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Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Share your Kings memories
by SacramentoPress Staff, published on March 7, 2011 at 5:13 PM
Storyline: Man on the Street
Now that the Maloof family has been granted an extension on the deadline to file paperwork to move the Kings – possibly to Anaheim – it seems the professional sports team’s tenure in Sacramento is coming to an end.
The possibility of losing the Kings has been the topic of several press conferences from Mayor Kevin Johnson, and fans are doing all they can to keep the Kings in Sacramento with the “Here We Stay” campaign, but we likely won’t know their fate until mid-April.
We asked some of The Sacramento Press staffers to share their memories of attending Kings games. Their responses are below. Feel free to share some of your Kings memories in the conversation at the bottom of the story.
Denise Coleman
(Image by: Courtesy)
Denise Coleman, operations manager
At my old job, when I used to be a lumber purchaser, one of my vendors had season tickets for seats on the floor. The Kings were doing fantastic. It was 2003, maybe, or 2004, somewhere around there.
Every seat was selling out, it was really high-energy: We had Peja Stojakovich and Chris Webber and Scot Pollard and Mike Bibby. It was an incredible experience. We would sit two rows off the floor right behind the visitors’ bench. It was really cool because you were right there in it ... you were right there in the action. The place was so incredibly loud. It was like going to a rock concert, and your ears would be ringing afterward. The energy was really positive. It was a really great experience.
Chris Brune
(Image by: Brandon Darnell)
Chris Brune, social media lead
My first Kings game must have been in the early ’90s – the Wayman Tisdale, Spudd Webb era, with the old-fashioned jerseys. It was awesome. My dad took me and my sister. I think they were playing the Trail Blazers. I think that was actually the last Kings game I went to.
Randy Balzarano
(Image by: Brandon Darnell)
Randy Balzarano, advertising account manager
My first game was in, I think, ’93. I was going to Chico State, and my girlfriend at the time took me to a Kings game for my birthday. It was the first time I ever went to Arco. We sat up in the nosebleed section. I was pretty impressed. I loved the size of the arena, and the intimate size of the crowd. That was when the fan experience – the Kings at Arco were at the top in the NBA. It was a really cool experience.
Dina Neils
(Image by: Brandon Darnell)
Dina Neils, account services representative
I watched the Kings and Warriors two years ago. I’m from the Bay Area. I was rooting for the Warriors. The Kings won, and I was upset. I’m not a Kings fan, but I enjoyed having them here because of the spirit it brings to the city, and the business.
Kathleen Haley
(Image by: Brandon Darnell)
Kathleen Haley, staff reporter
I’ve only been to one game. It was last year, and they lost. The junk food was fun.
Geoff Samek
(Image by: Brandon Darnell)
Geoff Samek, vice president of product development, co-founder
A memory that sticks out was back in the day when I went to a playoff game early on. This was back when Corliss Williamson was on the team the first time. I think they were playing the Sonics in the first round of the playoffs. I was just a teenager, or maybe 11 or 12. That one stuck out the most. I just remember how loud it was and all the cheering and the fact that we were in the playoffs, and the crowd had all this pent-up energy since they hadn’t been in the playoffs since the first year they were in Sacramento. It was just really exciting being there. I was way up in the nosebleeds in the $10 standing-room-only area. I remember it being crazy loud.
Brandon Darnell
(Image by: Brandon Darnell)
Brandon Darnell, staff reporter
My first Kings game – I don’t remember how old I was, maybe 10 or 12. I went there with my dad and maybe my mom and my sister. The Kings were playing the Detroit Pistons, and I just remember it being really loud, and that was kind of when I got interested in basketball and started playing. I was never any good at it, but I always liked watching the Kings. I think maybe a week later I went to Sportmart in Roseville, and Wayman Tisdale was there signing autographs, and I had that hanging on my wall for several years.
Ben Ilfeld, chief operations officer, co-founder
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My parents used to get tickets from their companies all the time and one ame we had front-row, feet-on-the-court tickets. A player fell right on the person next to me and, as a kid, that was SO exciting.
Right now there is one piece of artwork hanging in my room... An autographed Mitch Richmond trading cards collage. I'll miss the Kings greatly but I've missed them since they lost the Lakers Playoff games and started on this awful loosing track.
I didn't go to my first game until the early 90's and I think it was a Warriors game. My next game was in 95 when the Suns were in town and me and two friends had to get single seats as that is all that was left. Earlier that day I got Charles Barkley's autograph while he was at the old America Live sports bar watching golf. We had to go there to check in there for the Hoop It Up basketball tournament that was happening that weekend in Land Park.
I also remember earlier this decade when a friend was buying the group tickets and after the game we'd wait for traffic to clear out and listen to the postgame show which was done at Arco in the 4th floor lounge. Jim Kozimor was still working for KHTK and everyone just wanted to talk about the Kings and how special that team was. Although they did not win the title in 2002 they sure brought out the best in everyone in this city. It's funny how things change though. It seems one out every five people don't care if the team leaves.