings end up re-signing Samuel Dalembert and can add another near seven-footer in Vesely to their rotation, they would be a tough team to contend with. Defense has been cited as Vesely’s main issue.

Donatas Motiejunas, Power Forward/Center, Italy (30 games with Benetton Treviso) – 13.1 PPG, 1.1 APG, 4.4 RPG

Much like Vesely, Motiejunas is long and athletic but has a little more of a complete game (and they share very similar stats). He can shoot the three, block shots and his post moves and passing abilities are impressive. He can pass out of the post position, from the three point line and can pull off some entertaining behind-the-back passes. Motiejunas's post moves seem to be the bread and butter of his game with a nice hook shot and the ability to finish with either hand. He can be a little sloppy and will have some turnover issues early on, but that can be fixed with some coaching. His European style of play would be a good compliment to the hard-nosed styles of Cousins and Dalembert.

Bismack Biyombo, Power Forward/Center, Congo (14 games with ACB) – 6.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 0.3 APG (17 minutes per game)

If for nothing else, the Kings should draft this guy so we can have fun saying his name. A true “big man” in every sense of the phrase, Biyombo has limited passing abilities but can be a bruiser down low with his NBA-ready frame. He pushes defenders out of the way (remains to be seen if that will translate into the NBA) and has great patience under the basket. He puts himself in the right position to snag rebounds and is a very nice shot-blocker. On top of that, he has the ability to shake the rim with his dunks. His impact would largely hinge on if the Kings re-signed Dalembert as they seem to be very similar types of players. If the Kings do sign Dalembert, Biyombo would have a very nice role model to look up to. Biyombo won’t be much a high-post type of passing player, but he would be a good addition to the Kings already-physical front court.

Then of course the Kings could trade their pick and a package of players for a veteran small forward who can come in and make an immediate impact and mentor some of the youngsters...just sayin'.

Sacramento's momentum is about more than basketball

2011-05-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

Last month I wrote that civic pride was on the line in this fight to keep the Kings in Sacramento – and Tuesday's rally was a gleaming example of why and how that is the case.

The near 7,000 people who packed Cesar Chavez Park for Here We Rally are the reason why professional sports are important for cities, especially small markets like Sacramento.

The event marked the rejuvenation of the fan base and the spark within the Kings organization, but it also illustrated the fact that Sacramento as a city is a big family with a common bond. Even those who don’t particularly like sports, or the Kings for that matter, are now talking about the team and the arena saga – Are they going to be better next season? Who are they going to get in the draft? Where is the best spot for the arena? It should be downtown; no it should be in Natomas; no we should look at another location.

All of this will likely be the talk floating around your workplace for months to come, all because of that underlying fact that this issue is an issue of civic pride.

The fight to make sure the Kings stayed in the capital city was led by the fans, Mayor Kevin Johnson and the local media. It was the perfect storm for a major achievement, but also with an underlying sense that it was bigger than the Maloofs or the NBA.

The potential for a new arena with a major tenant like the Kings is at the very heart of this civic pride argument. The race for a new building is going to have to play out quickly over the next several months, and if the momentum continues, the potential lockout does not become a problem and political leaders are able to agree on location, cost, and a funding mechanism(s), then there will be a shiny new arena standing for decades to come. The new arena will pull in more high-end concerts, religious events, NCAA tournaments, political conventions and more. And even if the arena isn’t a publicly-owned facility under a Green Bay Packers-type model, the residents, in a way, will still hold ownership over it, at least emotionally.

This whole fight has been labeled as a “battle for the Kings,” pitting Sacramento against Anaheim, but really this battle has always been about Sacramento v. Sacramento and the fight to keep civic pride alive in this region.

Sacramento is often given the “cow town label” for its “small-town” feel. Some people love it, some people hate it. But either way, Sacramento grows on you, just look at Chris Webber. Webber had no intentions of coming to Sacramento in 1998 when he was traded from the Washington Bullets. After being coaxed into it, however, he became Sacramento’s poster boy and now is the one battling for the city on national television via TNT. The entire Kings organization is a small family in a way, with former players like Bobby Jackson and Shareef Abdur-Raheem now in management positions and fond words always shared by other former players when they roll through town – a community within a community of sorts.

The local media jumped on board with the Here We Purple campaign last month by showing their pride and stepping outside the box to illustrate how much the Kings mean to Sacramento – a community within a community. The fans collectively took over social media and rallied to put pressure on the NBA and the Maloofs to keep the team here – a community of Kings fans within the community.

All of these segments are a portion of the larger Sacramento region that cares about civic pride. And maybe, just maybe, with the clock ticking once again, everyone understands what is on the line.

Here We Stay set to throw Kings fans a party this Friday night

2011-05-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

Kings fans fought for a good part of seven months, and after all of the blood, sweat and tears, the Maloofs announced today that the Kings will be keeping the team in Sacramento another year.

Though much work is ahead for the city of Sacramento in terms of getting an arena built, there is much to be celebrated in the eyes of all of the fans who wrote letters, made their presence felt at the games and pretty much took over the local social media market in an outpouring of support.

As a show of appreciation, The Here We Stay campaign along with Thunder Valley Casino and Hot 103.5 will be hosting a celebratory party titled "Here We Stayed" this Friday, May 6.

Below are details:

Where: Thunder Valley Casino, 1200 Athens Avenue, Lincoln, CA 95648.
When: Friday, May 6 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Why: Because the voice of the fans were heard.

For more information and to RSVP, click here.

Mixed Maloof messages and moving forward

2011-04-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

Photo taken by Blake Ellington

Today, Adrienne Maloof tweeted that she was taking her kids to her brother Gavin’s house for Easter. Adrienne said that Gavin was more excited about the festivities than he was about showing the kids. This is a great example of a guy who is often excitable, unrehearsed and wears his emotions on his sleeve – the characteristics that many Sacramentans fell in love with after he and his brothers purchased the Kings in the late 90s.

Those same characteristics have since frustrated the fan base because of the mixed messages that have come with them.

In between entertaining his sister’s kids for Easter, one has to wonder what Gavin was thinking as he sat in his house and backyard today. What had happened to the mighty kingdom that he and his brothers had created – the one that featured a highly successful NBA team that continuously challenged in the playoffs and one of the most popular casinos in Las Vegas. With the reported struggles of The Palms Casino and the NBA now seemingly forcing them to keep the Kings in Sacramento for at least another year, it must be hard for both Gavin and Joe Maloof to not look at each other and say, “ How could things have got to this point? Things were so different just a year ago.”

And really, they were.

I thought back to Oct. 5 of last year. After the Kings had beat the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game, Gavin sat alone in the back row of chairs in the Kings media lounge as if he were welcoming questions – an odd scene. The media folks did a quick double take when they noticed him, glanced at each other, and then rushed over to speak to one of the guys that holds the lever to the Kings franchise.

Many asked about the upcoming season and what he thought of DeMarcus Cousins. Gavin, with his exuberant optimism, lit up and expressed his excitement over the rookie and what the Kings were going to be able to do this season. But there was that one pressing issue – getting a new arena.

The land-swap proposal had just failed. When asked about it, his facial expressions soured, but his optimism didn’t: “We are very disappointed in the outcome. We appreciate all of the political help. I know they worked hard on it, and everybody is trying. It is not for lack of effort and we appreciate that effort.”

Still giving props to Mayor Kevin Johnson and the city council – interesting. At that point, at least publicly, before all of the silence and cold shoulders, there was some sort of a cordial relationship despite the fact that the plan that NBA Commissioner David Stern himself had handpicked went down in flames. It would take a few months, but something happened between then and the start of 2011. Communication between the Maloofs, the city and the media came to a standstill (I never saw Gavin in the media lounge again this season).

Joe and Gavin were suddenly not attending games. Then the bombshell came out about them “keeping their options open” in regards to moving the team.

It is anyone’s guess as to what had changed, but it is clear that it was in some way tied to the failure of the land-swap proposal. After it failed, Mayor Johnson quickly said the city would renew their research into the other arena proposals. Eventually, they would decide to go with the Taylor/ICON Group’s financial feasibility study. But there still was no communication between the city and the Maloofs throughout that selection process and even at the time the Taylor Group was chosen. At one point representatives of the Taylor/ICON Group stood in front of city council and said the first move would be to contact the Maloofs.

And there were no statements from the Maloofs after this decision by city council. There was no, “we appreciate all of the political help.” There was no, “I know they are working hard on it.” Instead, the Maloofs brothers were working hard to create the Anaheim Royals.

The kind words had left, but even more interesting was that the Maloofs had been on board with renovating Arco Arena (now Power Balance Pavilion) in Feb. 2010. Three of the four Maloof brothers were seriously considering adding two entrance towers outside towers to the arena and creating a third level with a lounge just a little over a year ago. But yet again, the land-swap proposal came and went and their interest in that concept waned.

Renovations were OK then, but suddenly it turned into a moot point after one of the most complicated arena concepts many had ever seen didn’t pan out?

At that press conference back in Oct., Gavin even seemed willing to look into a regional plan (the concept that is currently picking up steam). When asked if moving the arena into a different county would work, Gavin was all for it: “We don’t mind really where we go, just so we get an arena. Just so it is in the area. That’s what we would prefer…an arena that would be in the area. We don’t care where it is.”

Now, after the fans have been busy “painting Sacramento purple” for months, the Maloofs are proclaiming that they haven’t decided if they will file to relocate the team to Anaheim by the May 2 deadline, even though the NBA and the Los Angeles Times has said the Kings will likely be in Sacramento at least through next season.

Who is not talking to who and how could there be such a disconnect? Why was there still so much optimism after the land-swap proposal failed and willingness to look into a regional effort just at the start at this season, but the fans were still dragged through the mud the last three to four months? Theses questions will have to be answered before the start of next season if this broken relationship between the Maloofs, the city of Sacramento and Kings fans is going to be fixed.

On top of the that, a pretty high-powered public relations firm is going to need to be hired to train these brothers that what they say in public matters and can come back to bite them.

The Maloofs have never expressed anything but respect and admiration for the fans in Sacramento and that will need to be said many, many times over when they roll back into town for next season.

At that Oct. press conference I asked Gavin if they were going to leave Sacramento. After a slight chuckle, he replied with, “well, we are trying to do everything we can to get a new arena built.”

It sounds like it is time to renew that commitment Gavin, because this city is fired up and ready to build the arena you and your brothers have been trying to get for more than a decade. Come home and open up to us and maybe, just maybe this whole affair with Anaheim will be forgotten.

Remember, the fans are just as excited about the idea of the team being here next season as you were for the Easter festivities today.

Kevin Martin loses half-million on downtown loft

2011-04-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Coldwell Banker.

The downtown loft owned by former Kings guard Kevin Martin sold Tuesday for a half-million dollars less than what he paid for it three years ago.

Martin, who was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Houston Rockets on Feb. 18, 2010, purchased the 2,100 square-foot loft at 1818 L Street (L Street Lofts) for $1.3 million in 2008 and it sold yesterday for $775,000. The loft, which was not a short sale or foreclosure, had been on the market for more than five months and was originally listed at $995,000.

According to Donald Stitt, real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, Martin had put $100,000 worth of improvements into the loft, including a set of $45,000-electric blinds that covered a two-story window that led to views of both the capitol and the governor’s mansion. The loft also included seven TVs.

Stitt said the fact that the loft was owned by Martin was a great selling point, attracting 30 potential buyers. It also illustrates how popular Martin still is in the area, Stitt said.

“He seems to be very, very popular,” Stitt said. “People would come inside and take pictures of each other.”

Martin gave up his other local residence in Rocklin last year after it went into foreclosure.

Here We Purple paints the city Thursday

2011-04-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

A new community effort known as "Here We Purple" has sprouted up to get a message out across all TV stations, radio, websites, social media, newspapers and businesses that the Kings belong in Sacramento.

The goal is to give Sacramento a chance to send a positive message on Thursday when the NBA is in town to evaluate the future of the team in Sacramento. Several local TV stations will be featuring purple icons and hundreds of local businesses are expected to participate.

Here are the details:

WHEN: Thursday, April 21, all day and evening.
WHAT: Wear purple on Thursday. Go purple in your workplace. Offer purple to your customers, clients, viewers, listeners, and readers.
WHY: Give the community a chance to be part of a message to the NBA representatives, and to rally some community support for a final push for basketball in Sacramento.
HOW: Encourage every person in the area to participate, and encourage businesses and community groups especially to remind their members.

Winds of change - remembering the last game

2011-04-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

The sun was setting just over the top of Power Balance Pavilion.

A slight breeze pushed the crisp air over your face forcing a sense of uneasiness.

It's not yet clear if the last game in Sacramento happened on Wednesday, but emotions ran high all night. Fans filed into the arena for the final game of the Kings 2010-11 season on April 13 as the radio station vans were all parked outside within striking distance of one another, competing for attention. “Grenade” by Bruno Mars played out of the speakers of one of the vans – the lyrics offering a telling description of how the Kings fans feel about their team: “I’d jump in front of a train for you; You know I’d do anything for you.”

Walking into the arena around 7 p.m., 30 minutes before tip-off, the apprehensive buzz was immediate. The stands were filling up much quicker than other games this season and signs were already out – “Here We Stay” and “Thanks to all Kings staff – Our Family for 26 Years.”

Security was in full force, nearly a dozen sheriffs circled the court and another swarm of them strolled through the player tunnels. The heated history between Lakers and Kings fans needed a lot of eyes to keep tempers under control. Interestingly, it seemed a little different that night. People with Kobe Bryant jerseys on were seated with friends who sported Chris Webber and Tyreke Evans jerseys – an overall bond instead of animosity that lasted much of the game.

The Lakers ran out onto the court to a furious mix of cheers and boos. The noise flipped a switch in my mind and transported me back to 2001-02. A video clip from head coach Paul Westphal began playing on the Jumbo Tron. “I just appreciate the fans,” Westphal said. Soon after, Sacramento Mayor Johnson made his way to his courtside seat. After taking a few photos with fans, Johnson was greeted by the head of the NBA Players Association, Derek Fisher. Fisher was curious where the arena situation was and Johnson told him he was headed to New York tomorrow to present Sacramento’s case to the NBA Board of Governors. Fisher nodded in agreement.

(Johnson would change everything the next day at that meeting in New York by informing the Board of Governors that billionaire Ron Burkle is interested in buying the Kings and keeping them in Sacramento.)

“Beat L.A.” chants flared up right before tip-off and then the game, the results of which seemed secondary to everything else going on that night, started up.

Heading into the Kings store, one would think it was indeed 2001-02. Merchandise was flying off the shelves. It was “Fan Appreciation Night”, and all merchandise was 50 percent off. Lines zigzagged in a figure 8 as store employees struggled to please all of the eager consumers. The lines were long; so long that staff had to call in security to help perform line control.

