With the season fast approaching, the Sacramento Kings held their annual Media Day on Thursday, December 15 at Power Balance Pavilion. Every player had various duties on this busy day - multiple media obligations, shooting stand ups and bits for use in-game and even an open scrimmage, where fans across the valley will get their first chance at seeing this version of the new-look Kings. With the addition of J.J. Hickson (via trade from Cleveland for Omri Casspi), the signing of free agent Chuck Hayes away from Houston and acquiring John Salmons via draft day trade involving Beno Udrih plus the drafting of three rookies in Jimmer Fredette, Isaiah Thomas and Tyler Honeycutt added to the thr

After a slightly flawed but excellent nonetheless One Scary Nite 2, expectations were high for the third annual installment of the "Deon Taylor Enterprises presents: One Scary Nite" Halloween party, which went down at the California Auto Museum Thursday night. Familiar attractions returning this year included "Mad Scientist" Jack Sparx with his Tesla coil, huge propane fireballs and deranged laugh, stilt walkers, fire dancers, go-go dancers and many bloody, gory "staff monsters" and zombies who shuffled around the venue with a vacant look in their eyes, grunting at passing partygoers. Absent this year were the red carpet and arrivals, the national musical act (last year it was Bell Biv D

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson will represent the Kings at the National Basketball Association draft lottery next week, team owners and the mayor announced at a Tuesday rally. Johnson and developers representing the ICON-Taylor arena team will meet in Las Vegas Wednesday with George Maloof, whose family controls a majority share of the team, to discuss the arena project. The Maloof family owns the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. On stage at a Kings rally in Cesar Chavez Plaza, Gavin and Joe Maloof asked the former NBA All-Star player to step up for them next Tuesday at the draft lottery at the NBA Entertainment studio in Secaucus, N.J. "I accept! I accept! I accept!" Johnson yelled in

Sure, you see the Kings everywhere in the community donating either time, money or tickets to a future home game. But this time it was different. And, according to Kings President of Business Operations Matina Kolokotronis, it was one of the most important community-minded event the Kings have ever had the chance in which to participate. On Thursday, the Sacramento Kings, The California Endowment and the Sacramento City Unified School District gathered at Earl Warren Elementary School in South Sacramento to announce their partnership in creating the new “Get Fit with the Kings” program that is intended to boost the overall health of Sacramento-area youth. On-hand for the festivities wer

Kings player Bobby Jackson will be the guest of honor at the fifth annual Pink and White Ball this Friday, Oct. 22 at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort, where the Placer Breast Cancer Endowment (PBCE) aims to raise money to fund future treatment and cure research at the UC Davis Cancer Center. “I have pledged to help remove the word ‘breast cancer’ from our vocabulary,” Pink and White Ball co-creator and Executive Director of Sierra College Foundation Sonbol Aliabadi said in an e-mail. “I hope that everyone makes that pledge. Every dollar gets us closer to the cure.” Aliabadi said she took the idea of the Black and White Ball in San Francisco and altered it to include the color pink in su

Kings training camp kicked off Monday, and when the day was over, it was all sweat and smiles at their facility in Natomas. The Court Jester was there, and here are some observations: Training camp – day one Lob Pass The Kings worked on defense and five-on-none offense as the guys were trying to find their spacing and where to be on the floor in certain sets . . . Head Coach Paul Westphal was seen checking notes from his back pocket making sure he was staying on-track . . . Samuel Dalembert was helping guys find the right spot on the floor during a certain set . . . Hassan Whiteside was setting some nice screens and really looking bulked up . . . Pooh Jeter was looking to get others in

 Celebrity athletes are just like you and I. Well, maybe not just like you and I, but similar. They are like richer, better-dressed, more-fit versions of us (Or, in Scot Pollard's case, just richer). The similarities were on display at the second annual Athletes vs. Cancer golf tournament at the Woodcreek Golf Club, hosted by Matt Barnes on Saturday. Barnes founded the AVC to honor his mother, who passed away from cancer in 2007. Their mission is to "support research, create awareness, provide screening opportunities and deliver support to cancer patients." The tournament featured many athletes with local ties, among them former Kings Chris Webber, Scot Pollard, Bobby Jackson, Doug Chri

