http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/14250412p-15067140c.html
Marcos Bretón: Welcome to where careers are saved
By Marcos Bretón -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, May 2, 2006
There is something to be said for second chances in life and in sports. Or third and fourth chances.
Sacramento seems to be home base for them, with Arco Arena located at the corner of redemption and renewal.
Or maybe there are simply no bad apples in the agricultural heart of the West, at least not since Olden Polynice left town.
It's certainly local legend that Chris Webber once dragged into this cow town, weeping as his plane landed on a gloomy day, his "troublemaker" baggage too heavy for a 747. And then he became a Sacramento icon.
But nothing matches the better-than-fiction amazement of a Kings revival led by Ron Artest and Bonzi Wells.
There they were Monday, moments before leaving for an epic showdown tonight against the San Antonio Spurs, basking in the glory of odds-defying achievement.
There was the former "pariah" in Artest, sweating at the Kings' practice facility, his injured right thumb padded like a boxing glove, schooling his youthful teammate, Kevin Martin.
"He's been in my ear the whole time," Martin said of Artest's mentoring since the former Pacer joined the Kings in late January.
"It's been a good relationship for me."
Then Wells strode in, as happy as a former "malcontent" could be, deflecting praise and attributing a 25-point, 17-rebound performance Sunday night to "luck."
Wells' role in leveling the Kings-Spurs playoff series at 2-2 had to be the highlight of his sometimes turbulent eight-season career. And surely some fans in Memphis, where Wells was benched, then banned from the arena by coach Mike Fratello during the playoffs last season, were shaking their heads.
Just as Hoosiers in Indiana, where some blame Artest's misbehavior for scuttling Reggie Miller's title dreams, would view his current success with nausea.
Anger would be understandable, given that Artest once couldn't complete a Pacers season without a lengthy suspension and now is: The indispensable King.
It's a metamorphosis that can't be attributed to the mighty Sacramento River as a sporting man's version of the spring of Lourdes.
The truth is a lot more calculating.
Artest and Wells, like Webber before them, were brought to Sacramento by a front office with a taste for gambling and with nothing to lose.
Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof are gamblers by nature. And for all his accolades as a talent evaluator, Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie also understands the bottom line of player marketability:
Sacramento's reclamation projects had little choice but to play hard or destroy their earning potential.
And for all the positives such as Webber's love for and investments in Sacramento (a local eatery soon will bear his name), and for all Wells and Artest do for young guys such as Martin, they are helping themselves immensely.
Webber took a horrible reputation in Oakland and Washington and made it disappear here - to the tune of a $122 million, seven-year deal.
After his stellar performance in Sunday's whipping of the Spurs, Wells' marketability as a soon-to-be free agent had to shoot skyward and could go higher, as Mike Bibby's did when he blew up in the 2002 playoffs.
Then Bibby signed with the Kings for $80 million over seven seasons.
And Artest already is viewed differently by the NBA, save for a few rule enforcers, and stands to cash in big if he stays the course until free agency in 2008.
But of course, this is not all about dollars and cents.
Artest and Wells, like Webber before them, have shown signs of character obstructed on previous teams.
Artest, in particular, reminds all of us that these are human beings with flaws but also with admirable qualities. He and Wells prove that redemption is possible.
Does winning big make everyone look great? And do these guys have the potential to mess up again as many of us do in life? Absolutely.
But by bringing it every night, Wells had won over Sacramento when the Kings were losing - as had Artest.
That's all it took to earn the backing of an open-hearted metropolis with the capacity to welcome roguish players and even residents of Los Angeles.
Does this all mean a victory in San Antonio tonight? Who knows. But everything else seems possible in the City of Second Chances.
About the writer: Reach Marcos Bretón at (916) 321-1096 or mbreton@sacbee.com.
Marcos Bretón: Welcome to where careers are saved
By Marcos Bretón -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, May 2, 2006
There is something to be said for second chances in life and in sports. Or third and fourth chances.
Sacramento seems to be home base for them, with Arco Arena located at the corner of redemption and renewal.
Or maybe there are simply no bad apples in the agricultural heart of the West, at least not since Olden Polynice left town.
It's certainly local legend that Chris Webber once dragged into this cow town, weeping as his plane landed on a gloomy day, his "troublemaker" baggage too heavy for a 747. And then he became a Sacramento icon.
But nothing matches the better-than-fiction amazement of a Kings revival led by Ron Artest and Bonzi Wells.
There they were Monday, moments before leaving for an epic showdown tonight against the San Antonio Spurs, basking in the glory of odds-defying achievement.
There was the former "pariah" in Artest, sweating at the Kings' practice facility, his injured right thumb padded like a boxing glove, schooling his youthful teammate, Kevin Martin.
"He's been in my ear the whole time," Martin said of Artest's mentoring since the former Pacer joined the Kings in late January.
"It's been a good relationship for me."
Then Wells strode in, as happy as a former "malcontent" could be, deflecting praise and attributing a 25-point, 17-rebound performance Sunday night to "luck."
Wells' role in leveling the Kings-Spurs playoff series at 2-2 had to be the highlight of his sometimes turbulent eight-season career. And surely some fans in Memphis, where Wells was benched, then banned from the arena by coach Mike Fratello during the playoffs last season, were shaking their heads.
Just as Hoosiers in Indiana, where some blame Artest's misbehavior for scuttling Reggie Miller's title dreams, would view his current success with nausea.
Anger would be understandable, given that Artest once couldn't complete a Pacers season without a lengthy suspension and now is: The indispensable King.
It's a metamorphosis that can't be attributed to the mighty Sacramento River as a sporting man's version of the spring of Lourdes.
The truth is a lot more calculating.
Artest and Wells, like Webber before them, were brought to Sacramento by a front office with a taste for gambling and with nothing to lose.
Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof are gamblers by nature. And for all his accolades as a talent evaluator, Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie also understands the bottom line of player marketability:
Sacramento's reclamation projects had little choice but to play hard or destroy their earning potential.
And for all the positives such as Webber's love for and investments in Sacramento (a local eatery soon will bear his name), and for all Wells and Artest do for young guys such as Martin, they are helping themselves immensely.
Webber took a horrible reputation in Oakland and Washington and made it disappear here - to the tune of a $122 million, seven-year deal.
After his stellar performance in Sunday's whipping of the Spurs, Wells' marketability as a soon-to-be free agent had to shoot skyward and could go higher, as Mike Bibby's did when he blew up in the 2002 playoffs.
Then Bibby signed with the Kings for $80 million over seven seasons.
And Artest already is viewed differently by the NBA, save for a few rule enforcers, and stands to cash in big if he stays the course until free agency in 2008.
But of course, this is not all about dollars and cents.
Artest and Wells, like Webber before them, have shown signs of character obstructed on previous teams.
Artest, in particular, reminds all of us that these are human beings with flaws but also with admirable qualities. He and Wells prove that redemption is possible.
Does winning big make everyone look great? And do these guys have the potential to mess up again as many of us do in life? Absolutely.
But by bringing it every night, Wells had won over Sacramento when the Kings were losing - as had Artest.
That's all it took to earn the backing of an open-hearted metropolis with the capacity to welcome roguish players and even residents of Los Angeles.
Does this all mean a victory in San Antonio tonight? Who knows. But everything else seems possible in the City of Second Chances.
About the writer: Reach Marcos Bretón at (916) 321-1096 or mbreton@sacbee.com.
