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http://www.nba.com/kings/news/A_Closer_Look_Sactownrsquos-129191-58.html
A Kings.com series on the new faces of the Sacramento Kings
A Closer Look: Sactown’s Finest
by Chris Navalta
It doesn’t matter what kind of uniform Matt Barnes has on. When he steps onto the ARCO Arena floor, Kings fans will always greet him warmly.
It also helps if it’s a Kings uniform that Barnes is sporting.
That’s what happened this season as Barnes, a Sacramento native, was given the opportunity to do something almost all NBA players dream of doing – playing for the team they grew up watching.
Barnes is an instant fan favorite and also provides the skills and athleticism the team looks for. And playing in front of friends and family everynight, that gives the second-year man extra motivation.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Barnes said of playing in his hometown. “I’m enjoying every second of it. Right now, I’m just trying to play hard and help the team get wins.”
Barnes was signed by the kicks last summer. Since then, he counted the days until the team’s regular season home opener against Toronto. Friends and family were, perhaps, counting the days along with Barnes as well, hitting him up for game tickets. Others didn’t bother and spent their own money for tickets.
“I only had four tickets to give out,” Barnes said. “But I had numerous phonecalls from people, telling me they were going to come out to the game. So, I saw a lot of people I knew out in the stands."
Barnes began the game off the bench. But once his number was called upon, he received quite the ovation from his hometown fans.
“I was excited to be out there,” Barnes said. “But once you get on the court, you have to block all that out and focus on what you have to do. But I had a lot of people supporting me.”
Barnes responded with a solid 25 minutes of work in the Kings' victory over the Raptors.
A star player out of Del Campo High School, Barnes attended UCLA, where he was one of just 43 players to reach 1,000 points in school history. He helped lead the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament in all four years, including three appearances in the Sweet Sixteen.
Barnes’ road to the NBA would be an interesting one, having been on three teams before ever putting on a uniform. After graduating in UCLA in 2002, he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round. His rights were then traded to Cleveland but was eventually waived before the start of the season.
He spent the 2002-03 season with the NBDL’s Fayetville Patriots, where he averaged 9.7 points per game, along with 3.3 rebounds. The following year, he was signed as a free agent by Seattle but was let go once again. Finally, he was able to stick on an NBA roster, when the L.A. Clippers gave him the opportunity. There, he played 38 games averaging just under 20 minutes per game.
Barnes played solid down the stretch and was given the chance to display his talent in front of several teams, including the Kings. When he became a free agent last summer, Sacramento took the chance on the local product.
Now, Barnes is back home. And despite the jitters he has when playing in front of his hometown crowd, he maintains his focus on the task at hand.
“Everytime I go out there, I try to play under control,” Barnes said. “When I’m in a position where I can bring the ball up, sometimes I just try to stay focused and concentrate on what I have to do.”
A Kings.com series on the new faces of the Sacramento Kings
A Closer Look: Sactown’s Finest
by Chris Navalta
It doesn’t matter what kind of uniform Matt Barnes has on. When he steps onto the ARCO Arena floor, Kings fans will always greet him warmly.
It also helps if it’s a Kings uniform that Barnes is sporting.
That’s what happened this season as Barnes, a Sacramento native, was given the opportunity to do something almost all NBA players dream of doing – playing for the team they grew up watching.
Barnes is an instant fan favorite and also provides the skills and athleticism the team looks for. And playing in front of friends and family everynight, that gives the second-year man extra motivation.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Barnes said of playing in his hometown. “I’m enjoying every second of it. Right now, I’m just trying to play hard and help the team get wins.”
Barnes was signed by the kicks last summer. Since then, he counted the days until the team’s regular season home opener against Toronto. Friends and family were, perhaps, counting the days along with Barnes as well, hitting him up for game tickets. Others didn’t bother and spent their own money for tickets.
“I only had four tickets to give out,” Barnes said. “But I had numerous phonecalls from people, telling me they were going to come out to the game. So, I saw a lot of people I knew out in the stands."
Barnes began the game off the bench. But once his number was called upon, he received quite the ovation from his hometown fans.
“I was excited to be out there,” Barnes said. “But once you get on the court, you have to block all that out and focus on what you have to do. But I had a lot of people supporting me.”
Barnes responded with a solid 25 minutes of work in the Kings' victory over the Raptors.
A star player out of Del Campo High School, Barnes attended UCLA, where he was one of just 43 players to reach 1,000 points in school history. He helped lead the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament in all four years, including three appearances in the Sweet Sixteen.
Barnes’ road to the NBA would be an interesting one, having been on three teams before ever putting on a uniform. After graduating in UCLA in 2002, he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round. His rights were then traded to Cleveland but was eventually waived before the start of the season.
He spent the 2002-03 season with the NBDL’s Fayetville Patriots, where he averaged 9.7 points per game, along with 3.3 rebounds. The following year, he was signed as a free agent by Seattle but was let go once again. Finally, he was able to stick on an NBA roster, when the L.A. Clippers gave him the opportunity. There, he played 38 games averaging just under 20 minutes per game.
Barnes played solid down the stretch and was given the chance to display his talent in front of several teams, including the Kings. When he became a free agent last summer, Sacramento took the chance on the local product.
Now, Barnes is back home. And despite the jitters he has when playing in front of his hometown crowd, he maintains his focus on the task at hand.
“Everytime I go out there, I try to play under control,” Barnes said. “When I’m in a position where I can bring the ball up, sometimes I just try to stay focused and concentrate on what I have to do.”
