Kings v. Clippers (Season Opener) 10.28.15

What a special night! Tonight marked the last home opener for Kings fans at Sleep Train (AKA ARCO) Arena. This night was highly anticipated by so many people... and you could feel the electricity in the air.

Kings fans had the chance to participate in a fun zone outside the arena. This area had free face painting, photos opportunities, and games. It was pretty cool to see everyone come together and enjoy the activities provided outside.

The Knightscope was a robot patrolling the outer area. This robot is a security device that looks really cool. Just about everyone who came in contact with it wanted to take a photo with it! Thankfully it was very patient and stopped for everyone who wanted to get in a few snaps.

Music fans could also enjoy live music in the fun zone. The Kings invited a local area band to come and play a set. At one point they invited Slamson up to the stage to rock out with them - and he indeed rocked out!

The pre-game intros were absolutely nuts. Each fan was given a wristband to wear that lit up. It didn't just have one color though, the bands were synced with the arena and changed color depending on what was happening. It was a stunning thing to be a part of.

Everyone was excited to see how the Kings would do on the court with all the new personnel in the line-up. Unfortunately, they did struggle a bit at first. The Clippers, a very good and seasoned, team were comfortably in the lead for most of the time.

After the halftime the Kings began to show much more cohesion and they started picking things up. As the team came back, the crowd became more and more involved. 

The Kings made it a great game towards the end of the fourth quarter, but the Clippers did end up pulling away a little and winning by a small margin. Though the Kings lost, it was heartening to see them fight back in the latter part of the game.

This game was extremely fun to be at, and I'm happy that I was able to get a bunch of great shots tonight. Friday will be the first Flashback Friday game at the arena. And it'll be against the other LA team... the Lakers!

Down in the Valley Movie Premier 10.12.15

I was privileged already to be able to see the Playing to Win movie earlier in the summer... so being at this premier was just icing on the cake! The two movies about the city of Sacramento's fight to keep the Kings were shot concurrently but focused on different aspects of the process. Playing to Win was really about the fan effort, while Down in the Valley was about Mayor Kevin Johnson's role in keeping the team here.

Fans were lined up early to get into the theater. This viewing was definitely one of the hottest tickets in town. The only way to acquire a ticket was to enter yourself in a random drawing for them. Only the lucky few were chosen. The demand was so high that the Kings opened up a second showing of the movie after the first.

The Crest Theater is a beautiful location in the middle of downtown. It has the old movie theater feel to it - when you go there it's like you've stepped back in time. 

Here's the amazing interior of the theater where the screen is. As you can see it is even more beautiful in there - simply a stunning place to watch a film!

Of course Sign Lady and Mr. Sign Lady were in the house! A virtual who's who of Sacramento came to this showing... including the mayor himself! It was a great night that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. It'll be great when ESPN releases the film as part of their 30 for 30 series later on in the year.

Kings Fan Fest 10.11.15

To begin this season, the Sacramento Kings organization invited their fans to an open house of sorts. The fans packed the arena to participate in this very special fan fest. All fans were invited to this free event. It was really great to see all the Kings fanatics around the arena this afternoon!

The entire team was on hand for the fun - from their superstar DeMarcus Cousins to players who may not make the opening night roster. It was great to see the entire team having fun with each other and with the fans.

After player introductions the team split into two squads for a friendly scrimmage. As this game was really just for fun and entertainment, there were a lot of impressive assists and dunks on the court.

See the team kidding around and enjoying the experience is a great sign of the good chemistry being developed among the players. The best Kings teams have been ones where the players were like family. I'm hoping this current roster has that same type of togetherness.

No matter if players were watching from the bench or playing on the court, there were a whole lot of smiles seen that day!

Fans got a chance to take the court and participate in some activities too! There was a three poitn contest, a skills challenge, and of course... the dunk contest.

The dunk contest was by far the most exciting event as kids came out to show what they had. Kings players were given judge cards to rate the various dunks.

I'm very thankful to the Kings for hosting this fan fest today. It just shows how connected the organization is to their fan base. Theses are the types of things that really count!

Kings v. Blazers (Pre-Season) 10.10.15

Only two pre-season games will be at Sleep Train Arena this year, so as quickly as the pre-season started... it just as quickly ended with this game for those of us here in Sacramento. After this the Kings would go on to play pre-season exhibition games in Las Vegas and in Kentucky.

Shooting things that happen pre-game are always fun. Here's a shot I got of Kyle as he readies himself for an in-arena video hit. Scott Fresh and the SKD are about to promote a in-game special for the Team Store.

It's always awesome to see people I know in the high-five line. Today I spotted Jeff and his son down there. Jeff is a pastor at a local church, and I played in the band there a few times alongside his wife Angela. He was definitely pumped to be on the court watching the warm-ups that day!

You really got to give it up to the Kings fans. Even for a pre-season game they get pumped up, dressed up, and ready to go. The term 'Sacramento Proud' easily fits for so many in the area.

The Kings were taking on the Blazers in this early pre-season match. Pre-season games are just a good opportunity to see the players get their groove back after a long summer. The Kings were looking good on the court, though!

Entertainment is never in short supply at Sleep Train Arena. Tonight local firefighters were honored and had the opportunity to participate in many on-court activities. Here's a shot of them standing under the Kings Dunk Team. This final dunk brought the house down!

Adding to the entertainment this evening were the Sacramento Kings Dancers. They looked like they were in mid-season form tonight. It was especially great to see some of the SKD rookies out there for their first taste of center court!

A very special presentation occurred tonight as well. Performers with disabilities came to show what they could do. I was totally blown away by their amazing moves. They were an inspiration to everyone in the crowd. I was definitely moved.

All-in-all it was an incredible night at the arena. The Kings topped everything off with a sweet victory over Portland. It'll be a couple weeks before we get to see them in action again. I really can't wait!

Kings v. Spurs (Pre-Season) 10.8.15

Though this was just a pre-season game, it was still extremely exciting to be back at the arena. I made sure to come extra early to get a few extra shots of stuff that happen before most people get in. CSN Correspondent James Ham pointed out that Becky Hammon and Nancy Lieberman were having a chat courtside, so I had to get a snap of that! It's awesome to see these two strong basketball minds sharing a bit before they duke it out during the game.

Pink was in the house tonight as the Kings had their breast cancer awareness day going on. Breast cancer survivors had the opportunity to stand at center court and be acknowledged during a very emotional presentation. I took the opportunity to pick up a couple of pink Kings t-shirts. I can't wait to wear them.

One of the biggest story lines this summer was the acquisition of Rajon Rondo. He had a down year last season and many experts around the country questioned the Kings choice to pick him up. I'm hoping that he and the Kings will surprise a lot of people around the league when the season starts up.

Before I knew it the game was starting. Slamson came out in his roller skates with a giant Sacramento Proud flag that he waved around as he zipped along on the court. What a great way to start the pre-season off! 

After the starters were introduced I was able to capture this photo of the huddle. I just love how we have a finger pointed upwards towards the Kings' goal this year. We can only move up from our struggles the last few seasons.

Here's a rare glimpse into the tunnel as the Kings Dancers run onto the court. The dancers have to wait there until their specific time-out is called so they can perform their routine. Tonight's group was mostly veteran dancers. All but one of the rookies were in the crowd watching... and learning.

The pre-season is a time when coaches see the new talent on the team. Seth Curry got his first taste of action late in the game. It was exciting to see him score a basket on his very first shot up. I hope he's able to succeed in the league.

It's always fun seeing a win, and the Kings did just that tonight. There is one more pre-season game to cover on Saturday, then it's a couple weeks before the home opener. Let's get this season going!