The (radio)voice of the Kings-The G-man, Gary Gerould
Koz: Does it feel like 20 years in Sacramento?
Gary: I guess it is. In a lot respects, it does feel like just a few years ago when we were in the temporary building that Greg Lukenbill put up and there was a excitement like this city, I don't know, even in the playoff run in recent years... if the excitement matched what we saw in the first couple of years the Kings were in Sacramento. It was really unique. I guess when you hit a 20 years its kind of a milestone in that sense, so you think about some of those things. Yeah, there were a lot of struggles in some of those early years. A lot of people forget that the very first year the Kings were in Sacramento they made the playoffs. They got swept by Houston in 3, but they did make it. And it was an intriguing bunch of guys, Benny Johnson, Reggie Theus, Mike Woodson, Larry Drew and Mark Olberding and people like that made it a lot of fun to watch the Kings battle the other powers in the NBA.
Koz: Everyone talks about how great it is now to come to Sacramento and play in Arco Arena and play in front of these great fans, when the NBA first came here and you were here seeing these games, was there a learning curve for the fans
Gary: Absolutely. For announcers, for media, I think for everybody involved. You got to learn the personnel, the rules, and the nuisances of the game. I think what impressed me, I think a lasting impression of those early years was how many women I have had tell me over the years, 'you know when the Kings first came to Sacramento the only reason I went was because my husband went.' And then after 2 or 3 years they suddenly found out that they were learning the game, they were loving it, they were loving the personalities. They were becoming absolute red-hot basketball fans! That's always stuck with me and I've always thought, you knows that's a great part of the growing process for the game that's introduced to an unlikely group that maybe think I have no interest in this and they're here now being rabid long time Kings fans.
Koz: There is a generation of fans that grew up learning the game from you, do you have people come up and say I have enjoyed it for 20 years?
Gary: I don't think people talk about how many years so much, as, I had a guy just yesterday say I grew up listening to you call Kings games. I thought, that's cool, I hope you like the game. I hope you like the experience. In our mind I don't think we think of ourselves getting older, we all of course do, and I know I'm starting to get up in the upper end of this thing now. It really is exciting. Its great to come into this building on a night, were you have 10-12,000 people and they're enjoying it and they're encouraging these little kids getting their moment to be coached by Chris Webber and Bobby Jackson. That's what makes the NBA experience,the Maloof Sports and Entertainment experience what it is in Sacramento. Don't ever let it go away-don't ever let it go away.
Koz: I think this is part of the specialty, and in fact G-man, that girl right there, "She's got the bucket"...And there are a great group of little kids here, Bobby Jackson coaching one of the teams, Chris with the other. I think that's part of the relationship. These guys are like little kids on some level-in a good fashion.
Gary: I think so many times we all as sports fans get caught up with how much money they make and one thing or another...We forget that they are human beings. We forget that there's a lot of little kid left in these guys even in if that are in their mid 20's or early 30's or whatever. This is the kind of night that you see it. I think this one of the kind of things that's made Sacramento 's NBA presence very special over the years because there's always been this kind of feeling and this kind of sharing with the fans.
Talk about China
Koz: Is this year as wide open in the West as you can remember or are there teams that you think are head and shoulders above the rest?
Gary: No I don't have a real good feel because it is early. I want to say its wide open...Its not going to be an easy road. I think that's what intrigues me with this new cast of characters with Rick Aldeman, Geoff Petrie and the Maloofs. See what they could put together and can you get a DC healthy in time. That's the beauty of preseason, everybodys undefeated, speculation is ramped, everybodys made a lot of changes. I think the days of rosters staying the same are long gone with the way FA is set up and salary cap etc...Its going to be fun how it shapes up.
Koz: That makes Sacramento so unique in that there some core players here...You got a Peja entering his 7th year and a Chris Webber... you don't get to see guys that long in one city. I think these fans have been treated to some pretty exciting stuff
Gary: The last 6 years, I don't know if Rick Aldeman gets enough credit for what he has done. I just think if you look at the record...its very impressive in my mind. I think sometimes people need to stop and take a good hard look at that. It’s easy for everyone to get greedy. Its easy for expectations to get a little out of wack, but as we say so many times, to win a championship, A) You got to be good, B) You to be lucky C) You got to be healthy. It’s a lot tougher than a lot of people think. The fact that this team has been as a contender, I love it. It makes the experience enjoyable... How many years I used to tell visiting broadcasters coming to Arco just because they were on a club that on any given night when they walked in to an arena they had a chance to win. Well, in the last couple of years the Sacramento Kings have been on that side of the fence and I like that a lot.