One pessimistic fan stated, “you know why all of this is on sale – because they are leaving.”

But others didn’t care why the merchandise was discounted so heavily, they were just happy to get their hands on the gear of their beloved Kings.

At half time, five season ticket holders were acknowledged at center court and given their very own Power Balance Pavilion chair with their name on it.

Then came the third quarter, a quarter that began with Lakers fans beginning to get louder and a tad more antagonistic in the concourse and stairwells. The Lakers would build up a 20-point lead and then it was discovered that Adrienne Maloof was in the building, not to support the fans, but to film her reality TV show “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”. On top of that, two Lakers fans sat in the seats typically occupied by Joe and Gavin Maloof, ouch.

Things would get better for fans as the Kings stormed back to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Cowbells rang out and the “Defense” chants went through the roof – fans were relishing in the moment if it was to be the final moments in their franchise’s history. Fittingly, Kobe Bryant hit a three-point shot to send the game into overtime and then went on to dominate the overtime period, resulting in a loss for the hometown favorites.

After the final buzzer sounded, Kings PA announcer Scott Moak sincerely looked into the screen on the Jumbo Tron and told the fans they were the best in the world. His face clearly filled with emotion. That would lead into the song “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins being played, giving the arena an eerie and unsettling feeling – the same feeling those winds of change created earlier that night.

The mood changed around 20 minutes later when thousands of fans remained in the stands and chanted “Here We Stay” and “sac-ra-ment-o” with clouded minds and teary eyes. Nearly the entire Kings team would come in out and out of the tunnel and recognize the fans. Bobby Jackson spoke to the media about the need for a new arena and Kings TV Broadcaster, Grant Napear stood and watched the festivities with his two sons. Tears welled up his eyes and an exasperated look covered his face.

The fans remained for more than 40 minutes until they were eventually told they had to leave.

As I walked out of the arena and into the parking lot later that night, the winds had calmed and the air was crisp. There were few voices despite the number of people still lingering.

Glancing back at the arena I saw the bus carrying the Lakers pull away and ride off into the night. A few moments later the radio voice of the Kings, Gary Gerould strolled out with his wife next to him.

As he slowly climbed into his car, his expression was somber.

The winds had calmed, but the hearts of everyone who has been touched by the Kings franchise over the last 26 years were anything but settled.

For the latest information on the Kings possibly relocating to Anaheim click here.

Bobby Jackson speaks on arena situation during post-game fan festivities

2011-04-14T01:22:00.000-07:00

Thousands of Kings fans stayed inside Power Balance Pavilion for more than 40 minutes after the buzzer sounded on the final game of the 2010-11 regular season Wednesday night.

Though the Kings lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime 116-108, the fans still wanted to display how bad they want the team to stay in Sacramento.

Below is a clip from the post-game festivities that features the lively crowd chanting "sac-ra-ment-o" and "here we stay", and an interview with former Kings guard Bobby Jackson in which he speaks about what the fans and the team mean to him and the city of Sacramento. Jackson is currently part of Kings management and says it all boils down to the fact that Sacramento needs a new arena. Following the interview, Omri Casspi comes out onto the floor to greet the fans.

Donte Greene, Francisco Garcia, Pooh Jeter, Marcus Thornton, Tyreke Evans and head coach Paul Westphal would also come out to address the fans.

The Maloofs are expected to present their case for relocating the team to Anaheim to the NBA Board of Governors Thursday and Friday.

Former Kings executive says Maloofs were interested in renovating as recently as last year

2011-04-12T01:11:00.000-07:00

It was reported last month that former Kings executive Greg Van Dusen and the original architect of ARCO Arena (now Power Balance Pavilion), Rann Haight, had developed a new arena plan for Sacramento, but soon after it was made public, the Maloofs rejected it.

Bleed Black and Purple recently spoke with Van Dusen about his role in bringing the team to Sacramento and the details of his now-failed proposal. Van Dusen served as a Kings executive in charge of arena management and staff up until 1990 and also was responsible for developing the naming rights to ARCO.

Van Dusen’s role with the Kings began far before the team came to Sacramento, however. In 1982, he helped put together a volunteer group known as CHAMPS (Council to Help Attract Professional Sports to Sacramento) through the Sacramento Metro Chamber. The goal was to educate people on the topic to and travel to other cities to find out how they got facilities built and attracted teams.

Coming from a small market during a time when the NBA wasn’t exactly the cream of the crop in terms of professional sports, Van Dusen and the group (which included the eventual owner Greg Lukenbill) began negotiations with the owners of the Indiana Pacers. But Van Dusen said local business leaders and politicians in Indiana eventually stepped up to save the Pacers.

During those negotiations, however, the people in Kansas City contacted them about the Kings, and in 1983, the plans were set into motion to move the franchise to Sacramento.

Below is the complete interview.

BBP: Are there parallels to what is happening now in Sacramento to when you were involved with that group that lured the Kings from Kansas City?

GVD: "I’m not involved in these talks, I can’t speak to these talks. I was certainly the point man in the Kansas City talks. It’s a community [Anaheim] that wants something and they are going after it and it is a full blown sales and marketing campaign and they are putting their best foot forward – that’s exactly what we did. And so when I hear our city leaders doing anything less than putting our best foot forward, and we’re not saying things like ‘we will leave no stones unturned’ or we’re not saying ‘hey, we will do everything we possibly can to make this work’ – that’s sad.”

BBP: When you were an executive with the team did you ever think it would come to this?

GVD “No, heavens no, because when we were preparing to the move the Kings here we literally studied the athletic and business performance of every major league franchise in the nation to try to find out what worked and what didn’t, and we built a business model here that was unique…All of the revenue streams from the arena and the team went into the same bucket, in other words you come on the property and you pay for parking, you buy food and beverage, you buy a piece of merchandise, you buy your ticket – it all goes to the same place…We knew we were a small market and we knew we had to have a financial edge to compete.”

Van Dusen then commented on why the model hasn’t worked recently:

“The business model got altered, ticket prices got way too high [and when] ticket prices are that high, the team’s performance becomes much more important and if they don’t play very well; if they don’t win people are going to start fading away and so that’s what has happened. Then the economy tanked and it turned into kind of a perfect storm.”

BBP: You developed the first naming rights deal with ARCO, what was your reaction when you heard that the name was coming down and Power Balance Pavilion was going up?

GVD: “It ran its course. I thought the Maloofs did a great job of finding another partner to come in – more power to them.”

BBP: People say the Power Balance product is fraudulent and the company doesn’t have enough revenue to afford to have their name on the building of a sports franchise, but do you think it is a good deal no matter what company is involved?

GVD: “That’s none of my business. I got a kick out of some of the media kind of knocking it and I thought, ‘you know what, if any of those media outlets were able to go out and secure a $2 million-a-year advertising contract, they would probably be pretty happy.”

Van Dusen then shared his thoughts on the Maloofs:

“I don’t have a problem with the Maloofs at all, I think they have been fantastic owners. They brought us more thrills and chills than anybody else was able to with that great team they built and did the very best they could, and if it weren’t for some very shaky refereeing we’d probably have rings. It does disappoint me that they get a lot of heat for having a difficult time in this economy when is everybody else is too.”

BBP: So your group had been working on this arena plan for more than a year, what was the idea behind the plan?

GVD: “We went through the building a couple of times and came up with some concepts on how you could do something that would be a lot less expensive. Our goal was to do something for $100 million or less and we think we have a pretty good plan.”

“We believe that if you did the renovation, it wouldn’t take that long, you could keep the team here and if you want to put a shelf life on the building, let’s say ‘OK, it’s going to last seven years, eight years, 10 years’ and then we plan to move into a new building’ – that completely works. I am very disappointed that people have not bothered to identify funding mechanisms yet publicly, because we can.”

BBP: Where is your funding coming from?

GVD: “Well, I can’t say that, but we know how to do it.”

BBP: You know how to get funding for the $100 million in renovations?

GVD: “No, it should be a public-private partnership. If you initiated the funding mechanisms, a portion of them would go to renovation, or pile A if you will, and the other portion would go to pile B and you would start building up a pile there for the new building.”

“In general terms about funding mechanisms, people in Sacramento and all over the country have expressed at the polls and in surveys rather firmly that they are not going to tax themselves, however, they have also expressed with some significant consistency that they will vote to tax other people and that is where you get the possibility of hotel taxes, car rental taxes, various fees at the airport, things of that nature.”

BBP: A lot of engineers have said that renovations aren’t a possibility on that building, why do you think that is not the case?

GVD: “Well, in the first place, nobody asked us. We brought in a structural engineer, we brought in a construction superintendent…If I showed you the plans, and I am not going to, you would understand why it is possible, it’s not rocket science. Even when they were talking about that silly convergence plan, Gerry Kamilos hired a structural engineer to go look at Arco and he said, ‘yeah it has good bones, there’s nothing wrong with it.’”

BBP: What do the renovations in your plan include?

GVD: “The first thing we would do would be to break the upper level into two levels, the lower part of which would become the mezzanine club seating level. The third floor [where the Kings offices are] would become a continuous club lounge all the way around. We would build new entrance towers outside the building – they could be as big as you want them to be. If you want to add retail, if you want to add restaurants; whatever you want to add there. If you were seated on the lower level, which would remain about the same size, you would come directly in the building as you do now but through these new towers and walk down to your seats. If you are seated in the club level, you would take the stairways, escalators or elevators up directly to the club level and if you are seated in the third level, you would do the same. Therefore, the concourse would only be used by the lower level or about half the number of people who are using it now. Obviously the concourse needs work, obviously you would have to replace all the seats and all the flooring in the seating areas. You would have to completely redo the restrooms and expand them. There are a number of other things, but those are some of the basics.”

BBP: So the Maloofs rejected the plan pretty quickly after it was introduced, correct?

GVD: “No they didn’t, they liked it. We first met with Joe [Maloof] in Feb. of 2010 and showed him what we wanted to do, and he liked it a lot. He too was under the impression, based on a previous study that it couldn’t be renovated. A large part of what we presented to him is the history of why it is there in the first place. The Maloofs love the location [of the current arena], they didn’t want to move downtown. They love the location because it enables people to get in and out and it is more conducive to regional marketing, which is another thing a small market team has to do. The next time we met in person, we met with Joe and Gavin [Maloof] and Phil [Maloof]. They directed us to meet with their top staff and show them, and we did and they liked it. We met with John Moag’s [a consultant to the NBA] local representative and she liked it. But everything changed when the convergence plan was rejected by the Cal Expo Board of Directors.” Van Dusen would no longer share more information on this topic on the record.

BPP: So the whole family was on board with this last year?

GVD: “Three of the four brothers expressed that they really liked it.”

BBP: That means they were all for the idea of renovating while building a new arena?

GVD: “They were very interested in the renovation plans. At that time, we had not talked about shelf life and a new arena in addition; we hadn’t got that far. But we probably had about 22 pages we presented with a lot of history and a lot of sketches as well as a comparison of the business model here with retaining all of the revenue streams, versus the what the typical business model is.”

After the story was recently leaked about the plan, Van Dusen’s group, Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna and Sacramento City Councilmember Rob Fong called George Maloof. Van Dusen preferred to stay off the record regarding the conversation that took place, but said he “was so thrilled with the leadership that Phil [Serna] and Rob [Fong] showed.” The call resulted in the plan stalling.

BBP: Are you guys currently working on anything else or coming up with a new plan?

GVD: “There are still a couple of things we are working on that we can’t comment on publicly. There are still some, what we call ‘game changing things’ that we are working on and hoping that we can somehow buy some time.”

BBP: Do you think Lakers and Clippers ownership is having any impact with other NBA owners as far as convincing them to vote no on the relocation to Anaheim?

GVD: “I don’t know, I hear rumors to that effect, but I don’t know.”

BBP: In your opinion, what is preventing this relocation from happening?

GVD: “Well the [NBA] Board of Governors hasn’t voted yet. For me, as it is for most fans, it is absolutely heart-breaking and for those of us who were there since before the beginning, it’s very, very personal. It’s also very personal because there are a lot of people still working out there that I hired and I love those people. I watched the Natomas business community and residential community grow up around the arena…If the Kings leave there is going to be a very human cost; it is going to be tragic for a lot of people and their families. I read that some people say ‘good riddance’ [referring to R.E. Graswich, special assistant to Mayor Kevin Johnson] or they say it’ll be easier to get a deal done if the Kings are gone….people are going to lose their jobs and people’s businesses are going to be hurt.”

BBP: You hear Kevin Johnson talking about the situation in Charlotte a lot. They lost the Hornets in 2002 and attracted an expansion team in the Bobcats just two years later. Do you think something like that would be hard to be hard to do in Sacramento?

GVD: “Well, yes. In the first place, if they try to build an arena in the railyards, it is going to take a lot longer than three years. If you simply look at the land use plans down there, there’s no parking and there’s no direct access to the railyards from I-5. I am not saying you can’t do it, I am saying there is a whole lot of work ahead to get done. You have to do the planning and then you have to go through the whole environmental review process and the California Environmental Quality Act. I would say best case, you are looking at seven years.”

BBP: Will your group push forward with trying to get an arena built if the Kings leave?

GVD: “I am sure that push will be made and I hope it will be made in the right way.”

He then commented on the fans:

“Every movement, every voluntary movement that has sprung up, just warms our hearts because to see how deep the passion is. You know people really do bleed purple and black - I mean, it’s our team.”

Here We Stay urges fans to send Phil Serna-drafted letter to David Stern

2011-04-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

As part of its continued effort to show the NBA that the Kings belong in Sacramento, the Here We Stay group is encouraging fans to send a new grassroots letter to Commissioner David Stern.

The letter was written by Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna and sent to Here We Stay in hopes that the group could help spread the word that the Kings belong in the capital city and to urge the NBA Board of Governors to vote no on the relocation to Anaheim.

Fans can either copy and paste the below letter on this league office page http://www.nba.com/email_us/contact_us.html, or use the mailing address at the top to send a paper version.

[DATE]

Mr. David Stern, NBA Commissioner

Board of Governors

National Basketball Association

Olympic Tower

645 Fifth Ave

New York, NY 10022

Commissioner Stern and Governors:

I don’t usually take time to engage civic letter writing campaigns as family and work commitments keep me busy enough. When the issue hits close to home, however, I’m willing to lend my energy and effort to a great cause. Keeping our Kings in the Sacramento region is the reason I write.

Since 1985, the Sacramento Kings have been a vital part of our community. The players, coaching staff, arena workers and regional retailers and restaurateurs have all contributed to the Sacramento region’s economic health, and to our identity as a major league community. For the past 26 years I and my family have enjoyed rooting our team even during the most challenging seasons, and for several years consistent sell-out crowds drew national attention.

