Looking back...
It's official. The old Kings are now history. They'll live forever in our memories but the team that graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and took us places we'd never been before is now totally and completely gone.
It was a great team. It was a team to talk about through the ages. It was a team that got us to the big leagues.
Jason, Doug, Peja, Chris and Vlade... Those names will forever mean so much to Kings fans. They started it. They got it going and they got US going.
"If you don't like that you don't like NBA basketball" will forever be tied to those five young men. It will still be said, but it's not ever going to be quite the same.
Jason. "White Chocolate" breaking down court with such reckless abandon you (and I suspect he) had no idea what he was going to do once he got to the other end. A sweet behind-the-back pass, a pullup jumper right across mid-court, an airball or a pass into the fifth row of seats. All were possible; all happened. And we cheered...or moaned...but we were standing while we did it.
Doug. With a touch for theft so sweet we actually called his steals "GTC" or Grand Theft Christie. The upraised hand as a signal to his wife. Kinda weird at first, but then we grew to accept it and him. With what he did on the court, who cared if he wanted to remind himself and his wife that his family still came first? The best memory will most likely be the night when, after being injured, he was in the locker room and saw Peja being brought in with an injury. Doug came back out, played on a very painful foot, and helped us win. That was Doug Christie. Warrior to the end.
Peja. Oh, dear lord. Peja. Yeah, few of us could pronounce his name when he first was drafted but once he got here and started to play, we learned quickly enough. And we grew to recognize that this kid was something special. We knew why Petrie had taken the chance and we were very glad he had. The "Serbian Lay-Up," taken from about six feet beyond the arc, was magical. Nothing but net on a shot that was so sweet and so high you couldn't believe it was ever going to come back down. He did us proud in the three-point competition and even when things weren't going well he could still pull up and sink a shot that would take our breath away.
Chris. C-Webb. The guy who complained about a lack of soul food in Sacramento and at first was very reluctant to come here. Legal problems aside, Webber was Webber. He came here and then he played his heart out. He gave us 20/10/5 so routinely that we came to expect it. And that grin. Talk about brilliance. History will most likely be kinder to Webber than some critics. He got us out of our seats and jumping up and down. He had most of us glued to our radios on the day when the official announcement was made that he would re-sign with the Kings. Mercurial? Oh yeah. Warrior? God, yes.
Vlade. ...sigh... Vlade. Where can I start and what can I say about the big guy from Serbia with the infectious laugh and gentleness that belied his size? Vlade Divac chose to come to Sacramento. If anything, he started the whole thing by being willing to give this small market town a chance. His sweet passes, his fatherly attitude towards the kids on the team, his remarkable generosity and kindness. You don't find players like Vlade Divac very often. The fact he was a King for the best years of his career is something we can all remember with pride. The fact he still maintains ties to Sacramento and says we're in his heart says something about us...and it's good.
There they are. The five guys whose faces stood out from the cover of Sports Illustrated. In one way, it seems like only yesterday. In another, it is truly an eternity. Together they are the stuff legends are made of. And, to this Kings fan at least, they ARE the team I will never forget.
Reluctantly, we say good-bye forever to those guys and we have to close the book. But not without one last Thank You.
Jason, Doug, Peja, Chris and Vlade...You opened our eyes to what it could be like to be a fan of an exciting team. I, for one, will never forget you and I'll never stop thanking you for the thrill of the ride.
Then, now and forever...GO KINGS!!!
It's official. The old Kings are now history. They'll live forever in our memories but the team that graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and took us places we'd never been before is now totally and completely gone.
It was a great team. It was a team to talk about through the ages. It was a team that got us to the big leagues.
Jason, Doug, Peja, Chris and Vlade... Those names will forever mean so much to Kings fans. They started it. They got it going and they got US going.
"If you don't like that you don't like NBA basketball" will forever be tied to those five young men. It will still be said, but it's not ever going to be quite the same.
Jason. "White Chocolate" breaking down court with such reckless abandon you (and I suspect he) had no idea what he was going to do once he got to the other end. A sweet behind-the-back pass, a pullup jumper right across mid-court, an airball or a pass into the fifth row of seats. All were possible; all happened. And we cheered...or moaned...but we were standing while we did it.
Doug. With a touch for theft so sweet we actually called his steals "GTC" or Grand Theft Christie. The upraised hand as a signal to his wife. Kinda weird at first, but then we grew to accept it and him. With what he did on the court, who cared if he wanted to remind himself and his wife that his family still came first? The best memory will most likely be the night when, after being injured, he was in the locker room and saw Peja being brought in with an injury. Doug came back out, played on a very painful foot, and helped us win. That was Doug Christie. Warrior to the end.
Peja. Oh, dear lord. Peja. Yeah, few of us could pronounce his name when he first was drafted but once he got here and started to play, we learned quickly enough. And we grew to recognize that this kid was something special. We knew why Petrie had taken the chance and we were very glad he had. The "Serbian Lay-Up," taken from about six feet beyond the arc, was magical. Nothing but net on a shot that was so sweet and so high you couldn't believe it was ever going to come back down. He did us proud in the three-point competition and even when things weren't going well he could still pull up and sink a shot that would take our breath away.
Chris. C-Webb. The guy who complained about a lack of soul food in Sacramento and at first was very reluctant to come here. Legal problems aside, Webber was Webber. He came here and then he played his heart out. He gave us 20/10/5 so routinely that we came to expect it. And that grin. Talk about brilliance. History will most likely be kinder to Webber than some critics. He got us out of our seats and jumping up and down. He had most of us glued to our radios on the day when the official announcement was made that he would re-sign with the Kings. Mercurial? Oh yeah. Warrior? God, yes.
Vlade. ...sigh... Vlade. Where can I start and what can I say about the big guy from Serbia with the infectious laugh and gentleness that belied his size? Vlade Divac chose to come to Sacramento. If anything, he started the whole thing by being willing to give this small market town a chance. His sweet passes, his fatherly attitude towards the kids on the team, his remarkable generosity and kindness. You don't find players like Vlade Divac very often. The fact he was a King for the best years of his career is something we can all remember with pride. The fact he still maintains ties to Sacramento and says we're in his heart says something about us...and it's good.
There they are. The five guys whose faces stood out from the cover of Sports Illustrated. In one way, it seems like only yesterday. In another, it is truly an eternity. Together they are the stuff legends are made of. And, to this Kings fan at least, they ARE the team I will never forget.
Reluctantly, we say good-bye forever to those guys and we have to close the book. But not without one last Thank You.
Jason, Doug, Peja, Chris and Vlade...You opened our eyes to what it could be like to be a fan of an exciting team. I, for one, will never forget you and I'll never stop thanking you for the thrill of the ride.
Then, now and forever...GO KINGS!!!
