SKD Practice 11.26.14

Last night I had the opportunity to shoot photos during an SKD practice. I had the chance to do this last year, and it was exciting to do it again. Taking photos of the SKD is always fun. If you want to see photos from the practice last year, click here.

Jenn Santich, the SKD's manager, is usually at the practices, but tonight a small group of SKD flew off to India for an NBA promotion. Brittney led the team today in getting the routines down for the next game.

The dancers work very hard to get each move spot on and in sync with everyone else. These girls are professionals and perform in front of thousands of people at each game. Every move they make has to be just right.

Even though the practice is physically demanding and requires a lot of concentration, the dancers do take the time to keep things light and they do have a fun time with each other. It's great to see these ladies interact. They truly are a team.

It's awesome to see how graceful the dancers are at such high speeds. The dance routines that the SKD perform are extremely fast paced. They pack a lot of moves into every single beat of the music.

Seeing the dance routines come together piece by piece is a joy to watch. Each routine is broken down into parts, practiced, practiced some more, and then perfected.

Roxy is part of the SKD social media team. She also represented the Kings at the All-Star game last year in New Orleans. She, along with all the other SKD, have such a positive energy to them. Not only are these ladies great dancers, they are also fantastic people.

To make sure everything is spot on, Courtney records a routine on her phone. Just like the NBA players watch film of their games, the SKD need to watch their performances to check if all the dancers are getting everything right.

During pauses in the rehearsal, many of the dancers, like Corina above and the dancers behind her, spend time perfecting their moves so they can master them. I'm sure this extra effort and attention to detail makes a huge difference when it comes time to get on the court.

Communication is a huge part of the dance rehearsals. The SKD help each other by seeking advice and encouraging each other. Each dancer knows that they are a vital part of the team and that each of their voices are important.

At one point during the rehearsal, half the team performed while the other half watched. When the routine was finished the SKD had a chance to debrief about what they saw their partner do. After that they switched roles with each other. 

The practice was about two and a half hours of hard work with just a short break in the middle. It was a privilege to be able to come in an see the SKD work again last night. I'd like to thank Jenn Santich and the rest of the team for being such gracious hosts for me! See you all on Sunday!

Kings v. Bulls 11.20.14

Today's game was broadcast nationally on TNT. Not a lot of Kings games are chosen for the national broadcast, so this was a big deal. There was definitely an air of excitement in the building as TNT took over Sleep Train.

Dave and Arnold came out for this game in our regular season seats. The two of them came out to the previous game together as well, but I couldn't make it over to say 'hi' that day. It was great to catch up a little bit though before going back and taking a lot of photos during the game.

Sign Lady was in full effect tonight with many signs ready to go. Tonight was the first of a few Legends nights at the arena. We were supposed to have Jason Williams come and be honored, but at the last minute he said that he could not make it. Instead, Mike Bibby came out! Hopefully Jason will be able to visit us later on in the year.

The fans were absolutely going bonkers for Chris and Mike today. There were so many people lined up right at the front of the court trying to get a picture or autograph of the former players. 

A few lucky fans actually did get to interact with Chris as he finished up his TNT duties. Everyone in the arena wanted to tell Chris how much they appreciated him! 

Because of legends night, the SKD came out with their amazing retro outfits tonight. I wasn't sure if I was going to see these again... but I'm glad they made another appearance. They look amazing wearing these shirts!

The Bulls came to town having not lost a road game all year. Though they were missing Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol, Chicago would not be an easy out. Players like Joakim Noah would make sure of that.

The Kings played great tonight and got contributions from quite a few of their players. Collison, Gay, and Cousins got a good amount of production, but so did Derrick Williams tonight. He hadn't played much this season, but tonight he did very well.

The Kings didn't have a huge lead during this game, and were even down at some points, but they fought back and toughed it out - that is the mark of a team getting better. It was hugely encouraging to see the team support and encourage each other throughout the game.