Today, we face the prospect of losing our beloved Kings due to competing interests in Los Angeles where two NBA teams currently compete in a crowded media market. While it is the prerogative of the Kings’ owners and the City of Anaheim to pursue relocation to Southern California, as a dedicated fan I respectfully ask that the Board of Governors consider the following:

• The Sacramento media market is the 20th largest in the nation, and larger than NBA markets in Portland, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Memphis and New Orleans.

• Locating three NBA teams so close together to compete for corporate, media and fan support is a risky proposition that may result in market cannibalization.

• Sacramento fan and media support has consistently proven to be some of the strongest in the NBA, not to mention pro sports.

• An earnest regional effort to build a new sports and entertainment complex has not yet been explored. Many elected officials, business interests and community leaders have expressed interest in pursuing such an effort.

• The Sacramento region has been identified with the Kings franchise for more than a quarter century, and residents, businesses and fans have benefitted greatly from team affiliation.

• As the lone professional sports franchise in the region, the Sacramento Kings have contributed tens of millions of dollars in charitable contributions to many worthy non-profit efforts to improve the community, especially for kids’ health and education.

For these and all of the less tangible reasons – like the incredible sense of community pride the Sacramento Kings engender – I ask that you think carefully in your deliberations concerning the future of our team. Our community deserves to keep the Kings where they belong – in the Sacramento region.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[NAME]

[TITLE]

Former Kings owner speaks at fan rally, says he almost lured Raiders

2011-04-05T23:39:00.000-07:00

Gregg Lukenbill, the man who brought the Kings to Sacramento in 1985, spoke to fans Tuesday at a downtown rally.

The "Here We Build" rally was the latest effort by fans to keep the franchise in the capital city, and Lukenbill encouraged the 150-plus fans in attendance to keep fighting and called it a regional effort to maintain and grow the community in order to leave a better legacy for future generations.

Lukenbill also said that at one point he had a deal done with Al Davis to move the Raiders to Sacramento. He said that moving the Raiders to Sacramento would have been better than luring the NBA because of the revenue sharing structure and economic parity of the NFL.

Below is Lukenbill's speech in its entirety. Toward the end of the video, a fan driving by the rally interrupts by honking and expressing their desire to keep the Kings in Sacramento.

Civic pride on the line as fans deal with uncertainty

2011-04-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

As the "sixth men/women" sit in the dilapidated bleachers of Power Balance Pavilion cheering for their squad, one gets the sense that mixed emotions are clouding their minds.

Tyreke Evans just drove through three defenders for a dazzling layup, but this arena is called what? Power Balance Pavilion? It will always be Arco to me, right Kings fans?

While the arena remains nameless on the outside for some “undisclosed reason,” everything is changing around the fans. Season ticket holders haven’t received their calls and e-mails to “renew next season,” and the media and sports talk radio is filled with rumors, speculation and concern.

The city and the Maloofs have a relationship made for the tabloids, with nasty letters and public humiliation being spewed back and forth. This public animosity only deepens the uncertainty for the fans – you know, the 70-year-old man who sits alone in the nosebleed section with headphones on so he can listen to Gary Gerould do the play-by-play; or the family of four who is having a night out together; or Sign Lady who sits at every home game with a smile on her face and her treasured catch phrases in hand; or the whole generation of 20 and 30-somethings who only know the NBA and professional sports through a Sacramento Kings-colored lens.

But despite all of this uncertainty, the fans are actually doing quite well. Grassroots efforts are sprouting up all over the place, money is being raised by the buckets for a new building and tickets to the games are flying out of the box office. The fans have united and continue to do everything in their power to show the city, the Maloofs and the NBA that the Kings are Sacramento and have been for the last quarter century.

Now let’s be honest, there are more things to the city of Sacramento than the Kings, but to have civic pride you have to love your community, what it has to offer and what it means to you and your family’s future. If the Kings leave, there is no explanation yet as to what will happen with Power Balance Pavilion and who will have complete ownership, thus leaving it uncertain what type of concerts and events will still even come through Sacramento. And building a new arena without an anchor tenant is going to be as hard as trying to figure out what is wrong with Downtown Plaza.

Oh, civic pride where art thou? Take this scenario, your relatives are coming in for the holidays and have never been to Sacramento. You can drain one day (or try to spread it out over two days) by taking them to see the Capitol and Old Sacramento. Fill up on salt water taffy and check out the history of the railroads. What about at night? Well, there is a new bar downtown with mermaids and a few Cheesecake Factories. Oh, and since your relatives from the Midwest are way into art, you could take them through the Crocker Art Museum. Er, how about a Kings game?

There are some people who don’t like sports, but yet in still, it can’t be denied that this city is recognized nationally and internationally through its only professional team. But why haven’t the right questions about building a new arena for a team that is so key to region’s civic pride been asked, and why haven’t the right answers to those questions been given? Maybe it was lack of vision. Maybe it was the economy. Maybe it was the “eh, it’ll get done” mentality. Whatever it was, it is of no fault to a single person(s) or entity in Sacramento.

Everyone and thing from city government on down can take the blame for this debacle. But the key player in this whole thing that shares the majority of blame, and will have the largest black eye if the Kings do relocate, is the NBA. The league let the Sonics split from Seattle just a few years back and now David Stern has pushed away from the table in Sacramento with his hands in the air. This after he selected the most complicated, confusing, outlandish and now-failed concept for an arena plan in the land-swap proposal as the answer. The league continues to give the impression that it truly does not “care” as their slogan so frequently suggests; especially about its very own customers.

But the fans, still energized by that civic pride that has built within them over the years of being faithful to this team that wears black and purple, are not giving up. They have been fighting to keep their team through letter-writing campaigns, awareness through social media, rallies, fundraising, sellouts and much more.

Kings players recognize the efforts and are not shy about expressing their appreciation.

"Even though we're not having a great season and everybody knows we're not going to the playoffs, the fan support is unbelievable. I mean they stick with us through thick and thin and we love them for it,” DeMarcus Cousins said after the Kings 106-97 win over the Jazz on Sunday.

The game was close to a sell out (17,215) and the energy the crowd brought was nothing new to Donte Greene.

“That’s just Sacramento coming out and supporting this team and wanting us to stay here,” Greene said.

Fans are aiming to sell out the April 11 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly the Seattle Sonics). All of those in attendance will likely take comfort in the one thing that has been consistent throughout this whole arena/possible relocation saga – the amount of pride they share with their fellow fan in their city and their team.

Ask a King: Submit your questions for Jerry Reynolds

2011-03-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

At a time with such uncertainty swirling around the future of the Kings, there is no one quite better to talk to about the ins and outs of the franchise other than Jerry Reynolds.

Reynolds, director of Kings player personnel and color analyst for the TV broadcasts, is the next subject in the “Ask a King“ series. Bleed Black and Purple in conjunction with The Sacramento Bee, will be accepting questions for Reynolds from readers up until Thursday, March 31. The questions will be answered at an upcoming home game.

Reynolds also currently plays the role of a talent scout for the team. He served as the head coach of the Kings from 1987 -1990 and general manager of the team from 1992-93, so his history is rich within the organization.

The questions do not have to be basketball-related, so get creative! Submit your questions on The Bee's Corner page on Facebook. (Make sure to find the appropriate post.) The most popular and interesting questions will be used.

Spencer Hawes sounds off on relocation rumors, Sonics

2011-03-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

Below are comments made by Philadelphia 76ers center Spencer Hawes to members of the media on Friday regarding the possible relocation of the Kings franchise.

Hawes grew up in Seattle as a fan of the Sonics and attended the University of Washington. The Kings drafted the big man with the 10th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

To Kings fans:
“Just keep fighting, don’t give up. Keep fighting until those moving trucks come because anything can happen and if anything comes up where a vote can make a difference, vote for it. Just keep supporting the team and keep fighting until it’s official.”

On the impact the Kings leaving would have on the city:
“I remember when the Sonics were getting ready to move, this inept politician up there named Nick Licata said that the Sonics had no cultural impact on the city. I can’t remember, I don’t want to quote him but he either said minimal economic impact or no economic [impact]. That’s just not the case with any team, especially in a town like Sacramento where it’s the only show in town. They have had such great fans here for so long and it’s obvious the economic impact can’t be downplayed. To see them leave would be tough on the city, not only from an economic standpoint, but from a cultural standpoint because to a lot of people - I know growing up myself in Seattle - when you are in Sacramento the first thing you think about is the Kings. You know, those runs going back to the Mitch Richmond era and then with all those guys - Vlade [Divac]; C-Webb [Chris Webber]; Peja [Stojakovic]; Mike Bibby; B Jax [Bobby Jackson]; Doug Christie; Brad [Miller]…I mean from a guy that didn’t grow here that’s what you think of and the team and organization has always done a great job of representing the city and the people here.”

On how the Seattle situation is different than Sacramento:
“The politicians here, it seems like from day one have battled for the arena and have been in full support of it. Up there they tried to act like it was last on the agenda, like it wasn’t an important issue and then all the sudden they realized how much support the people had for it…most all of the incumbent politicians before the team left have since lost their positions. They realized people care and people have a deep-rooted interest in their sports teams, especially in towns like Seattle and Sacramento with deep enriched basketball traditions - it matters to people.”

Hawes also said he keeps in contact with fellow Northwest native Jon Brockman quite often and said he tries to talk to him “at least once a week.”

'Here We Stay Night Part 2' set for April 11

2011-03-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

The sold-out Feb. 28 Kings v. Clippers game was more than just a basketball game, it was a community event filled with a sense of unity, and the Here We Stay campaign wants fans and the region to share in another moment like that next month.

The April 11 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder is being dubbed “Here We Stay Night Part 2” and the grassroots campaign that has been fighting to keep the Kings in Sacramento and build an arena for months wants to fill the building once again. This particular night isn’t strictly designed to sway the Maloofs into staying in Sacramento, however, but instead to show the NBA (the game will be on NBA TV) and the rest of the country that this fan base is serious about keeping its’ team.

The Here We Stay campaign believes that such a large show of support will illustrate the image of Sacramento being a smart, supportive basketball town that will continue to stand behind a professional franchise even in the midst of diversity. The Kings have one of the worst records in the league at the moment, and for the fans to sell out a game in the face of that and a potential relocation continues to send the type positive message the campaign has tried to preach since it began more than six months ago.

Here We Stay chose the game against the Thunder because of the history behind the franchise (the Seattle Sonics) and due to the fact that the last game of the season against the Lakers on April 13 will likely be close to a sellout anyway. Much like on Feb. 28., the group plans on coming out in full force with chants, signs and a ton of energy.

Kings fans should visit http://www.ticketmaster.com/ to purchase their tickets. Fans also are encouraged to wear white Kings gear as Here We Stay hopes for it to be a “white out.”

Though the Thunder game is targeted, Here We Stay wants fans to attend the most home games they can for the remainder of the season. This campaign has never been about direct support of Kings ownership, it has always been about giving the fans a voice and encouraging the proper characteristics of what it means to be a fan - enjoying yourself at home games is a major part of that.

For more information on Here We Stay visit facebook.com/herewestay or on Twitter @herewestay.

Kings players cite offensive, defensive deficiencies

2011-03-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

Paul Westphal has preached all season that the Kings’ offense is based on movement from side to side, but some players are suggesting that isolation and one-on-one basketball has derailed that objective.

Jason Thompson said at one point there was a lot of movement and passing, but in the second half of the season the team began leaning on the player who is having a good night rather than playing together.

“In the second half of the season we kind of have been going to the hot guy for the most part; kind of milking that player,” Thompson said.

The result has been a lack of overall movement, Thompson said.

Omri Casspi agrees, saying there is too much individual play.

“I think it’s one of the problems, I mean obviously for us as a team, we need to share the ball, we need to play the right way and we need to do it more often,” Casspi said.

While Thompson and Casspi expressed their frustration with the stalled offense, Marcus Thornton, who joined the Kings on Feb. 23 in the trade for Carl Landry, has flourished, often playing the role of the guy with the hot hand.

“This offense is a lot of movement…there is a lot of free willing and if you are a guy that can go off, it helps you do that,” said Thornton, who has averaged 22 points, 2.9 assists and 3 rebounds in 11 games with the Kings.

Defensive breakdowns are a separate issue. Casspi said teams are killing them on the pick and roll - something the Cleveland Cavaliers relied heavily on Wednesday night when they defeated the Kings 97-93.

“We don’t show anything on the pick and roll, we need to make an impact and stop the ball,” Casspi said. “Coach tried to mention it in the last game; he said we need to do a better job at stopping the ball and today was one of our worst defensive games. We didn’t stop the ball off pick and rolls and they attacked us.”

Ramon Sessions continuously slashed into the lane Wednesday night for dump-off passes that led to easy lay-ups or dunks in the face of a Kings big man who had failed to rotate. But Thompson, one of those big men who was exposed by the pick and roll, said there is more to the defensive problems than pressuring the ball.

“I think it is trusting the whole team,” Thompson said. “If you believe in the other players behind you or on the side of you, then you can put more pressure on it so that you know that they have your man [who may be] driving.”

As for Westphal’s advice to his team, Thompson said his coach has continued to stress the importance of focusing on the little things.

“[He wants to see] more of guys not just showing their talents, but more of doing the little things to win games,” Thompson said.

Little things like moving from side to side and sharing the ball.

Fans set for rally Tuesday night

2011-03-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

Illustration by Josh Frankel

Here We Stay will be holding a rally at city hall Tuesday night to demonstrate the dedication the fans have for the franchise and to express the belief that there is still hope that the Kings can stay in Sacramento.

The poster above is expected to be present at the rally.

Below is information on the event:

When: 5:30 p.m. (rain or shine)
Where: City Hall, 915 I Street, Downtown Sacramento
What to bring: signs, posters, banners and a loud voice.

Following the rally outside of city hall, attendees will file into the council chambers around 6 p.m. where a few folks will address the council during the public comment portion of the meeting. Speakers are encouraged to bring a positive message to the podium.

Fans who are interested in attending and speaking during public comment should e-mail Ed Montes at eduardo_m7@hotmail.com for more information.

Here We Stay releases 'fan tribute' video

2011-03-10T21:37:00.000-08:00

The Here We Stay campaign has released a video documenting the passion fans have for the Sacramento Kings.

Set to the songs "Arco Arena" by Cake, "Grenade" by Bruno Mars and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith, the video is the campaign's latest attempt to express the fans' dedication to the team.

"Here We Stay: Keep The Kings in Sacramento" was produced by Kevin Fippin (@Kfippin on Twitter), an adamant supporter of the Here We Stay movement. Several of the photos included in the video are personal photos submitted by fans on Here We Stay's Facebook page. Other photos and video are from the Feb. 28 "Here We Stay Game" against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Here We Stay: Keep the Kings In Sacramento from @kfippin on Vimeo.

