Why Am I (Still) A Kings Fan?

[EIM86]

IDK if a lot of KINGS fans know this, but they are the oldest existing franchise in the association. And, sadly, they also own one of the longest championship droughts among the major sports leagues.

we are the Detroit Lions of Basketball

 

[Das_Boot]

There was no darker time to be a Kings fan than when people associated with the Kings org were trying to get the fans to see the Hawes/Thompson frontcourt as the next Webber/Vlade.

Oh man, and you can't forget Jerry's Brad Miller / Spencer Hawesome ivory towers duo.

 

[Tetsujin]

we are the Detroit Lions of Basketball

Hopefully we can one day graduate to being the Boston Red Sox of basketball.

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

we are the Detroit Lions of Basketball

Some may argue against me here, but at least you're labeling us as the "Detroit Lions", and not the "Cleveland Browns"...

 

[KingsFanSince85]

we are the Detroit Lions of Basketball

Funny, I was almost gonna say the same exact thing.

But the more I thought about it, the Cardinals are a better comparison as they are the oldest existing NFL franchise, have largely been perennial cellar dwellers, and came oh so close to a title in the 2000’s but didn’t get one.

They also are vagabonds very much like our KINGS, having been in Chicago, St. Louis and now Phoenix.

So KINGS = Cardinals.

 

[chief bromden]

Some may argue against me here, but at least you're labeling us as the "Detroit Lions", and not the "Cleveland Browns"...

Lions are actually worse historically, but arguing which franchise sucks more is more futile than the franchises themselves lol

 

[ppine]

I became a fan when all the games were on TV for free. I am trained to root for underdogs.
Now I pay extra a month and still can't get any games. Now being a fan takes more effort than I want to give.

I still like the Kings, but the current system of blacking out games (and Warriors games) is very disturbing. If you want to be a sports fan now you have to pay for it. I can get the U of Nevada games and U of Washington games for free so I am becoming a fan of college basketball. I like to watch Gonzaga play.

 

[TaxMan]

As my handle indicates, I've been an insufferable KINGS fan since 1985.

I was 14 and beginning my freshman year in HS when the KINGS came to town. I was 100% a football guy at the time and only knew the very basics of basketball until falling head over heels for the sport ever after.

My only previous NBA experience was watching the 1984 Finals as I rooted for LA over Boston. I hated Boston. I hated Kevin McHale. Little did I know then that would I grow to hate the Lakers.

My mother worked for a general surgeon that bought into a season ticket group the first 2 seasons. Being on call constantly, he gave us tickets to games he couldn't attend. My dad eventually bought into the season ticket group and my family remained season ticket holders until around 1994ish.

Needless to say, we saw some awful basketball first hand. The trade off was being able to see the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, the Bad Boy Pistons, and many more come through ARCO Arena. And with ARCO 1, it was easy to meet these players and get autographs as they had to walk past all the fans to get to their team bus which was located outside in those days.

Still, despite all the terrible basketball we endured those 1st ten years, it started to shift in the mid-90's. Then, of course, our fandom really paid off circa 1998 - 2006. Those years made it seem worth it, despite getting robbed of the title.

16 years later, I continually ask why I'm still a fan (as the topic of the thread poses).

IDK if it's me or just my generation. But I'm just not able to switch teams. Once I have a favorite they're always my favorite. Through thick and thin. I can't fathom anything different. Although sometimes I'd like to.

Admittedly, there are times when I don't follow as closely. Call it "extreme fan fatigue" from losing every season. But I still can't root for another team as my #1 favorite.

Unfortunate as it is now and has been for 16 years and even for the first decade in SAC -- I am forever a KINGS fan.

That sounds a lot like my story! Went to a few games at the original Arco arena (a glorified warehouse….wasn’t the capacity about 10k?). Then went with my dad for many years as he shared season tickets with a group of guys. I still remember the first time he let me join in their annual “draft” of the game tickets. Fun times despite terrible teams. Original playoff series against the sonics was deafening.

My dad and I continued to meet up for games as I went to UC Davis, and then just my luck I graduated and moved to SF in 1998 right when we turned things around. At least we got on more national TV games during that run, but I still remember getting faint AM radio coverage of the games from SF when the weather/cloud cover was just right. Thank god for NBA league pass nowadays!