It was fun to see Chris Webber get a hold of a t-shirt gun and shoot one off into the crowd. It's always extra fun when our special guests and visitors participate in hyping up the fans.

Not only were Mike and Chris in the house, former teammate of theirs Brad Miller also came out. I was able to capture this nice moment between the two of them when the game concluded.

The Kings defeated the Bulls and gave their hometown fans a bunch of free tacos! Tonight the Kings played solid basketball It was hugely entertaining to be here and witness what these Kings are actually doing. The next game won't be until about 10 days from today. It's too long! 

Kings v. Pelicans 11.19.14

Tonight I was able to go to the game with my new friend Sasha. We've recently worked on a cosplay photoshoot together that was really fun. She's a big Kings fan, and I was happy to be able to go to the game with her this evening! 

Tonight we sat in section 105. This reminded me of the times a couple years ago before I was a season ticket holder and I got individual tickets all around the arena for games. It's pretty awesome to see the game from different angles and areas.

It's game time when announcer Scott Moak comes on the big screen for introductions. Scott really knows how to energize the crowd... love that guy! Scott also does a lot of work in the Sacramento community - so not only is he our PA announcer, he also contributes a lot for the betterment of our town.

Tonight the Pelicans came to town. The Pelicans came loaded with big Anthony Davis, aka Uni-brow. He's an amzing talent, and he showed it tonight. Tyreke Evans and a few other former Kings were also back at Sleep Train playing for the opposite team. Tyreke really put it to us tonight! Ouch!

The Kings played a very good first half of basketball, but their lulls during the second half evaporated their lead and led to a six point loss. I feel like the Kings are definitely going in the right direction, but they still need to get the ability to close out a game.

Slamson came by quite often and he cheered fans up when we were down. The fans love taking photos with him and he always obliges. Notice the band-aid on Slamson's face! He's supporting the Big Cuz who got cut in the same place last game.

The SKD brought out the big gun at this game to shoot shirts way up to the fans sitting in the upper levels. I think this was the first time the shirt gun came out this season. What will they think of next?!?!? We'll find out on Thursday when the Bulls roll into town.

Kings v. Spurs 11.16.14

Tonight the Kings would take on the San Antonio Spurs. I spent some time walking around the concourse area before the game and ran into the SportsClips guy. It's always fun to take a round trip to see all the happenings before the start of the game. 

It was military appreciation night at the game, so much of the festivities centered around the amazing folks who served in the military. The Kings honored all who served or who are serving tonight in a variety of ways. Both the team and the fans got a chance to thank our troops!

All of the on-court games were played by military personnel. Here's the popular tricycle race. Slamson is helping this particular young man get ready by... ummm... I'm not sure what he's doing. But I'm sure it was meant to help!

The Kings had to face a fierce opponent in Tim Duncan tonight. Duncan and the Spurs won the NBA Championship last year and have been a great team for many years now. Tonight's game would be a huge challenge. I was definitely nervous for the team as they were coming off two heartbreaking losses away from Sleep Train.

The Kings showed a lot of maturity tonight. They did not have a 20-point lead in this game, but they scrapped and worked on every possession. You could really tell that the players were not giving up or lying down. They could have been demoralized after coming back from the difficult road trip, but the team instead had a strong spirit about them.

DeMarcus Cousins had a slow first half and got into a bit of foul trouble, but he came out very strong in the second half of the game. He ended up scoring over twenty points and having a very nice stat line!

At one point in the game the Big Cuz got a nasty elbow to the head. It was so severe that it opened up a wound. I can attest to this because it happened right in front of me, and DeMarcus was on the court in obvious pain. They took him to the bench and cleaned him up a bit. He actually had to go back to the locker room for a while as well.

Getting a bit hurt would not stop the Big Cuz. He came back from the locker room with a band-aid on ready to finish off the game. The fans loved seeing DeMarcus re-enter the match and show the toughness that he has.