Here We Stay also is planning to hold a rally at city hall on Tuesday, March 15. Those interested in attending should e-mail here_we_stay@yahoo.com.

Former Kings comment on possible relocation

2011-03-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

Bleed Black and Purple, amidst other reporters, spoke with former Kings players Brad Miller, Kevin Martin and Gerald Wallace recently about Kings fans and the franchise possibly moving to Anaheim.

Below are their comments.

Brad Miller:

“It’s kind of crazy to think of all the years I spent out here [in Sacramento] and how good it was with the fans.”

“It would be a sad day for the NBA to lose the team because you don’t know if or when they’d be able to get a team back here.”

“I was here when it started to get real tough with the economy and that really effected things out here, but it would just be sad to see potentially a real good fan base, you know people that love it and enjoy it and give you that college atmosphere of craziness and chaos and it’s fun.”

On another team being in Los Angeles: “I don’t like L.A.” “I’ve stayed in the hotel in the 13 years I’ve been out there; gone to a bar maybe three times. So I’m not too excited about having three teams down there.”

Kevin Martin:

“I hope something works out here because I know how passionate the fans are.”

“It’d just be sad for a player like me and Brad [Miller] and Mike [Bibby] when we come back here and play, actually we won’t be able to come back here and play if it ends up going that way, because we get excited to come back here and play.”

“It’s like what’s the city going to be without a professional team?” “You don't want someone to ask what sporting event is in Sacramento and they just say a Triple-A team."

On how it would impact the Sacramento River Cats: “The River Cats are going to get a crowd, they are going to be walking around this town like their s%$& don’t stink.”

On Anaheim fans: “It won’t be like Sacramento fans. Yeah, if they end up going there or wherever they go, the fan base, they got some work to do to even get on the same level as Sacramento fans.”

Gerald Wallace:

“It’s a great basketball town….the fans, they were high energy.” “I have much respect for the Sacramento fans, they were always good to me, they back their players and backed their team.”

Here We Stay considering rally at city hall

2011-03-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

Here We Stay is gauging interest in a rally at city hall.

Kings fans interested in attending a Sacramento City Council meeting (possibly next Tuesday, March 15) should e-mail eduardo_m7@hotmail.com and let him know if they can make it. The initial plans call for attendees to gather outside of City Hall (915 I Street) around 5:30-5:45 for a demonstration and then to file into the council chambers where they can make statements during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Despite the recent news from Kevin Johnson that there isn't much the city of Sacramento can do at this point, the Here We Stay groups hopes to still show the community and the city council that there are a lot of people willing to fight for their team and for Sacramento.

Anaheim seems bored with idea of Kings move

2011-03-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

Just did a quick scan of the reader comments in the 'Anaheim' comes first in name if NBA Kings move here article published earlier today on The Orange County Register website.

There were 41 comments as of 8 p.m. and around 12 of them actually provided feedback as to what the team's name should be if they move to Anaheim. The majority of them, however, slammed the franchise, the Maloofs and the idea in general.

Here are a few:

"This team is so bad, if I was on the Anaheim City Council, I'd insist they include Los Angeles just to stick it to the "City of Angels."
"May I kindly suggest the Anaheim Whocares"
"Any professional team that lands in Anaheim will cost the taxpayers of Anaheim money and do nothing to better their lives."
"I would rather see the San Diego Kings or Las Vegas Kings, Anaheim does not need them here."
"The Las Vegas Magoofs of Anaheim."
"Bring the 'Blake Show' to the OC instead."
"Do we really need another NBA team in the LA area?"
"please dont make that move. the clippers need to find their own city to play in. this is lakers country!"
"Sounds like 'Anaheim Still A Lakers' Fan' will be a more popular choice."
"'Choke Kings' seems more suitable..."
"Southern California doesn't need another basketball team!"
"we want a winning Anaheim team not a losing other name team."
"How about Anaheim Nomads, because the team is always on the move: from Rochester, to Cincinnati, to Kansas City, to Sacramento, to OC, to...I like the SeaKings suggestion if it were spelled 'Seekings' as in the team is seeking to find fans somewhere somehow."

Meanwhile, the "Sac-ra-ment-o" chants were still alive and well tonight amongst the fans at the Power Balance Pavilion.

Maloofs, like Lebron, have to make 'Decision'

2011-03-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

To become a sports hero – a legend – one has to do many things.

For one, they must be talented and produce; that’s a given. But they also need to be able to lift an entire community up and put them on their shoulders and say “hey, this is the team and city I represent, and with them behind me I am going to beat you.”

Michael Jordan did it, Reggie Miller did it and from an owners’ perspective, Mark Cuban has done it in Dallas. Lebron James, as you know, didn’t do it. Instead, James made his “Decision” last summer to go to the Miami Heat and single-handedly turned an entire city, state and even country against him.

James could have been a hero forever. Even if he didn’t win a championship in Cleveland, he would have lived on in Ohio history as the man who stood for something. He could have kept pushing and fought even harder to make it happen in his home state…you know the story.

The Maloofs are in a similar situation in Sacramento. Troubled by an exhausting fight to get a new arena (their seemingly highest goal over their tenure as owners other than winning a title) for more than a decade, and a city that has tried and tried to put together a winning combination to help them reach that goal, the Maloofs now have to do what they think is best. In other words, they have to make their “Decision.”

For more than 25 years, Sacramento Kings fans have thrown their support behind this franchise. They have seen growing pains, felt joy, been let down, given hope and now they have been sent into a sense of desperation. The Maloofs took over controlling interest of the team in 1999 and let’s face it, the owners and these fans have been through a lot together. But the Maloofs are now interested in the fruits of another.

There is an arena in Anaheim. It is shiny. And there are TV contracts to be had.

Even though the Maloofs are looking into a deal in Anaheim, they have to be considering how they will be received in Anaheim by a fan base with strong ties to both the Lakers and Clippers. Turning their backs on the fans in Sacramento (the ones who packed Arco Arena last Monday and willed their team to victory) will leave a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of people; not only Kings fans – but the NBA, some Anaheim fans, heck, even Seattle Sonics fans. It also will certainly leave a dark spot on the Maloof brand and what it stands for.

Some are of the opinion that Lebron James is a grown man and should be able to do as he pleases – he doesn’t have to be anybody’s hero. The same goes for the Maloofs. They are business people and they have the right to do business where they choose. James is still rich, popular and talented – those elements of his character will probably never be taken away. But his reputation as a legend, a true sports hero, will always come with an asterisk.

Of course the Maloofs won’t have to answer to the national criticism that James did after he went to Miami if and when they leave for Anaheim, but they still have an opportunity to make this work and give local developers and city council more time (if only one more season) to put an arena plan together for Sacramento. With the fans behind them, this ownership group has the chance to become something more than just rich businessmen who like basketball; they can be heroes to this fan base and ultimately, a shining example for all of professional sports.

An entire community is watching as they wait for the descendants of a liquor distribution family to call Jim Gray and set up their version of “The Decision.”

I am of the group that hopes the Maloofs announce they are “keeping their talents in Sacramento.” Then they will become local legends.

Fans can get involved in the arena debate at facebook.com/herewestay and on Twitter @herewestay.

Here We Stay calls on fans to flood NBA's social media pages

2011-03-03T20:10:00.000-08:00

The news from Mayor Kevin Johnson today was disappointing, make no mistake.

But the news that the Maloofs are considering a move to Anaheim has never been positive. And in the face of that, the fans of this city have stood up and made a statement that they don’t want to see their team be sucked into a Southern California vacuum.

That fight must continue, and that fight continues now.

Here We Stay implores all of you to copy and paste the below statement onto the NBA’s Facebook page. (Make sure you paste the statement in as many of the comment fields as you can on the page because fans are unable to post general statements.)

As a proud resident of the Sacramento area, I, along with the other members of the Here We Stay movement, a local grassroots campaign dedicated to keeping the Kings in Sacramento and building a new arena, urge the NBA to strongly consider keeping the franchise in this city. If the fabric of our community, the Kings, were to be ripped out from underneath us, the local economy, the fans and the NBA would all suffer. Please understand how passionate this fan base is and how important small-market franchises are for professional sports.

For Twitter, contact them @NBA. Make sure you tweet "Keep the Kings in Sacramento #herewestay"

If you would like to go further than this, you can send an e-mail to the league office under the subject "Business of the NBA".

Ask a King: Submit your questions for Marcus Thornton

2011-03-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

Do you have a question for the newest King Marcus Thornton?

Now is your chance to ask.

As part of the continuing "Ask a King" series, Bleed Black and Purple in conjunction with The Sacramento Bee, will be accepting questions from readers for Kings players, coaches and personnel and taking them directly to the source for answers.

Next up is Thornton, who came to the Kings from the New Orleans Hornets in the Feb. 23 trade for Carl Landry. The questions do not have to be basketball-related, so get creative! Submit your questions on The Bee's Corner page on Facebook. (Make sure to find the appropriate post.) The most popular and interesting questions will be used.

The deadline to submit questions is Sunday, March 6. For more information click here.

What's next for Here We Stay?

2011-03-01T00:21:00.000-08:00

Arco Arena was Arco Arena again Monday night when the Kings downed the Clippers 105-99, and the Here We Stay group showed up in a major way.

From 5:30 p.m. when fans with painted faces and signs stormed the main entrance of the arena with chants and enthusiasm; to the dunk by Omri Casspi in the second half that sent the stands into a thunderous groan; to the cowbells and chants in the concourse after the game - it was a memorable night all around.

But Here We Stay is not done. Here is what the group wants members to do next:

1. Buy tickets for games. Call the box office (1-888-91-KINGS) to ask about packages and discounts. (The next game is on Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.)

2. Write letters to elected officials, especially city councilmembers and the county supervisors. Here We Stay will be coming up with a letter to send to the NBA Board of Governors soon.

3. Write to or call local businesses, and ask how much having an entertainment venue like Arco Arena/Power Balance Pavilion and an attraction like NBA basketball means to them.

4. Wear Kings gear every time you get the chance.

5. Follow Here We Stay on Facebook at facebook.com/herewestay and on Twitter @herewestay for updates.

For additional information, visit Sactownroyalty.

Remember, the first rule about Here We Stay is you tell everyone about Here We Stay.

Local bar hosts 'Here We Stay Viewing Party'

2011-02-27T10:18:00.000-08:00

Those who can't make it to the game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night now have another way to meet up with fellow Kings fans dedicated to keeping the team in Sacramento.

Below you will find information on the official Here We Stay Viewing Party held at the Corner Restaurant and Bar in East Sacramento.

Here We Stay releases 'chant instructions' for Feb. 28 game

2011-02-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

Here We Stay is asking Kings fans attending the Monday, Feb. 28 game against the Los Angeles Clippers to print this "chant flyer" out and take it with them.

Hornets writer shares thoughts on newest King Marcus Thornton

2011-02-23T19:41:00.000-08:00

Bleed Black and Purple spoke with James Grayson of the New Orleans Hornets blog Swarm and Sting about the newest King Marcus Thornton, who was acquired today in exchange for Carl Landry. Below are his comments on the second-year guard out of Louisiana State.

Strengths: "Marcus is a tremendous offensive talent. He's a pure scorer in every sense of the word. He has a great ability to shoot from long-distance, work his defender for the mid-range and get to the basket with at an average level. Thornton is best suited to an up-tempo paced style of game. When he runs in the open court it spells danger for the opponents. However, Marcus can also work in the half court, grabbing defensive rebounds at a decent clip. He grabs 17 percent of all available defensive rebounds - a terrific rate for a guard. He's a great freethrow shooter (although he doesn't get the respect he deserves in foul calls)."

Weaknesses: "The clear weakness for Thornton has always been defense. While it seemed like Hornets Head Coach Monty Williams painted a bleak picture, the truth is Thornton isn't as bad as it's made out to be. He still gets lost on numerous occasions, but the effort is clearly there. Marcus does find it difficult to contain his man at times losing him off the ball and even on it. As well Thornton at times can appear to make terrible decisions around the basket blowing layup attempts that are blocked. This could be due to the fact he doesn't get the fouls called, but still it's a problem nonetheless."

Team Chemistry: "Thornton may seem on paper to be a "ball-hog" but he is anything but. While he does post a relatively high usage rate (26 percent), he understands what shots he needs to take. The great thing about Marcus is that he's an efficient ball player. There is potential for him to not be (with the 3-pointers that he takes) but if he's missing them, he'll make it his agenda to get to the line."

Fan Pulse: "To say Thornton was loved in New Orleans would be an understatement. Some even loved him more than Chris Paul (that's saying something). It was a shock to many that he left, but the truth is he never had a defined role on the team and with Willie Green putting up decent numbers in the past two weeks it seemed inevitable. A local guy, he will be missed."

Potential: "While it may seem on paper that Thornton has potential, the statistical likelihood that he breaks through to be a top 5-10 player at his position is unlikely. He's 24, turning 25 next season and as NBA trends go, players have their most productive seasons from ages 24-29. Thornton could produce at a higher level again, and it's likely he will, but to say he'll be one of the best at the shooting-guard position is unlikely (even if I want it to happen)."

Kings players weigh in on arena issue

2011-02-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

The arena issue in Sacramento is a complex balance of power between the taxpayers, the Maloofs and elected officials that often drums up heated debate.

But those who put Sacramento’s largest entertainment venue to use most frequently, the Kings players, are not shy about expressing their opinions on the matter either.

Jason Thompson compares Arco Arena’s history to that of New York City's Madison Square Garden, but with one distinction.

“There is a lot of history here, especially with the glory days with C-Webb [Chris Webber], Vlade [Divac] and Mike [Bibby] and all those guys,” Thompson said. “You have historical places like Madison Square Garden which is older, but has a lot of history as well; no one wants to move out of there because it is such a historical place, but they are renovating and stuff like that,” Thompson said.

And then he drops the dreaded “R” word.

“Some cities want to renovate and some cities want to relocate,” Thompson said. (He would later clarify that he meant relocate to another arena in Sacramento, not relocate to another city.)

Thompson said he does think the fans deserve a new arena.

“Hopefully it [the franchise] does stay in this city, we have a lot of loyal fans,” Thompson said. “I think they deserve it, I think a new look and a new arena would attract a lot of people and bring a lot of energy,” Thompson said.

Carl Landry, who admits he doesn’t follow much of the arena news, said it is about the fans and what they want for their team and their city.

“They have been supporting this team and this organization for so long – this is one of the better teams in the NBA in terms of fan support, so if [a new arena] is what they want, you have to give it to them,” Landry said.

Landry said Arco Arena is a fine place to play basketball, and even though players from other teams often joke around and tell him that Sacramento needs to “tear that place down,” he knows every court is the same.

“It’s 94 feet and the baskets are 10-feet high…the court, where we play doesn’t matter, but if the fans want something new, let’s give it to them,” Landry said.

