I arrived at the practice facility at 2:30 p.m. and entered the media room. The room was filled with chairs looking out on the court where, beyond the one-way mirror, the Kings were scrimmaging.

There were some fantastic assists and some flashy passes - that if caught and executed could have been spectacular - but instead were disappointing as a simple pass could have gotten the basket. Coach Westphal did not seem pleased with the unnecessary flashiness.

A highlight for me during the scrimmage was watching Hall of Fame Coach/Kings assistant coach Pete Carril walking the sidelines observing how the players were moving the ball and how/where they would position themselves. It fascinated me to imagine all of the thoughts going through his head.

After the practice concluded, the media was allowed onto the court. I was joined by Sam Amick of The Sacramento Bee, Jim Crandall of Fox 40 News, Andrew Nicholson of Kings.com and Chris Morrow a freelance CNN reporter.

The media group first swarmed around Coach Westphal to hear his opinions on the practice, on the team’s .500 record and to hear his thoughts on the upcoming game against Houston.

A side note that I find interesting is how prevalent iPhones are in the media, with most using their iPhone’s video or audio recording features to record their interviews.

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My Interviews (there are no direct quotes, anything attributed to a player is merely my recollection of the conversation):

My first question was for Beno Udrih. I asked him about his role as a point guard. Udrih discussed how he and the team are playing better because the players have bonded more. As a closer team they are able to play better on the court together. I asked if this bonding might have included poker nights, to which Beno said “No.”

Next I interviewed Spencer Hawes and asked him who his favorite player was to battle for rebounds against in practice. Hawes modified my question and said Jon Brockman was the worse because Brockman goes all out every time. I also asked Hawes if he was still working on his college degree. He said yes, but that it wouldn’t be finished for some time.

After questioning Hawes, I went on to talk to Omri Casspi. I later realized the whole conversation with Casspi consisted only of me gushing about how fun it is to watch him play and how I like the energy he brings to the court; I forgot to ask him a single question... oops.

Finally, Jason Thompson came out for interviews. He was feeling sick, and hadn’t practiced much. I asked Thompson the same rebounding question I asked Hawes. Thompson responded that he enjoyed battling Brockman and that he gets a new jersey everyday because Brockman always manages to tear his jersey while going for rebounds.

I asked about his role on the team. Last year I attended a Kings’ event in which Thompson was asked which position was his favorite on the court. He responded that he enjoyed small forward because he was able to make great plays. This time around, Thompson said he is more comfortable with his role as power forward. He attributed the change to his increased comfort in the league.

And that wrapped up my interview with the Kings players. I took many pictures and videos (yes, with my iPhone).

I would like to thank Andrew Nicholson for guiding me around and showing me the ropes; Chris Morrow for interviewing me and editing it into a nice video and finally a HUGE THANK YOU to SacramentoPress.com and the Sacramento Kings for giving me this incredible opportunity.
 

Photos taken by Chris Morrow