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[drupal=121]One small step for a King, one giant leap for Kings fans![/drupal]
Saturday night (Jan. 9) may not have felt like there was a shift in the universe. Of course, there was the 6.5 earthquake off the coast of Eureka, CA, but that was at 4:27 p.m. A bit too early to be a definitive portent of things to come.
The real shift came later. In basketball terms, it came with 3.8 seconds left on the game clock, when Tyreke Evans blew by Kenyon Martin, drove inside and drew both Martin and Nene towards him, spun and showed that he does have the stuff superstars are made of, as he put up the fade away jumper with cool reserve, sinking it for a 102-100 lead. There were 0.7 seconds left on the clock, but it wouldn't matter. Hawes suddenly remembered that he's 7 feet tall and, covering the inbound passer like a cheap suit, made it impossible for the Nuggets to get a relevant shot off before the buzzer.
Evans' bucket was indeed the shot heard round the world. It not only put the basketball world on notice that these Kings are, indeed, something special, it also showed a glimpse of the one thing Evans has been said to be lacking - a reliable jumpshot.
This does not signal a return to the playoffs. It doesn't even signal a return to the world of .500 records. But that does not in any way diminish its importance.
From the minute David Stern took to the podium and announced, "With the fourth pick of the 2009 NBA draft, the Sacramento Kings select Tyreke Evans," Kings fans have wanted to believe. They've allowed the old feelings to stir again and bubble close to the surface. Even those who wanted the much touted Ricky Rubio have slowly but surely come to realize that this kid - who is only 20 years old - is something unique and wonderful, something so rare that a lot of fans never get to see his caliber of player in their home team's uniform.
The Sacramento Kings are fun again. The Sacramento Kings are well on their way to being relevant again. And Sacramento Kings fans are returning to Arco to show their approval and support.
Last night, the Sacramento Kings put it all together and got the job done. And we were all witness to the bold statement that came with it - The Kings are here, they're real and they're only going to get better.
Grab a seat now, fellow Kings fans. Buckle your seat belts and get ready for the time of your lives. Don't worry about the occasional bump in the road or sidetrip. The Kings are headed in the right direction, thanks to Geoff Petrie, thanks to the Maloofs, thanks to Coach Paul Westphal and thanks to every single member of the team. It is truly a team effort and we're all lucky enough to be asked along for the ride.
Coach Westphal said it best last night, "If you underestimate these guys (meaning the Kings), you're making a big mistake."
It's a great day for Kings fans. I believe!
[drupal=121]One small step for a King, one giant leap for Kings fans![/drupal]
Saturday night (Jan. 9) may not have felt like there was a shift in the universe. Of course, there was the 6.5 earthquake off the coast of Eureka, CA, but that was at 4:27 p.m. A bit too early to be a definitive portent of things to come.
The real shift came later. In basketball terms, it came with 3.8 seconds left on the game clock, when Tyreke Evans blew by Kenyon Martin, drove inside and drew both Martin and Nene towards him, spun and showed that he does have the stuff superstars are made of, as he put up the fade away jumper with cool reserve, sinking it for a 102-100 lead. There were 0.7 seconds left on the clock, but it wouldn't matter. Hawes suddenly remembered that he's 7 feet tall and, covering the inbound passer like a cheap suit, made it impossible for the Nuggets to get a relevant shot off before the buzzer.
Evans' bucket was indeed the shot heard round the world. It not only put the basketball world on notice that these Kings are, indeed, something special, it also showed a glimpse of the one thing Evans has been said to be lacking - a reliable jumpshot.
This does not signal a return to the playoffs. It doesn't even signal a return to the world of .500 records. But that does not in any way diminish its importance.
From the minute David Stern took to the podium and announced, "With the fourth pick of the 2009 NBA draft, the Sacramento Kings select Tyreke Evans," Kings fans have wanted to believe. They've allowed the old feelings to stir again and bubble close to the surface. Even those who wanted the much touted Ricky Rubio have slowly but surely come to realize that this kid - who is only 20 years old - is something unique and wonderful, something so rare that a lot of fans never get to see his caliber of player in their home team's uniform.
The Sacramento Kings are fun again. The Sacramento Kings are well on their way to being relevant again. And Sacramento Kings fans are returning to Arco to show their approval and support.
Last night, the Sacramento Kings put it all together and got the job done. And we were all witness to the bold statement that came with it - The Kings are here, they're real and they're only going to get better.
Grab a seat now, fellow Kings fans. Buckle your seat belts and get ready for the time of your lives. Don't worry about the occasional bump in the road or sidetrip. The Kings are headed in the right direction, thanks to Geoff Petrie, thanks to the Maloofs, thanks to Coach Paul Westphal and thanks to every single member of the team. It is truly a team effort and we're all lucky enough to be asked along for the ride.
Coach Westphal said it best last night, "If you underestimate these guys (meaning the Kings), you're making a big mistake."
It's a great day for Kings fans. I believe!