Donte Greene called Arco Arena an “oldie but goodie,” saying the Kings' locker room is “one of the nicest in the league.” But he hears the comments from other teams also, who complain about how the visitor’s locker room is “terrible” and feels like a “hot box.”

Greene admits all of the promises of a new building have grown tiresome.

“They have been talking about arena stuff since my rookie year,” Greene said. “They told us we’d have a new arena in 2011 and that was in 2008 when I first got here. There was word going around the locker room, it was like ‘yeah we are going to get it done, we are going to be downtown over by the old rail yards,’ and then they were talking about Cal Expo…I just stopped paying attention.”

Greene said he can’t help but notice how other arenas are equipped with high-definition scoreboards and cushioned seating, and how the wood floors in Arco, once a valuable asset to help the fans make noise, have since become an eyesore.

“The fans aren’t really stomping [their feet] anymore, so the wood doesn’t play a key part [in the games],” Greene said.

Like his teammates, Greene said he thinks the fans deserve a new arena, but acknowledges that the franchise missed a golden opportunity nearly a decade ago.

“They should have got one [a new arena] after what C-Webb and those guys did back in 2001 and 2002,” Greene said.

This article ran on Jan. 20, but we figured it is still relevant to everything that is going on right now regarding the arena issue. -BBP

Here We Stay group calls on members to send grassroots letter

2011-02-18T20:34:00.000-08:00

Here We Stay is a local movement dedicated to helping the elected officials of the Sacramento area, the NBA and the Sacramento Kings get a new sports and entertainment facility built here in Sacramento.

As an advocate on behalf of Here We Stay I urge you to copy and send the below e-mail or one written yourself to Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, the city council, county board of supervisors and the Maloofs. (Emails below the jump.) Together, Kings fans can make a difference.

You can keep updated on progress on a new facility through Here We Stay's Facebook page and Twitter feed.

------

Subject: I Support a New Arena

To Whom It May Concern:

As a proud resident of the Sacramento area, I, along with the other members of the Here We Stay movement, offer my support in the decision to allow the David Taylor/ICON team to conduct a 90-day feasibility study. I believe a solution can be found and am willing to back Mayor Kevin Johnson and any other local leaders with any proposal that helps make a new sports and entertainment complex become a reality.

Sincerely,
NAME
CITY
Here We Stay
------

For your convenience, here is a list of e-mails you can send the letter to:

JMcPeek@cityofsacramento.org
aashby@cityofsacramento.org
jschenirer@cityofsacramento.org
dfong@cityofsacramento.org
ssheedy@cityofsacramento.org
scohn@cityofsacramento.org
rkfong@cityofsacramento.org
lhammond@cityofsacramento.org
kmccarty@cityofsacramento.org
bpannell@cityofsacramento.org
jyee@saccounty.net
susanpeters@saccounty.net
SupervisorSerna@saccounty.net
macglashanr@saccounty.net
nottolid@saccounty.net
matina@arcoarena.com
rinehart@arcoarena.com
hunt@arcoarena.com
mgermann@arcoarena.com
phorn@arcoarena.com

To email the mayor, use this form: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/mayor/forms/emailCommentForm/

In the comments section of this post, feel free to make suggestions as to how Here We Stay can help work to facilitate the construction of a new arena in the Sacramento area.

Since October, Here We Stay has mobilized more than 1,500 Kings fans on Facebook and Twitter; sent grassroots letters like the one above to the Sacramento City Council, County Board of Supervisors and the Maloofs; attended city council meetings; and reached out to local media and radio stations and news outlets in other markets to boost awareness of the arena issue and to demonstrate the value the people of this region see in its only professional sports franchise.

Cousins gives himself the 'Greene' light to go after teammates

2011-02-13T11:08:00.000-08:00

As the fans clogged up the slim concourse of Arco Arena following the two-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, drama was unfolding in the Kings locker room.

According to Sam Amick of AOL Fanhouse, DeMarcus Cousins became frustrated by the fact that Donte Greene did not pass him the ball with 5 seconds left at the end of the game, instead opting to pass to Tyreke Evans for a three-point shot that went in and out. Cousins then allegedly caught up with Greene and Evans in the locker room to express his dissatisfaction, at which point Greene and Cousins threw a few punches.

According to Amick, Cousins would later be removed from the team plane headed to Phoenix at the request of Geoff Petrie.

Following the incident with Greene, Cousins had this to say about the final play in an interview with media.

“They had a cut to the low block with me with an entry pass from out of bounds and if that wasn’t there, give it to Tyreke at the top; and he [Greene] decided to give it to Tyreke at the top,” Cousins said.

Cousins also said the frustration that was written all over his face at that point was because he felt Nick Collison had been holding him, which prevented any opportunity he had at getting a rebound on the Evans miss.

“I was upset I mean because I was clearly fouled and they didn’t call it,” Cousins said.

After reviewing the final play, Cousins was indeed open to receive the inbounds pass for a possible post up move on Nick Collison when Greene went to Evans instead. You also can see Collison holding Cousins after the shot goes up.

So there is validity to what Cousins took issue with – he could have taken the inbound from Greene and he was likely fouled by Collison going up for the rebound. But that doesn’t merit going all “O.J. Mayo” on his teammate.

It is still his rookie season, but every time the media and the fans try to tell themselves and the rest of the NBA that Cousins is maturing and has the ability to keep a calm head, something like this happens and the Kings franchise gets punched in the face once again.

The Kings are trying to deal with him. Westphal has seemed to have figured out how to walk the line with Cousins’ emotions and Cousins responds receptively to any discipline the coach gives him.

But some of his teammates, as this incident illustrates, may not be able to watch such a line.

Samuel Dalembert has been showing up in the locker room more frequently lately to speak with the media. Dalembert had been absent from the locker room after the games for the majority of the first half of the season, but he may be sensing the dysfunction between Evans and Cousins and has decided to be more present for postgame comments (especially if Cousins and Evans continue to make themselves unavailable for comment after games like Evans did Saturday night).

Dalembert said he liked the shot by Evans to end the game.

“He went for it and that was a good shot, he got a wide open shot and the ball went in and came out, I mean we couldn’t ask for better,” Dalembert said.

Cousins has reportedly been asked to meet with Petrie on Monday morning.

Cousins refrains from bad-mouthing refs; Nowitzki reminisces about Kings of old

2011-02-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

He may be getting it, slowly but surely.

NBA players have to learn to pick and choose their battles with the referees, and even though DeMarcus Cousins was kicked out of Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks late in the fourth quarter after picking up his second technical foul, he censored his displeasure in the locker room and took the high road.

"I have to continue to grow; I think I took steps back today. I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the best of me,” said Cousins, who finished the game with 19 points and 15 rebounds. “They felt I did something wrong, [but] my opinion really doesn’t matter it’s theirs [that matters].”

The call came after Cousins and Tyson Chandler locked each other up following a free-throw.

When pressed further about the refs possibly targeting him because of his reputation, Cousins kept it together.

“I really don’t know, it seems when I have...,” Cousins then paused and continued, “I’m not even going to say that, but I really don’t know what it is.”

Earlier in the season, Cousins wasn’t as controlled with his comments - he could be heard declaring that if other players had committed the same type of fouls they would have gotten away with it.

Tyreke Evans, who finished the game with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists, knows Cousins still has to learn to control his emotions on the floor.

“He’s young, he’s got to learn that once they [the refs] call the call, they aren’t going to take it back,” Evans said.

The Kings played the Mavericks close Wednesday night, only to fall two points short. Dirk Nowitzki was impressed by the Kings’ defensive strategy of sticking close to their best shooters, but said the strategy probably was the reason why JJ Barea was able to cut into the lane so easily for layups. Barea finished with 20 points in 21 minutes of action.

“Their game plan was solid, I mean they were still right there at the end,” Nowitzki said.

Nowitzki on Peja, Old Kings Team

Nowitzki also expressed his excitement about having Peja Stojakovic on the team.

“He’s a great guy in the locker room, he fits right in; we love having fun in the locker room,” Nowitzki said.

Stojakovic, who was acquired last month by the Mavericks from the Toronto Raptors, showed his rust last night, shooting 1-7 from the field and 0-3 from three-point range. But Nowitzki knows the former All-Star and shooting marksman will get his form back.

“I’m not really worried about his shot, once he gets his legs under him – he hasn’t played much so once he gets his legs back he’ll be all right,” Nowitzki said.

Nowitzki reminisced about the games the Kings and Mavericks used to have in the playoffs and how deadly Stojakovic could be.

“[He was] the best shooter in the world … as soon as he crossed half court he was a threat,” Nowitzki said. “They had a great team here, we had some great battles; [Chris] Webber, [Vlade] Divac, [Mike] Bibby, they had an amazing team and they got unlucky a couple of times otherwise they probably would have had a ring,” Nowitzki said.

“I will always remember the games here; the atmosphere was absolutely amazing here. When we would warm up with 90 minutes on the clock there would be hundreds of people down there [courtside] talking trash to you…the atmosphere was amazing back in the day,” Nowitzki continued.

After the game Stojakovic stood on the floor chatting with Bobby Jackson. When Bleed Black and Purple asked if he would like to see his name up in the rafters, he didn't seem so sure about it.

"They got enough names," Stojakovic said.

Cousins hosts ‘team’ Super Bowl party

2011-02-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

Team chemistry on the floor has been part of the recipe for the Kings over their recent stretch of competitive games against the league’s elite teams.

Chemistry is building off the court as well, and the recipe for that is chicken wings and “America’s Game.”

On Sunday, many of the players headed to DeMarcus Cousins’ house to watch the Super Bowl.

“It was cool; Cuz did his thing,” Donte Greene said. “It was half and half [Pittsburg Steelers and Green Bay Packers fans], but maybe a little more Steelers fans.”

Players said Cousins invited everyone over at the last minute during practice. Off-the-court gatherings have been happening more frequently according to Greene.

“We’re all young; about the same age,” Greene said.

According to several tweets by Tyreke Evans’ trainer LaMont Peterson, Evans, Greene, Jason Thompson, Pooh Jeter, Jermaine Taylor, Hassan Whiteside and of course Cousins, all attended.

“It was good team bonding,” said Thompson, who is an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan.

Thompson said he enjoyed the halftime show by the Black Eyed Peas and that he was one of the first to notice Christina Aguilera’s lyrics blunder during the National Anthem.

“We hear it [the National Anthem] every time before every game [so] I noticed it instantly,” Thompsons said.

Jeter, who was rooting for the Packers, said Aguilera made up for the mistake by finishing the song strongly.

“She had a good comeback,” Jeter said.

Wisconsin-native and die-hard Packers fan, Carl Landry was not present at the team party. Instead, he watched the game in Stockton with a friend who also is from Wisconsin. They were in hostile territory according to Landry.

“[There] were a lot of Steelers fans,” said Landry, who admits to not owning a cheese hat.

Following the loss to the Utah Jazz Monday night, a Packers "Super Bowl Champions” black T-shirt hung from Landry’s locker. When asked how he got the shirt he said the “G-Man” got it for him in Dallas. When questioned further, it was discovered that the one and only Grant Napear had purchased the shirt for Landry.

Landry, whose Vincent High School teams won the Wisconsin Div. I State Championship in 2000 and 2001, quickly put the shirt on after showering and exited the locker room.

Ray Allen: Kings need to 'make plays for each other'

2011-02-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

Though the Sacramento Kings have been improving, they still need to learn how to play better team basketball, and Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen saw that need firsthand Tuesday night.

“I like their [the Kings] talent, you know they just have to make plays for each other,” said Allen, who finished with 22 points and 6 rebounds in the 95-90 victory over the Kings. “[Donte] Greene, I think he’ll be good; a good player in the league. Obviously Tyreke [Evans], if he’s going to have the ball, he’s got to get his teammates involved and make plays for them.”

Because of Evans’ dominant role in the Kings offense, Allen said he has to learn how to adapt.

“He’s the start of the ball and the end of the ball, so he’s got to make sure that he gets these guys involved,” Allen said.

Allen liked what he saw out of Omri Casspi.

“He can shoot the ball, he’s big; he’s got great size,” Allen said. “It’s just putting it all together.”

Allen, who admits he hasn’t had to be much of a “vocal” leader in the locker room since coming to Boston from the Seattle Sonics, let his teammates have it at halftime after the Kings had built up a nine-point lead.

"He kind of lit us up a little bit at halftime and it kind of woke guys up, knowing that we weren’t playing to our potential,” Paul Pierce said.

Cousins v. Garnett, Rondo

The Kings led at halftime 54-45 and had been playing with energy and a competitive spirit – DeMarcus Cousins being the leader in the competitive category. Toward the end of the second quarter, Cousins stood over Kevin Garnett along the baseline after Garnett had taken a tumble. Rajon Rondo took offense and came over to get in between the two, which eventually led to Rondo pushing Cousins.

“I just think Rondo thought he was standing over me, you know we are a very prideful team, we don’t really do that to other people and we just want to uphold some decency in this game and respect,” Garnett said. “We all have each other’s backs so I guess he [Rondo] felt like he [Cousins] was standing over me, which was inappropriate to us, but it’s the game.”

Kings head coach Paul Westphal shared his thoughts on the incident.

“They probably said something about Kentucky basketball and each other and that was it,” Westphal said. “He’s [Cousins] not afraid of anybody, he wants to be somebody in this league and he wants to be somebody now.”

Garnett knew he had to play Cousins tough coming into this game.

“Cousins has been playing well. I think all of the fours I have been playing on this trip have been playing really well; you know Cousins, LA [LaMarcus Aldridge] up in Portland,” Garnett said. “These young guys have been having some unbelievable stretches where they are 27 [points], you know, 12 [rebounds], 7 assists – I mean young boys playing really well, and I knew that so I was more locked into slowing them down tonight.”

Cousins finished the game with 20 points and 6 rebounds in 39 minutes of action. Evans also had 20 points, with 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

Good vibe at practice after consecutive wins

2011-01-31T20:11:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Robert Small

The Sacramento Kings are feeling good about their play as of late.

In back-to-back games they have beaten the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and ended the New Orleans Hornets’ 10-game winning streak.

The Kings lost several games prior, failing to keep fourth quarter leads. As of late, they’ve kept leads, beat playoff-caliber teams and it has increased their morale.

“Winning is always the medicine you’re looking for,” head coach Paul Westphal said. “To beat two excellent teams like we did - it’s validation that we have been improving. We felt we have been and it feels good to take those games home with a ‘W’ on our side.”

Assistant coach Jim Eyen feels that the team’s vibe has changed too.

“I think a large part of that is just confidence,” he said. “I think that when you play well and you don’t end up with a ‘W’, you tend to start second-guessing yourself; it’s human nature."