Despite appearances by former Sacramento King Bobby Jackson, the team’s co-owner Gavin Maloof and the team’s new sideline reporter Jim Gray, the NBA’s Greatest Draft Lottery Party hit a sour note when the Kings received the No.5 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. The Kings had the third best chance of receiving the No.1 overall pick after finishing with a record of 25-57 last season and sent NBA Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans to represent the team at the NBA Draft Lottery in Secaucus, N.J. The Washington Wizards received the first pick in the draft, followed by the Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves in that order. The disappointment rang from New Jersey to Sacramento

After a historic season averaging 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game, Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans will be named the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year (ROY). The 20-year-old Chester, Pa. native became the first Kings player to win a postseason award since Bobby Jackson won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2003 and the fifth rookie in franchise history to win the ROY award. Maurice Stokes of the Rochester Royals, Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas of the Cincinnati Royals and Phil Ford of the Kansas City Kings were the first four. Evans is the first of to win the award in the Sacramento era. He also became the fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebound

In one hand we have a team that has been in the playoffs the last twelve years and is getting ready for the playoffs as the regular season comes to an end. In the other hand we have a team that will not be in the playoffs and hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2005-2006. Until the 4th quarter you would not have been able to tell which team was which. The Sacramento Kings (24-54) hosted the San Antonio Spurs (48-29) on Bobby Jackson night at Arco Arena. It was a night that celebrated the career of a player who brought many memories to Sacramento and their fans. One of those memories is the 6th Man of the Year award, which is given to the best player off the bench in the NBA. Being tha

It was Bobby Jackson night at Arco Arena, but that celebration wasn't enough to distract Manu Ginobili and the San Antonio Spurs. Ginobili struggled through three quarters and then scored 11 points during a five-minute fourth-quarter spurt to lead the Spurs to a 95-86 victory before a crowd of 11,732. The defeat was Sacramento's eight straight and fifth consecutive at home. Once again, the Kings (24-54) played well until the game was up for grabs. The score was tied at 79-79 midway through the fourth quarter until the Spurs ran off 12 straight points to take control of the game. Ginobili, who entered the fourth quarter having made one of six field-goal attempts and with just five points

Meet the Kings 100. The Sacramento Kings unveiled the Kings 100, a community program that aims to reconnect the Kings with the Sacramento area Tuesday night. The group's honorary executive director Sheriff Lou Blanas led a press conference before the Kings/Warriors game at Arco Arena. Flanked by Gavin Maloof, former KCRA anchor Kelly Brothers and Bobby Jackson, Blanas outlined the plan. The Kings have chosen 100 fans to act as ambassadors for the Kings. "These 100 people are community and business leaders who are dedicated to the success and support of the Sacramento Kings," said Blanas, standing in front of most of the group. "In fact, some of the 100 already purchased and distributed

Arco Arena was turned into a musical theatre Wednesday night for Tyler Perry's "Madea's Big Happy Family." The play featured a high-tech set that revolved around the stage to create different scenes for a 15-part cast backed by a 12-part band in the orchestra pit. Beginning around 8 p.m., thousands, including former Kings players Bobby Jackson and Shareef Abdur-Rahim and current Kings player Francisco Garcia, laughed, cried and sang along to the play. Perry, who is best known for his recent work as writer, producer, director and actor in a number of Hollywood films (Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Why Did I Get Married, Madea Goes To Jail), wrote this play to honor his mother who passed away

Danny Glover, Bobby Jackson, Mark S. Allen and Deon Taylor spent their Sunday spreading holiday cheer to families at the Country Club Plaza on Watt Avenue. They were among volunteers distributing holiday bags, complete with turkey and stuffing, to 500 single-parent families. Glover is familiar with Sacramento, having grown up in the Bay Area. The actor and activist said his parents always worked two jobs when he was growing up to provide for him and his brothers. "It feels good to hand out the meals," he said as he handed a turkey to another family. Glover has starred in over 40 movies. "More and more families are struggling, living off of credit, hoping for a period of prosperity. This

VSP® Vision Care partnered with Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and former Sacramento Kings player, Bobby Jackson, to provide no cost eye exams, eyewear and school supplies to students at Herman Leimbach Elementary in South Sacramento this past Sunday, September 20th. VSP provided a fully-stocked 45 foot mobile eye exam clinic where volunteer VSP doctors conducted full comprehensive eye exams with students in the two state of the art exam rooms. “This event was a natural fit for VSP, Mayor Johnson and Bobby Jackson,” noted Cheryl Johnson, VSP’s Vice President of Provider Services. “Together, in the spirit of giving back to our community, we were able to help more than three dozen kids wit