The arena was filled to the brim for this game and the fans were extremely loud. It was awesome to see Sacramento on their feet and cheering on their team. The players could definitely sense the crowd's energy!

The Kings Dancers got into the spirit by wearing military themed outfits for their first performance. I love the look they sported here. They looked beautiful, and the green hat with the white star was just perfect for this night.

You definitely want to stay around the game in the second half. It's during these latter stages of the game that the SKD bring out a ton of items to give away. Mini balls are one of the most popular give-away items at the arena. The dancers throw or launch them into the seats!

It ended up being a very close game, but the Kings prevailed and held out for the victory. The entire arena went nuts... and they also went home with free Jack-in-the-Box taco coupons. It was amazing to see the Kings beat such a quality group of players.

Military night was a huge success. Lots of military personnel were honored and given gifts... and the Kings provided an amazing basketball experience to witness. Next Tuesday the Kings will take on the Pelicans on Tuesday. See you then!

Kings v. Nuggets 11.5.14

The Kings have been doing great to begin the season, and the fans were out in force tonight at Sleep Train Arena. The Goon Squad was ready right from the very beginning of the game to jump and cheer for their team.

Sacramento Kings fans are the best! Sign Lady isn't the only one with a sign, here's another fan with her sign at the game. You'll see a lot of passionate Kings fans all over the arena on game night. There are no fans like Kings fans!

If you're on the concourse on a game night be sure to stop by and see Katie with her stash of amazing Kings memorabilia on sale. Tonight they were offering mystery bags full of memorabilia from former Kings. Also up for auction was an amazing autographed game-used Rudy Gay shoe and the net from the first Kings game of the season. All proceeds go to great causes!

My friend Kate came to her very first NBA game tonight. None of my other fellow season ticket holders could make this game so she jumped aboard right when I offered the ticket up for grabs on Instagram. Her quick response got her in!

This was a great game to come and see as the Kings totally dominated from the get-go. The Kings scored 40 points int he first quarter alone. Fans were so impressed that they gave their team a standing ovation as the horn sounded after 12 minutes.

The Kings have been showing tremendous teamwork. They are willing to help and sacrifice for each other. It's really refreshing to see this on the team after years of play that lacked this kind of chemistry. I really hope that this team-togetherness continues on for the entire season.

Everybody was having fun at the game tonight. Reggie Evans made a shot and had to holster his 'guns' because they were on fire! It was a fun moment in the game, and I captured it here in the photo above.

The Kings bench was having a blast as they saw their teammates handle the Nuggets. Notice the cool warm-up shirts they have on. You've got the modern Kings logo with the retro Kings colors on it. This logo is winning in so many ways!

Rudy Gay was certainly happy as he performed very well and encouraged his teammates. Here he is celebrating a shot made from the bench. I was fortunate enough to be right near the Kings bench and see the reactions from the players.

The Sacramento Kings Drum Corps came out for a performance tonight. As a drummer myself, I always enjoy seeing them come out. I was able to post some of the drum corps photos on Instagram and give them some coverage!

This shot is from inside the Kings tunnel just before the Sacramento Kings Dancers came out for their performance. The dancers perform twice each night, but it takes hours and hours of practice to get the routines just right.

You've got to love the beautiful smiles on the SKD as they come out in front of the Sacramento crowd. There is never a time when they are down on the court. Thanks SKD for always giving your all!

Yeah, Scott Fresh and Slamson brought out the noise flag, but I don't think the fans needed any encouragement tonight... they were very, very loud throughout the entire game. Sleep Train Arena was rockin'!

After the game I got to catch up with both Roxy and Jenna from SKD. Roxy is part of the SKD Social Media and Jenna is one of the rookies this year. Both of them looked great as they danced on the court tonight.

After a satisfying win Rudy Gay gives an interview on the court. Though we all loved the victory, the Kings know that they cannot let up at all. Their next opponent will be on Friday versus the Phoenix Sun at their arena. It should be a great game as they Kings face their former teammate Isaiah Thomas!