“We’ve started to play well and we’ve gotten a couple of wins because of it, so I think what you see is the confidence factor kicking in," Eyen continued.

Even though the Kings were losing close games earlier this season, the team still held a good attitude.

“Everybody still understood that if you work hard, eventually it will pay off and I think that’s what’s happened,” Eyen said. “I think the maturity factor is starting to kick in, we’re understanding what it takes to close games. Moving forward, it’s not to say that it’s going to be perfect all the time.

“There’s going to be some times where you take a step backwards, but as long as we keep moving forward, in the broad picture, I think we’ll be in good shape and close some games out that we need to win,” Eyen continued.

Injury Report

There were a few injuries to report from practice today. Jason Thompson will miss tomorrow’s game against the Celtics after spraining his ankle during the win over the Hornets. He’ll be sidelined along with Francisco García, who suffered a strained calf two weeks ago.

Thompson’s injury opens up the door for Hassan Whiteside to play, but he’s listed as doubtful after tweaking his patellar tendon, which he injured during training camp. Samuel Dalembert will start in Thompson’s place at power forward.

DeMarcus Cousins is listed as probable after sustaining a bruised right thigh, but he’s looking forward to tomorrow’s match-up against the Celtics.

Beat the Green

Arco Arena will be packed for tomorrow’s game against the Celtics. Less than 1,800 tickets remain for the game, according to a Kings press release.

The Kings will run a full-page ad in The Sacramento Bee tomorrow, calling all Kings fans to support their team as they take on the best team in the Eastern Conference.

Kings have 'Medium 3', not 'Big 3'

2011-01-28T23:06:00.000-08:00

It is trendy these days in the NBA to have a “Big 3.”

The Kings for all intents and purposes have a genuine “Medium 3” – Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi.

They are "medium" because first and foremost, it would be absurd to say a team with a 11-33 record has a three-headed monster like the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics do. Instead, the Kings have a young, three-headed black bear.

Secondly, they are simply too young. Evans and Cousins have the potential to be perennial All-Stars and the Maloofs have made it clear that Casspi is going to be part of the youth movement going forward.

And third, they just are not great enough yet. In the 11 wins the Kings have collected this season, all three have averaged good numbers (Evans – 15.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5 assists; Cousins – 17 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists; Casspi – 11.8 points and 5 rebounds). One could argue that Beno Udrih should be challenging Casspi for that third head of the black bear, but with Evans remaining the focal point of the back court and Udrih being “one of the older guys” on the team, you get the impression Casspi is the coveted piece.

There couldn’t be three more different personalities than these three players. The soft-spoken Evans has surrounded himself by a group of family members who have controlled his destiny since he was a little boy. Thrust into the NBA spotlight, Evans remains shy and aloof in public and seems unwilling, at least at this point, to be the leader on the floor.

Cousins, who also is soft-spoke, but far from shy, tends to listen to few people. He came to Sacramento with a reputation as a “hot head” and has, to an extent, lived up to that reputation by barking at the refs and getting kicked out of practice.

Casspi, who is the less productive of the three, may have the largest rock star mentality. The Michael Jordan of Israel, Casspi has a whole country watching his every step. He shows flashes of intensity that even the expressive Cousins can not match.

On the court, Casspi and Cousins seem to have developed a nice awareness of where the other is on the floor. Lately, Casspi has been zooming passes into Cousins under the basket from the perimeter and Cousins knows when to dish out to Casspi for the three. Evans, who still manages to collect his five assists per game, continues to play at his own pace, taking what the defense gives him.

With Evans as the “star” and Cousins and Casspi playing off their passion and reputations, this “Medium 3” could blossom into the next “Big 3” over the next few years. But continued development and the ability to function on the court as a cohesive unit by slowing down and letting the game come to them will have to take place. Because if you run into a bear, they always say a black bear is your best option – the least ferocious.

NBA teams need to be scared of you for you to be considered a “monster.”

Notes from practice: preparing for Lakers, Tyreke's All-Star appearance

2011-01-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Rob Small

The Sacramento Kings flew out to Los Angeles today in preparation to play the Lakers tomorrow.

Tyreke Evans is hoping his team is up to the challenge of beating the defending champions.

"They're the best team in the league," Evans said. "They won the championship so we got to get out there and beat the world champs - that will be a good feeling."

Head coach Paul Westphal said that keeping their players out of foul trouble will be important in tomorrow's game

"L.A. has two players particularly, Kobe (Bryant) and (Pau) Gasol, who get fouled a lot and shoot a lot of free throws," Westphal said. "It's very important to keep their team off the line in general. It's a lot easier said than done.

"Certainly, we want DeMarcus (Cousins) to be able to stay in the game and not be battling fouls all the time; (Jason Thompson) the same way," Westphal continued. "What really kills us is when both of our guards get in foul trouble."

As the NBA All-Star break approaches, Evans announced that he was selected to play in the Rookie Challenge for the Sophomore team. Cousins is a surefire lock to start for the Rookie team.

After saying that he will sit out of the Rookie Challenge because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot earlier this season, Evans' outlook seems more optimistic.

"I don't know yet," he said about playing in the Rookie Challenge. "If I get the chance, definitely. If not, I guess I'll be resting."

Evans is also one of six players selected for fans to vote into the Skills Challenge. Fans will vote for four players to give them the chance to compete against Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets’ at the end of the competition.

Kings fans, however, shouldn’t pout if he is not voted in.

"I'd rather just watch than play in it," Evans said. "That's not really me. If I get in, I'll definitely try."

Kings guard Eugene "Pooh" Jeter will have another homecoming in his hometown tomorrow in Los Angeles. His first big return came last Monday in Portland, OR, where he attended college for four years at the University of Portland.

Landry Buzz

Carl Landry had a lot of buzz surrounding him this morning, regarding an article in the Sacramento Bee. Landry says his quotes were taken out of context.

"That's out of my character," Landry said. "I would never do anything or say anything to harm this team, organization or anybody else involved."

Landry also said that the rest of the team laughed off the article.

Ask a King: submit your questions for Paul Westphal

2011-01-23T14:49:00.000-08:00

Do you have a question for Kings head coach Paul Westphal?

Now is your chance to ask.

As part of the continuing "Ask a King" series, Bleed Black and Purple in conjunction with The Sacramento Bee, will be accepting questions from readers for Kings players, coaches and personnel and taking them directly to the source for answers.

Next up is Westphal. The questions do not have to be basketball-related, so get creative! Submit your questions on The Bee's Corner page on Facebook. (Make sure to find the appropriate post.) The most popular and interesting questions will be used.

The deadline to submit questions is Thursday, Jan. 27. For more information click here.

Kings players share opinions on arena affairs

2011-01-20T21:14:00.000-08:00

The arena issue in Sacramento is a complex balance of power between the taxpayers, the Maloofs and elected officials that often drums up heated debate.

But those who put Sacramento’s largest entertainment venue to use most frequently, the Kings players, are not shy about expressing their opinions on the matter either.

Jason Thompson compares Arco Arena’s history to that of New York City's Madison Square Garden, but with one distinction.

“There is a lot of history here, especially with the glory days with C-Webb [Chris Webber], Vlade [Divac] and Mike [Bibby] and all those guys,” Thompson said. “You have historical places like Madison Square Garden which is older, but has a lot of history as well; no one wants to move out of there because it is such a historical place, but they are renovating and stuff like that,” Thompson said.

And then he drops the dreaded “R” word.

“Some cities want to renovate and some cities want to relocate,” Thompson said.

Thompson said he does think the fans deserve a new arena.

“Hopefully it [the franchise] does stay in this city, we have a lot of loyal fans,” Thompson said. “I think they deserve it, I think a new look and a new arena would attract a lot of people and bring a lot of energy,” Thompson said.

Carl Landry, who admits he doesn’t follow much of the arena news, said it is about the fans and what they want for their team and their city.

“They have been supporting this team and this organization for so long – this is one of the better teams in the NBA in terms of fan support, so if [a new arena] is what they want, you have to give it to them,” Landry said.

Landry said Arco Arena is a fine place to play basketball, and even though players from other teams often joke around and tell him that Sacramento needs to “tear that place down,” he knows every court is the same.

“It’s 94 feet and the baskets are 10-feet high…the court, where we play doesn’t matter, but if the fans want something new, let’s give it to them,” Landry said.

Donte Greene called Arco Arena an “oldie but goodie,” saying the Kings' locker room is “one of the nicest in the league.” But he hears the comments from other teams also, who complain about how the visitor’s locker room is “terrible” and feels like a “hot box.”

Greene admits all of the promises of a new building have grown tiresome.

“They have been talking about arena stuff since my rookie year,” Greene said. “They told us we’d have a new arena in 2011 and that was in 2008 when I first got here. There was word going around the locker room, it was like ‘yeah we are going to get it done, we are going to be downtown over by the old rail yards,’ and then they were talking about Cal Expo…I just stopped paying attention.”

Greene said he can’t help but notice how other arenas are equipped with high-definition scoreboards and cushioned seating, and how the wood floors in Arco, once a valuable asset to help the fans make noise, have since become an eyesore.

“The fans aren’t really stomping [their feet] anymore, so the wood doesn’t play a key part [in the games],” Greene said.

Like his teammates, Greene said he thinks the fans deserve a new arena, but acknowledges that the franchise missed a golden opportunity nearly a decade ago.

“They should have got one [a new arena] after what C-Webb and those guys did back in 2001 and 2002,” Greene said.

The Sacramento City Council will be evaluating four new arena proposals at its Jan. 25 meeting. Staff will be making a recommendation to the council on which proposal the city should move forward with.

VP of sponsorship company calls Kings, Power Balance deal 'roll of the dice'

2011-01-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

The Sacramento Kings and Power Balance, a company that sells wristbands and pendants equipped with holograms that “are designed to work with your body's natural energy field,” this week entered a multiyear deal for the naming rights of the current Arco Arena.

The bracelets have been advertised as boosting energy and balance and several athletes, including Shaquille O’Neal, have endorsed them. But Power Balance recently admitted that there is no scientific evidence to prove the bracelets do indeed enhance performance and the company is currently involved in a class-action lawsuit over it.

On Wednesday, Jim Andrews, senior vice president of IEG, a worldwide sponsorship consulting firm based in Chicago, Tweeted: “Did the Maloof/Kings/Power Balance naming rights deal just set the sponsorship industry back 100 years? I’m leaning toward yes.”

Andrews, who has been with IEG for 23 years, later spoke to Bleed Black and Purple and elaborated on those comments. Clients of IEG have included the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Pistons, New York Yankees, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Cowboys and Adidas.

The following was taken from the interview.

BBP: Can you elaborate on what you meant by that tweet?

JA: As somebody who is an observer and a longtime participant in the sponsorship industry, I don’t think this deal will be pointed to as a shining light and an example of what sponsorships can and should be all about.

BBP: What did you think about this deal when you first heard about it?

JA: I’d have to say I was surprised. The nature of the company that bought the [naming rights to the arena] was surprising given that it’s a company that has come under a lot of scrutiny.

The biggest question is – and I don’t know the value of the deal – assuming it’s a few million dollars, is that worth the risk of damaging the Kings brand or the Maloofs’ brand by associating with a company that has a lot of question marks?

BBP: So why would the Maloofs do it?

JA: They are looking for revenue. Maybe they really thought there were no other takers for those naming rights.

It raises the question: Are they really in need of in the neighborhood of $5 million, which wouldn’t seem to be a huge chunk of money when you are talking about an operation as large as theirs?

BBP: Power Balance is a relatively new company having been established in 2007, is it abnormal for a company so young to get a deal like this?

JA: It reminds me a little bit of ten years ago when there were a few dot-coms that did similar things. I think the Baltimore Ravens stadium was named after a dot-com for a couple of years until it imploded. So it has that kind of tinge to it.

From Power Balance’s standpoint, it’s a relatively smart play. They are obviously trying to build credibility.

BBP: And from the standpoint of the Maloofs?

JA: I find the deal questionable because I’m not sure that the revenue they are going to get from it is worth the risk that they are taking by associating with a questionable company and a questionable product.

BBP: If the Maloofs had come to you for advice on this deal, what would you have told them?

JA: It’s not just about the cash and just because somebody has the ability to cut you the check, you’ve got to do the due diligence and say ‘is this a company that we want to be in partnership with?’ I certainly would have, and I would imagine they probably have this in the details of the contract, made sure they at least have some out clauses in their contract so that if Power Balance somehow gets involved in more [legal problems], and if the FTC were to come down on them…you could immediately get out of the deal.

BBP: So is this a “roll the dice” kind of deal to you?

JA: It definitely is a roll of the dice because the upside is they are getting revenue in and they are hoping that this company is a company that is accepted by the public and is not going to run a foul of any regulations or laws. There is a much larger risk that there could be problems with a company like this than if they had done the deal with a more established and traditional company in banking or in the airline industry or in food products.

BBP: But would those types of companies come to Sacramento and put their name of such an aged building?

JA: It’s certainly a challenging market for a lot of reasons. Naming rights themselves have been more difficult to sell the last few years than they used to be – especially for smaller market franchises if you are in a market where there’s not a large corporate base.

I’m sure it has been difficult to find a company that is ready to cut a check for a few million dollars for that building.

BBP: Power Balance signed a five-year contract with the Kings. How do you see this playing out?

JA: The company itself, to their credit, seem to be pretty honest about the product. They are basically saying ‘there is no science behind this thing but people say it works so we are going to keep selling it because we can.’ Even though it is a questionable product and the value of it is questionable, at this point it doesn’t seem to be an illegal product so if they can continue to stay in business and sell a couple of million of these things each year to people who want to try it even if it is just a placebo effect, I could see that it could last five years.

This company is always going to have a taint to them and I think that will always be associated with the arena, so unfortunately when people refer to the Power Balance Pavilion, it is going to be in kind of a mocking way.

BBP: Are you going to buy a Power Balance bracelet?

JA: I don’t think so.

Joe and Gavin Maloof had this to say about the deal in a prepared statement:

"We are thrilled to be partners with Power Balance. This is a great collaboration for the entire Kings franchise and we are particularly excited in this economy to be able to sign a multi-year agreement with a company on Power Balance's trajectory.”

Power Balance made $8,000 off of merchandise in 2007 and expects to have made $35 million in 2010, according to AP.

Fans caught in emotional cycle over arena issue

2011-01-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

It has been going on for years; this cycle of alarm, anger, fear and then dormancy.

The arena issue in Sacramento, especially from the fans’ perspective, has largely been reactionary and volatile, instead of proactive.

Like a troubled marriage, it could use a little therapy.

But for now, let’s analyze how this cycle is perpetuated. Some news surfaces (i.e. the Maloofs say that they are “leaving their options open”) and hysteria sets in. Fans then put their Power Balance bracelets on and get angry with the owners and the economy.