 

[KingsFanSince85]

Went to a few games at the original Arco arena (a glorified warehouse….wasn’t the capacity about 10k?).

10,333 … the meaningless things we remember.

Original playoff series against the sonics was deafening.

We’ve never seen anything louder, for longer, since.

I attended GM3 with 3 friends after the upset win in Seattle. The crowd was at a fever pitch and waving towels like the old school Steelers fans during pregame warmups. It never stopped the entire game until late when the crowd started to fade a bit, and of course the team did too.

Closest to that game I can recall was the 1999 series against Utah in GM3 when Todd Fuller went to the free throw line in the waning moments. It was so freaking loud everyone in the building knew he had no chance to make those shots.

After the KINGS won to seize a 2-1 series lead strangers were hugging each other and celebrating on the way out of the building. It was incredible. I can only imagine what would have happened if they actually ever won a title.

The buzz prior to the 2002 series against all opponents, especially LA, was also crazy but never to the same level as that Sonics game or the 1st series with Utah. There was such a long wait and build up to those first playoff series. Fans got a tad spoiled as playoff series stacked up.

Also, the 2001 series win over PHX was pretty cool too. 1st playoff series win in SAC history. The clincher was played in PHX but we fans still piled into ARCO to watch on the jumbotron.

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

10,333 … the meaningless things we remember.

17,317

Also meaningless, but always remembered

 

[QWERTYLICIOUS]

It was the Summer of 1998. Michael Jordan had just retired (again) from basketball, and from playing for the Chicago Bulls. I had no choice. I had to become 100% committed to my home team. How perfect was the timing? Too perfect, some argued at that time. And some still argue even today.

ARCO Arena
ARCO Thunder
The 6th Man
The Cowbell
The Greatest Show on Court
The Bench Mob
Big Mike (Bonus points if anyone gets this reference)
The Princeton Offense

Run into any Sacramento Kings fan alive and well during those years, and the above words will be way too familiar (Well, at least most of them should).

That team was fun. That team was fast. That team was great. That team was SACRAMENTO. They were the city. No, I'm serious. THEY WERE SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA!!! Drive 5 miles from your residence, and you were pretty much guaranteed to see a Kings banner. Or a Kings sign. Or a Kings flag. They were everywhere, folks! The Kings weren't just a team. They weren't just another "event" to go out and watch in Sacramento. The Kings were THE culture. They were the heartbeat.

The Kings gave us hope. Hope that, one day, Sacramento will host a championship parade. And, boy were we close. What was ours to win became someone else's to take away from us. That hurt back then, still hurts today, and will forever hurt until the day I die. Yes, even if we figure things out and reach the promise land in that time.

The years since have been tough. What started off as a steady decline has now turned into a struggle to get back to relevancy. A lot of what has driven the direction of this team has been questionable at best. A lot of what currently drives this team has been questionable at best. A lot of what will continue to drive this team will be questionable at best.

I'll admit. I liked our previous owners. When we were good. When they were fully invested in this team. And then, it started to become clear. Something had to be changed. They weren't acting in the best interest of the team, or the city. They were only looking out for themselves.

They lied to us. They went behind our backs. They tried to stab us. We fought. We battled. We clawed. Because our only option was to win. Or, to put it more accurately, to not let them win. We wanted OUR team more than they wanted THEIR paycheck.

In came the new ownership. Like myself, Vivek is an Indian. So, the day he purchased the team was a day I reflect on and can admittedly say that I was happy. And proud. He has made a lot of questionable decisions as an owner. Some which have left me scratching my head. And wondering if we will ever see any basketball past game 82 of the regular season.

Decisions that have recently led me to ask myself...

Why am I (still) a Kings fan?

I'll tell you why...

Because the KINGS are MY TEAM. And no one's ever gonna come in and take that away from me. If anyone dares to try, they won't have a happy ending

Why am I (still) a Kings fan?

Because of moments like last night.
Because of feelings like I had last night.
Because of feelings like I have right now.
Because of feelings like I will have for the next week.
Because of feelings like I will have throughout our postseason run (no matter how long or short it will end up being).

THIS...is why I am STILL a Kings fan.
THIS...is why I will ALWAYS be a Kings fan.