Then the fear sets in (what city is going to steal the Kings from us?).

And then something strange happens. The Kings win a game or head coach Paul Westphal kicks DeMarcus Cousins out of practice and everyone forgets about the arena issue as if a win puts a new coat of paint on Arco’s, oops, excuse me, Power Balance Pavilion’s old frame.

We saw the same cycle during the Measures Q and R debacle; the land-swap proposal and David Stern’s subsequent comments about an arena in Sacramento; when the finances of The Palms were reported on; and after a gazillionaire in Seattle said he wanted to bring in NBA team back to the Northwest. The most recent flare up came after a speculative column in the Orange County Register was published that was filled with information everyone already knew about and began with the author asking readers “Are the NBA's Sacramento Kings contemplating a move to Anaheim?”

The Maloofs are not innocent, nor are they “the victim” as they sometimes portray. Hey, Joe Maloof goes through his fair share of anger cycles as well. And the fans are only reacting to news as it comes to them, but this cycle has to stop. This has been going on for more than a decade now and the sooner the region puts the issue front and center and decides to confront it, the quicker it will get resolved. (Compartmentalization never works.)

Instead of getting ahead of ourselves and losing sleep over relocation rumors and then burying the subject in the back of our minds when it is convenient, fans should focus their attention on the things they can control. That includes getting involved in the process by attending things like the Jan. 25 Sacramento City Council meeting at 6 p.m., because after all, that is the epicenter of this debate. You know, where the money (developers) is and where the decision-making goes down. Oh, and don’t forget that mayor guy who has some ties with the NBA.

If the fans want to do something about this arena saga and end this cycle of reactionary hysteria, the council chambers are waiting. Kings fans have a stake in this and they can utilize the one option they have at their disposal, public discourse. I guess you could call it "communication."

Casspi says he's happy in Sacramento, appreciates Petrie

2011-01-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

Omri Casspi told Bleed Black and Purple Thursday that he is happy in Sacramento, but he hasn’t ignored all of the trade rumors that circulated this week.

Casspi said the rumors about him being traded to the Chicago Bulls or the New York Knicks are out of his control and the main thing he has enjoyed about his time in Sacramento is his relationship with Petrie.

“I’m really happy here…this is the team that drafted me,” Casspi said. “I love it here; I love Geoff [Petrie]; especially Geoff.”

Though he admits he doesn’t speak to Petrie much, he said he has gained a lot from the Kings president of basketball operations.

“Whenever we do [talk] it always has a lot of meaning and I have learned a lot from him,” Casspi said.

Casspi has played consistently well this week for the Kings. Last night in the win over the Denver Nuggets, Casspi finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds in 25 minutes of action.

Bibby returns, gets rock star treatment

2011-01-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

Middle-aged women, teenagers, elderly men, Team Dime hopefuls and more huddled courtside at Arco Arena 20 minutes after the Hawks beat the Kings last night.

The eclectic group was hoping to meet, or get a glimpse of the point guard out of The University of Arizona who is a lot of things to many people, but mostly adored by Sacramentans.

Sporting a backward Atlanta Braves baseball cap and diamond ear rings that could double for paper weights, Mike Bibby exited the visitor’s locker room on cue and quickly made his way over to the mob of fans who got his autograph, took photos, gawked and prepared their “I met Mike Bibby” story in their heads – and Bibby graciously mingled for a good 15-20 minutes.

But it wasn’t just fans who wanted to get next to the guy who froze Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Phil Jackson in Game 5 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals.

As the fans muscled for position, Kings TV announcer Grant Napear briskly brought his two sons over to meet Bibby. (Napear also wanted to show Bibby how tall his son was getting.) At halftime, Kings owner Gavin Maloof came on to the court during team warm-ups and dribbled a ball next to Bibby as they caught up. Francisco Garcia, who played with Bibby for two seasons in Sacramento, joked with him the entire game and at one point playfully ripped Bibby’s headband off.

Even Beno Udrih, the guy who essentially stole the starting point guard position from Bibby in the 2007-08 season, shared warm greetings before the game.

The 108-102 Hawks victory over the Kings Tuesday night brought Bibby’s record against his former team to 3-1 since 2008. In those four games, he has averaged 17 points, 3 assists and 5 rebounds. On Tuesday, he finished with a modest 9 points (all on three-point shots) and a whopping 10 rebounds – the only King with more rebounds than Bibby was Omri Casspi who collected 11.

The 12-year veteran, who still has that easygoing smile and looks the same as he did when he was in Sacramento, has a much different role on the Hawks than he did during his tenure with the Kings. No longer a focal point on offense, he is the quiet facilitator to a roster full of young, athletic big men. He spots up for threes and his number 10 is called in crunch time to bring the ball up the floor. But even though plays designed for him to come off of high screens for open jumpers aren’t drawn up much anymore, his Hawks squad has been pretty successful with him at the point.

Since Bibby was traded to Atlanta on February 16, 2008, the Hawks have been consistently relevant, making the playoffs the last three seasons. They may be doomed to remaining only “relevant,” however, as they have been unable to break through in the Eastern Conference because of the Big 3 in Boston and Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. (And now they have the Miami Heat to deal with.)

But while a championship may not be on the horizon for Bibby in ATL, he will forever remain a rock star in Sacramento.

Kings guard Pooh Jeter, who has built his game around playing like Bibby’s former backcourt mate Bobby Jackson, met up with Bibby outside of the Kings’ locker room right before he made his way onto the team bus. Bibby offered the rookie some advice.

“Hey, you’ve got your foot in the door, that’s all it takes,” Bibby told Jeter. “You are doing good.”

Fan favorite, rock star, legend; add “career advisor” to his list of titles.

Natomas Chamber president says his arena plan is cheapest option

2010-12-31T10:47:00.000-08:00

The Natomas Chamber of Commerce has continued to push its arena plan to Mayor Kevin Johnson’s arena task force in recent weeks and is now one of four major proposals being considered.

The chamber’s plan, titled the Sacramento Entertainment and Sports Complex (ESC), uses the city-owned, 100-acre lot adjacent to Arco Arena as the site for a new building.

Natomas Chamber President Ed Koop told Bleed Black and Purple that his plan will be cheaper than the proposals aimed at putting a new arena downtown.

"The financing is key for any plan and the fact is that a downtown location will cost millions more in infrastructure with costs covered by the taxpayers,” Hoop said. “Let's see how the task force deals with that critical issue.”

Marni Leger, chair of the chamber’s arena committee, said their proposal would be financed through Citibank and developed by NBBJ, the developer of the Staples Center. Also on board is the Hammes Company, lead developer on a $295 renovation to the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field; and Skanska, developer of the New Meadowlands, the home of the New York Jets and New York Giants..

In a December 7 letter to Mayor Johnson, the chamber said, “Given fair review, the Natomas Chamber believes the Natomas developers' plan for an entertainment and sports complex would generate the most jobs, protect the taxpayers, and ensure that a new arena is built far sooner and more economically than one could be built at any other site.”

Sacramento City Council will be discussing all of the new proposals at its Jan. 25 meeting.

Tyreke Evans adds lasting memory with half court shot

2010-12-30T12:02:00.000-08:00

Some shots you just don’t forget.

There was Mike Bibby’s game-winner in game 5 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals; Kevin Martin’s game-winning layup against the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2006 playoffs; that turnaround jumper by Tyreke Evans to beat the Denver Nuggets last season; and now there is December 29, 2010.

What took place at Arco Arena last night gives credence to the NBA’s “where amazing happens” slogan.

After 47 minutes of hard-fought basketball between the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings, O.J. Mayo drained an incredible shot with a defender in his face to put his Grizzlies up 98-97 with 1.5 seconds left. The Kings had no timeouts and the 12,636 fans who were on their feet at Arco stood in shock as they seemed convinced they had just witnessed their team’s 24th loss.

At that point head coach Paul Westphal knew he may have made a mistake by not saving a timeout.

“Out of all of the games I have coached in the NBA, I bet you there has been two games where I didn’t have a timeout left in that situation; I always save one,” Westphal said after the game. “Tonight I wasn’t able to [call a timeout] but I did know that we had time so was I screaming. I thought that maybe DeMarcus [Cousins] could have thrown a long pass because they [the Grizzlies] relaxed after they scored.”

Cousins didn’t throw the long pass, however, and instead inbounded to Evans who pulled up from the “K” in the Kings logo at three-quarters court.

“[I was thinking] just let it go in,” Evans said. “It looked good and I got it off in time, I thought Rudy Gay was going to try to block it so I was going to double pump, but once he let me shoot it I tried to follow through and get it to the rim.”

Here is the result.

As you can see, the court turned into a championship-like frenzy with the players jumping onto the scorer’s table and mobbing Evans, who finished the game with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. The fans went crazy in their own right with most of them pouring into the concourse shouting and running aimlessly with their phones in their hands ready to tell everyone they knew what they had just seen.

Cousins said it was the best close game he has ever been in.

“[That was a] great shot by Tyreke; great shot, I mean that was a clutch play,” said Cousins, who finished the game with 21 points and 16 rebounds. “It feels great to get a win.”

Evans said he practices half court shots all the time with Omri Casspi at the shootarounds and after practice. Evans also said he won four games on half court shots when he was a kid playing in the Biddy League in Pennsylvania under the coaching of his older brother Reggie.

“When I talk to my brother tonight I know he is going to say ‘I remember those days,’” Evans said.

Kings fans will remember this day as the team gives them a glimmer of hope going into 2011. The win also provides Evans a little relief as his numbers have been down across the board since his rookie-of-the-year campaign last season due to his battle with plantar fasciitis.

When asked if he was going to rush home to see if his shot was the top play on SportsCenter, Evans said "no."

“I’m just happy we got a win, I don’t care if it is on SportsCenter, the news, or whatever, I am just happy we got a win,” Evans said.

2010-12-25T13:23:00.001-08:00

Warriors 'run this town' last night

2010-12-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

Monta Ellis’s iPod sat in the corner of the visitor's locker room hooked up to a speaker docking station blaring “Run This Town” by Jay Z Tuesday night after the Warriors defeated the Kings 117-109 in overtime.

The team sang along as they knew they had indeed just run the Sacramento Kings out of their own building (at one point in overtime they had to turn the PA system in Arco Arena way up to drown out the “Let’s go Warriors” chants).

Ellis said his team (which was without the services of Stephen Curry and Andris Biedrins) got the defensive stops, steals, deflections, rebounds and made the right plays down the stretch to stave off what the Kings could not.

“If we would have lost this one, it would have been all bad for us,” said Ellis, who had 36 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds.

It was all bad for the Kings who were straight up dogged by their Northern California rivals on $1 hot dog night. The now 5-21 Kings blew a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter in the worst possible fashion – fouling three-point shooters by defending them too closely on more than one occasion only to turn around and sag off of a wide open three-point shot with two second left when they were down by three.

And that’s how it went down as the Kings stood and watched Vladimir Radmanovic nail a three pointer to send the game into overtime.

Ellis knew his team was ready at that point.

“When Vlade hit that three and we were going into overtime it was like it was our time,” Ellis said.

The Warriors would go on to dominate the Kings in overtime. It was dumbfounding, embarrassing and inexcusable, but Paul Westphal chose “amazing” as the best adjective to describe the debacle.

“Amazing things happen…how do you explain those?” Westphal said during the postgame press conference.

Unless Westy was giving the league a little free advertising, that meltdown should be called anything but “amazing.” It was atrocious, and it wasn’t just the three that made it so ugly, it was the entire 13-15 minute stretch.

“That [three by Radmanovic] was one play, we have to finish out games,” Carl Landry said.

The Kings were outscored 32-18 in the fourth quarter, gave up offensive rebounds, missed free throws, turned the ball over and wrapped a Christmas present for the Warriors in the form of a win. Santa Westphal came down the chimney in overtime to deliver it.

DeMarcus Cousins, who failed to collect a key rebound at the end of regulation that may have sealed a victory and got himself into a little trouble over a "choke-sign," knew it was “all bad” for the Kings after this one.

“It’s probably our worst loss this season, we can’t blame anybody but ourselves,” Cousins said.

There are a lot of theories out there about what is wrong with this team (lack of execution, players being too inexperienced, bad coaching, stagnant offense) and ways to fix it (trades, firing Westphal, benching Tyreke Evans to let his foot get better), but for now, fans will have to endure the fact that the Kings may be worst in the league because this team ran away instead of running this town last night.

Martin, Miller discuss state of Kings franchise

2010-12-19T21:43:00.000-08:00

After his Rockets defeated the Kings 102-93 Sunday afternoon, Kevin Martin said (with a slight smile) that he finds the fact that the Kings have struggled in the shooting department since he was traded last season to be “very ironic.”

That was all he would say about that, however, as he quickly moved to expressing his appreciation of the Kings franchise.

“I had a great time here and I am gone [now] and they are trying to rebuild here, but they just have to stay with it and Geoff [Petrie] will find the players – if it’s through the draft or free agency – to turn this thing around,” said Martin, who finished the game with 22 points and 4 assists. “He is one of the best GM’s in the league so he will definitely find the players.”

Martin went on to discuss how he came of age in Sacramento.

“It was my first real job; I came here as a boy and I learned how to survive in real life out here,” Martin said. “I had support from the top to the bottom in the organization and the fans were great to me, so it was a fun ride while I was here. I will always miss those memories but I grew in to a man here.”

Martin also said Rockets head coach Rick Adelman is the “same old Rick” that he was when they both were in Sacramento together.

And then there is Brad Miller.

With a dip of chewing tobacco in his mouth and a Gatorade bottle as a spit can, Miller discussed the Kings’ new front court after the game.

“It is totally different from when I was here,” said Miller, who finished the game with 3 points and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes of work. “DeMarcus, obviously, you know he is a big body who can get the ball down there, [but] he doesn’t have the shooting ability like they [the Kings] used to.”

Miller said this Kings team is young and has time to figure it out.

“It takes time for young players to get it and it’s a rarity that you get a young team that gets it right away,” Miller said.

I also was present for a conversation he had with a few folks regarding the gun laws in Texas. Let’s just say Miller, who is an avid hunter, was a bit surprised at how lenient the state is when it comes to the process of purchasing guns.

Kings vs. Heat sights and sounds

2010-12-12T21:02:00.000-08:00

The scene during the national anthem.

DeMarcus Cousins gets introduced to the crowd.

“He’s a warrior…but right now he
doesn’t look like himself,"
said Paul Westphal on Tyreke Evans.

Donte Greene guards Lebron James.

Tyreke Evans attempts to cut off Dwyane Wade.

Jim Gray looks for interviews.

“It was rough for us early to really get it going,
this team [the Kings] came out with
a lot of energy," Wade said.

Not sure if this was supposed to be an insult.

Dusty Baker watches court side.

Cousins with the dunk.

“As much work as we put in and as much focus
as we bring to the game, it has really been helping," said
Chris Bosh after the game.

Wade enjoys a dunk. He finishes with 36 points,
6 assists and 6 rebounds.

“When you play against the Miami Heat
you know you are going to have to deal
with James and Wade and we saw up close
and personal how difficult it is to guard
either one of those guys - let alone both
of them in the same game," Westphal said.

Lebron and the Heat bench celebrate in the fourth quarter.

Kings fans head for the exits. Heat win 104-83.

A boy named Pooh

2010-12-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

In 1969, Johnny Cash sang us a story about “A Boy Named Sue” who went through life despising his father because he gave him such an easy target for a name. He would later come to realize that his “Pa” slapped that Sue label on him so he would grow up tough.

Growing up with the name “Pooh” may have the same effect on a child, and Kings rookie Eugene “Pooh” Jeter has had to deal with his fair share of teasing.

One of the Kings’ personal trainers, for example, always tells the 27-year-old guard out of the University of Portland that he should have chosen the number 2 for his jersey. But Pooh (a nickname given to him not long after he was born by his late grandmother because she thought he resembled a “pooh bear”) chose the number 5 and has kept smiling.

“It’s all jokes; it’s all fun,” Jeter said of the teasing.

Unlike Cash’s “Sue” character, Pooh likes his name and actually prefers it to his birth name, Eugene – and in that sense appreciates his grandmother’s choice in nickname. In fact, his dad is the only person in his life who refers to him as Eugene.

Whether it is the name or not, the light-hearted and well-spoken Jeter, who is a vocal man of faith, has found a niche for himself in the Kings’ rotation as a spark plug, and even a leader who has the ability to come in off the bench and take control of the offense.

Head coach Paul Westphal has certainly taken notice of his rookie.

“I’m just particularly happy about Pooh – that’s two games in a row where he has had a very, very big impact,” Westphal said after the Kings defeated the Washington Wizards 116-91 last night.

Over the last two games, the 5’11’ Jeter has averaged 12 points, 5.5 assists and 4 rebounds, and has only turned the ball over twice. Jeter has said his style is to take the ball out of bounds and “just go.” The energy man has even added some defense – something he tries to motivate other players with.

“My teammates can see ‘OK Pooh is picking it up [on defense], now I’ll get on my man a little harder,’” said Jeter, who has collected 2 steals in each of the last two games.

Following the game last night, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee asked Westphal what Jeter has done all of the sudden to deserve so much playing time (he hadn’t played much at all up until last week). Westphal responded that Jeter had some trouble with defense at the beginning of the season, but because he has continued to work hard he has made his way onto the floor.

“We thought that he could help us when we signed him; he struggled a little bit early on defensively … he stayed ready and he got his chance,” Westphal said. “He’s [now] showing he’s going to be a hard guy to get out of the lineup.”

Staying ready is something former Kings guard (and energy man himself) Bobby Jackson has been preaching all season to Jeter. Jeter has worked out with Jackson quite a bit this year and the former Sixth Man of the Year has been one of his main motivators. Jeter told Bleed Black and Purple that when he was inactive earlier this season, Jackson repeatedly told him that he had to stay ready and remain confident, and he did.

Jeter acknowledges there are a lot of similarities between himself and Jackson.

“That’s my role, Bobby Jackson was that role [when he was with the Kings],” Jeter said.

Sue’s father tells his son that this “world is rough and if a man’s gonna make it, he’s gotta be tough.” Whether or not that had anything to do with Pooh Jeter’s grandmother deciding to give him that nickname is anyone’s guess, but this undersized guard has made it, and he certainly is tough.

Guest commentary: Why the Kings aren't doing it for me

2010-12-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Bryce Hammons

This is how Sacramento Kings games play out at my humble abode: My tissues are by my side for the coming tears, my dog is slinking away into his safe corner. My mother is using terms like “spontaneously de-combust” and “was that the Cuz?” in order to describe the on-the-court happenings in real time. My dad is nowhere to be seen, not wanting to see a debacle like this.

He is safe. The rest of us, unfortunately, are not. Our 4-14 Kings are playing again… Aw-oh.

This particular game against the Dallas Mavericks (on Saturday night) started as I plopped down with my Corona and lime and hoped for the best. I needed a few more Coronas.

“Yes, mom. That was the Cuz.”
“He looks angry.”
“That’s because he is angry. He wants blood, ma.”

It’s business as usual at home except for one glaring discrepancy… The Kings are in the game. They’re not just in the game – they’re winning against the Mavericks, no less. Thanks to a less than stellar performance against the mighty Los Angeles Lakers the night before, a feeling of dread was upon me just before tip-off. Could it have been unfounded?

It’s a feeling I have had quite a bit this season with the Kings. Dread, mixed with an immense self-hatred, added to a burning sensation. Fortunately, the burning sensation is treatable. Unfortunately, the immense self loathing at watching the Kings lose on a continual nightly basis is not and it is very life-threatening. Yet, the Kings are in this game. Hallelujah!

There’s crisp passing, a flow to the game, basketballs going through the hoop instead of by it or under it. DeMarcus Cousins is playing like a man possessed and Tyreke Evans has realized the season actually started and they’re not playing volleyball.

But I can’t get comfortable. I know the history. I know things, horrible things. And so I watch with my tissues close, my dog huddling in his dark corner, my mother still spouting of phrases like “Who was that supposed to go to?” and “I don’t know if he should have done that.” She is a basketball realist but still a more optimistic viewer than I. Because I know what is coming… She, along with Grant Napear and Jerry Reynolds, delude themselves into thinking otherwise. I’m a full-on basketball pessimist because the Kings made me that way.

As the gap in the score gets slimmer, I feel that all too familiar feeling coming over me. It is the feeling of inevitability. And I don’t like it. As a loyal sports fan, I don’t like it one bit. This is a block of time where I can eat free food with my parents, let my dog out to pee and poop, and then for two and a half hours at a time forget about the troubles of the world. Let go, completely. Just watch and enjoy basketball.

Don’t we need that? Entertainment, be it sports or films or TV, to help take our minds off reality? Unemployment up, hiring down, the Lakers attempting a three-peat… don’t we need a set block of time where these problematic things dissipate, vanish, fade completely? We can just put our feet up and relax without worry.

But instead we have our Kings.

The ball advances in from half court. Cousins makes a move to the hoop and the ball zigzags from player to player, in what appears to be a somewhat broken and ugly play reminiscent of something I ran as point guard in my 8th Grade Comet basketball league. It didn’t work then, folks…

This is it! This is it! Let’s break our six game losing streak, break out of the second worst spot in the entire NBA. Come on! My dog hides his head underneath his paws; my mom tries to lose herself in her romance novel with a Fabio looking fellow on the cover. And I watch, eyes wide, mouth agape.

But it doesn’t happen how it’s supposed to because it never does for the Kings. Instead, someone on our team passes it to someone on the other team – if that’s how the play was designed in the timeout, then it worked to perfection.

I pull the tissues and as the tears flow, I realize, as Paul Westphal must as well, that the world is indeed a dark and unforgiving place. I just invested two and a half hours of my time in an effort to be entertained.

So how do we fix this mess..? Because I need this, the world trying to keep me down with a lackadaisical job market, lack of beautiful women in my small town, lights that are always red and roommates that watch 90210 and Melrose Place – a world that is trying to beat all of us into the ground, quite literally.

Is it too much to ask to want entertainment from the Kings? Is it? I find more entertainment in the hilarious back and forth from Jerry Reynolds and Grant Napear before, during, and after the game. These guys make true optimists look like life hating Goths because they are so damn optimistic.

In the end, it comes down to this question… How do we right a ship that appears to be sinking at a faster clip than Ben Roethlisberger’s pants on ladies night? In truth, I have no idea. I’m still trying to blot my eyes after this last heartbreaking performance. We’ll fix this. We can. It’ll get better. It just seems like we’re at a standstill right now. Let’s get a bounce of the ball to go our way. Let’s get consistency going in the right direction. Hell, even a Christmas miracle would work for me at this point – winning a game, just one. Let’s get something, Kings, to help raise our spirits during this rough and demoralizing stretch of losses.

For the love of all that is sacred, I can’t take much more of this. I don’t know how many of us can. Let’s get the ship righted. Whatever it takes, let’s get it done. Because, we as fans, are counting on you for more than you know.

Ask a King: submit your questions for Carl Landry

2010-12-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

The Kings haven't exactly started off the season like most had expected, and now you have an opportunity to ask forward Carl Landry about it (or anything else you may want to know about the fourth-year man out of Purdue).

As part of the ongoing “Ask a King” series, Bleed Black and Purple, in conjunction with The Sacramento Bee, will be accepting questions for Landry from the fans through Monday, Dec. 6.

Submit your questions on The Bee's Kings Corner page on Facebook. Make sure you find the correlating post and leave your question in the comments field - they do not have to be basketball-related, so get creative! The most popular and interesting questions will be chosen and asked at an upcoming game.

To view the “Ask a King” Q&A with DeMarcus Cousins from last month, click here.

Brandon Rush says negative Sacramento tweet was about nightlife, not fans

2010-12-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have seen Pacers guard and self-proclaimed king, Brandon Rush (his Twitter handle is @IamThaKing25) talking some smack about Sacramento earlier this week.

On Monday, the third-year guard out of Kansas tweeted “Sacramento might be the worst NBA city.” The comment began getting retweeted and Rush would later remove it from his page.

Following the Kings-Pacers game last night, Rush told Bleed Black and Purple that he wasn’t talking about the fans or the team in the tweet.

“It didn’t have anything to do with the fans,” Rush said.

Rush said what he meant was that there isn’t anything to do in Sacramento.

“This is my third time (in Sacramento) and I haven’t done nothing,” he said.

When asked if he has made his way out of the Sheraton Grand Hotel on J Street (where most NBA teams stay when visiting Sacramento) and down to some of the restaurants like P.F. Chang’s, he said he hadn’t been there.

While quickly making his way to the team bus, Rush said he removed the tweet because “everyone got all sensitive.”

OK, Sacramento isn’t Las Vegas Brandon, you are right about that, but when is the last time anyone planned their vacation around hitting up the clubs in Indianapolis? And I am little unsure how not having the greatest nightlife has anything to do with a city being a “good NBA city,” but I digress.

Not much to be thankful for

2010-11-28T00:51:00.000-08:00

As if that dissatisfying dish the Kings offered on Thanksgiving night against the Los Angeles Clippers wasn’t enough to send fans running for the Pepto-Bismal, this group of lost pups dug down to the bottom of the pot and decided to serve some burnt leftovers in the second half last night against the Chicago Bulls.

After playing close to perfect basketball for a crowd of 13,504 in the first half Saturday night (they were up 57-44), the Kings put their aprons on and began spoon-feeding the Bulls turnovers – they finished with 18, most of which came in the second half. (Those turnovers resulted in 21 points for the Bulls.)

On top of that, the Kings could only muster 9 points in the fourth quarter thanks to that one-on-one style of play they love to showcase when things get testy.

All of this and more resulted in a 96-85 loss that had the surprisingly large number of Bulls fans in attendance proudly sending their squad off the floor to a standing ovation.

This tale of two halves of basketball isn’t the story here though. The story is the fact that this Kings team that is supposed to be “rising” this season has lost 10 of its last 11 games and there isn’t one individual player, or even a group of players, to blame. Tyreke Evans, who after the game said his ankles are feeling fine, has been somewhat consistent, but his numbers are down this year and no one else on the team can string together a stretch of good games offensively. Even Carl Landry, who was the epitome of consistency last season, can not get into a scoring groove. The rotation is ever-changing because of the inconsistency across the roster, and head coach Paul Westphal continues to get abused by opposing coaches in the matchup game (see Michael Beasley).

Are those leftovers kicking in yet? Your stomach should be cramping up right about now.

Here is what Westphal said after the game about the team’s lack of focus:

“It could be selfishness; it could be inexperience; it could be not knowing the offense; it could be not trusting your teammates; it could be any or all of the above; or something else I didn’t list,” Westphal said.

Yeah, he doesn’t know what the problem is either so don’t feel bad Kings fans, just pick one of the above options and run with it.

Evans went ahead and picked “not knowing the offense.”

“I called a couple plays and guys didn’t know where to go,” Evans said. “[Because of this] it looks like I am holding the ball a lot, but it is frustrating so we have to work on it.”

With no real answers or solutions from Westphal, and Evans saying the offense seems confused when he tries to call plays, it looks like the team that Geoff Petrie said was going to be “bigger, badder and better,” may just be “bigger” and “bad,” at least until there is a major shift in mentality or a trade is made.

You really should have just had salad and avoided those second half leftovers because that heartburn can be killer.

Fans thought they had many things to be thankful for when the season began, but this ametuer hour show that has been brought to the court for the last three weeks has this blogger anxious for the New Year.

Defense living up to expectations while offense turning into letdown

2010-11-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

By playing tough, inspired defense, the Kings are doing what everyone hoped they would do.

The problem is they aren’t doing what everyone expected them to do: run an efficient, energized offense.

Over the last three games, the Kings have allowed, on average, 83 points per game – two of those games coming against the Hornets and Jazz, both of which are above average when it comes to scoring. That only helps if you can knock down shots, however.

The Kings continue to look as if there is no plan on offense and on top of that, they are averaging 18 turnovers over the last three games (most of which are unforced). Tyreke Evans did improve his jumper in the offseason, but is still shooting a dismal 20 percent from the three-point stripe. Francisco Garcia showed promise offensively at the start of the season, but has since cooled off. Donte Greene continues to jack up off-balanced threes and has yet to prove that he has a consistent midrange game. Omri Casspi has stretches where his field goal percentage is respectable, but he can’t seem to settle into Paul Westphal’s rotation.

So while inserting Luther Head and Samuel Dalembert to the starting lineup certainly has improved the team’s defense, the offense has struggled. Head and Dalembert, for the most part, are one-dimensional players – they are good on defense and collect points as a secondary objective. If the rest of the current starters (Evans, Greene and Carl Landry) can’t learn to play together to utilize their offensive capabilities, the starting unit will continue to struggle to put the ball in the hoop.

Pooh Jeter Sighting

One bright spot from last night’s loss to the Jazz (other than the defense) was Pooh Jeter. It was the first time Jeter has seen substantial minutes in a game this season. He finished with 2 points, 4 assists, 1 rebound and 1 steal in 12 minutes. Those aren’t spectacular numbers, but this guy is lightning quick and could help energize an offense that can sometimes take 10-13 seconds to get into its sets. Jeter can bring the ball up the court in a flash and push the tempo of the game a la Earl Boykins.

So what do you say Coach Westphal? Let’s see some more of Jeter, because this offense has looked like Pooh lately.