Updated April 13, 3:14 p.m.
After a not-so-sweet 16 years of hope-shattering disappointment, the Sacramento Kings will appear in the NBA postseason this weekend. The cowbells are out. The town is turning purple. It’s actually happening.
The team’s postseason return marks the end of an ignominious streak, the longest in the NBA — and all of professional sports. It was a journey replete with enough drama, and politics, to rival Succession, from the franchise possibly relocating to Seattle or Anaheim (even Virginia Beach) to building a sparkly new home court (thanks to a generous Sacramento taxpayer contribution).
And, of course, there are the actual basketball memories — varying from deep regret (not drafting future hall-of-famers Damian Lillard or Steph Curry) to exploding-head emoji (cycling through 12 head coaches, choosing Marvin Bagley III over Luka Doncic). And all of those letdowns compartmentalized by fans in a very sunken place.
The Kings loyalty officially emerges from six-feet under this week, and the team’s playoff experience tips-off on Saturday, April 15, at 5:30 p.m. They couldn’t face a more daunting opponent: NorCal rivals and reigning champions, the Golden State Warriors. Sure, the playoffs are about hope, possibility and a towering purple laser at the end of the playoff tunnel. But we’re going to need some magic — and maybe a few dragons — to dethrone Curry and the champs.
At this point, it’s OK to dream: Will Kings guard De’Aaron Fox extend his end-of-game clutch magic into the spring and summer, a la Mike Bibby’s legendary winning bucket in game five of the 2002 Western Conference Finals? Can Domantas Sabonis dominate the under-sized Warriors and send them packing to an early vacation??
Oddsmakers at Five Thirty Eight are pegging the Kings with an 18% chance of beating the Warriors and heading to the second round, and a 0.5% chance of winning it all. But before you fire off hate mail to Nate Silver, embrace the thrill of the moment. Again, the Kings are in the damn playoffs!
We recognize that many Sacramentans are new to this basketball-playoffs thing and might be asking themselves, “Wait, I’m a Kings fan?” If you’re that person — wondering why passersby are hollering “Light the Beam” and suddenly raising Kings flags from their cars — then CapRadio is here to help. From nicknames to watch parties, this story will help you navigate the Kings first playoff run since 2006.
Here’s what you can learn:
I’m new to the Kings bandwagon? Who are the key players?
Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox.AP Photo/Frank Franklin IIDe’Aaron Fox
Essentials: Wears No. 5, selected as the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA draft, plays point guard
Backstory: Fox endured five losing seasons in Sacramento before this year’s playoff appearance. He secured his first all-star appearance this season, and is poised to end up on an All-NBA team, which recognizes the league’s 15 best players.
Fun fact: Fox has scored more points “in the clutch” this season than any other player. This means that, at the end of the game and in the final quarter, he is the top-scoring player in the league.
Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis.AP Photo/José Luis VillegasDomantas Sabonis
Essentials: Wears No. 10, is listed as 7 feet tall, plays center position
Backstory: Sabonis, who played for the Indiana Pacers, arrived in Sacramento as a two-time all-star in 2022 after a contentious trade. He’s now a three-time all-star and the team’s anchor.
Fun fact: He lives in Napa.
Sacramento Kings power forward Keegan Murray.AP Photo/Matt SlocumKeegan Murray
Essentials: Wears No. 13, plays power forward, was drafted by the Kings at the start of the 2022 season
Backstory: Before he joined the team, Murray played college basketball at the University of Iowa with his twin brother, Kris. Keegan Murray just made history of his own — on the same night the team clinched their spot in the playoffs — by beating the record for most 3-point shots made by a rookie in a single-season.
Fun fact: At the Golden 1 Center, he’s a fan favorite, and whenever he scores, the game announcer says “Keegan,” and the crowd chants back, “Murray!”
Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter.AP Photo/Frank Franklin IIKevin Huerter
Essentials: Wears No. 9, plays shooting guard
Backstory: Huerter was drafted to the Atlanta Hawks in 2018, leaving University of Maryland after his sophomore year to play in the NBA.
Fun fact: His nickname is “Red Velvet,” a moniker some fans embrace with flamboyant outfits at games.
Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes.AP Photo/José Luis VillegasHarrison Barnes
Essentials: Small forward, wears No. 40
Backstory: Barnes, who was highly touted out of high school and attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, won an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors. He’s one of the Kings veteran leaders and joined the team in 2019.
Fun fact: He’s one of six finalists for the NBA Sportsmanship Award and is widely considered an awesome teammate. He’s also the oldest starter on the team, at age 30.
Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk.AP Photo/Michael WykeMalik Monk
Essentials: Wears No. 0, plays guard
Backstory: Monk was a top-15 draft pick in 2017, the same year as Fox, and also attended Kentucky with Fox. Last season, he played for the Lakers. This year, he’s a sixth man of the year candidate (this means he’s one of the premier role players in the league)
Fun fact: During an early season stint, Monk injured his face, wore a Band-Aid and went on a spree of hot-shooting. He kept the Band-Aid for a bit longer than needed, and to this day fans still wear Band-Aids in his honor.
Mike Brown
Essentials: He’s the head coach
Backstory: Brown began his coaching career in 2005, when he helmed the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James. He’s also coached the Lakers, and served as an assistant on the Warriors between 2016 and 2022.
Fun fact: Brown has won four NBA championships as an assistant coach.
Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown.AP Photo/Darren Abate
How do the NBA playoffs work and what is the Kings situation?
The NBA divides its 30 teams into two conferences — western and eastern — and eight teams from each conference make the playoffs.
The Kings have secured the No. 3 seed, which means they will play the No. 6 seed Warriors in the first round, which is a best-of-seven series (i.e., the first team to win four games will advance to round two). That series is scheduled to debut Saturday, April 15 in Sacramento at the Golden 1 Center, and tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. Another game will be held in Sacramento on Monday, April 17, then the teams will face off at the Chase Center in San Francisco on April 20 and 23.
If the Kings — or the Warriors — have not yet secured four wins by the April 23 game, the series will continue. Games would alternate between Sacramento and San Francisco until a team clinches four wins.
The totality of the NBA playoffs is four rounds, including the Finals.
Preceding the playoffs, there is a “play-in tournament.” During this tournament, the seventh through tenth seeds will vie for two remaining playoff spots. That play-in tournament will take place April 11-14 (again, due to the Kings record and seeding, they qualify for the playoffs without contending in the play-in tournament).
People keep hollering ‘Light The Beam!’ What’s up with that?
The Kings’ winning record wasn’t the only NBA phenomenon of the 2022-23 season.
On September 16 (also known as “916 Day,” the team debuted a purple laser atop the Golden 1 Center, which would be lit any time the team won a home or road game.
The team’s early-season success in November immediately prompted “Light the Beam!” chants at the end of games, with fans clamoring for the purple laser to blast into the sky. Other monikers, including “Beam Team,” became popular.
Since then, the “the beam,” as it is affectionately referred to, has added even more lasers, amplifying its presence on the Sacramento skyline. And across the country, other teams, fans and pundits have adopted the “Light the beam” slogan — although the team has applied for a copyright of the term.
You can learn more about the beam by reading this CapRadio story by Claire Morgan.
The Sacramento Kings beat the Indiana Pacers at Golden1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. Fans have responded to the beam with delight, chanting for the beam to be lit during games and nicknaming the team the "Beam Team."Andrew Nixon / CapRadioHow can I get Kings playoff tickets?
For the first round, the Kings could play up to seven games, and games one, two, five and seven would be in Sacramento at the Golden 1 Center.
Season-ticket holders had first dibs on tickets, and they’ve already been able to secure their purchases. For the general public, single-game playoff tickets will go on-sale Monday, April 10, at noon. Unfortunately, most of the tickets are already sold, and fans attempting to secure passage will be vying against Warriors fans in the Bay Area.
Tickets will be more expensive than regular season games, and they will sell out very quickly (remember, you’re going for tickets not only against local fans, but also fans from opposing teams who have the motivation and wherewithal to travel).
If you’re curious to explore the secondary market for tickets on websites such as StubHub, you might be in for some sticker shock: As of April 10, it will cost you at least $511 a ticket to get in the building for game one.
Where can I watch the playoffs in Sacramento?
If you’re not one of the fortunate 17,000 to enter the Golden 1 Center for home games, there are of course myriad options (often more affordable), from the comforts of your own domicile to the several-patrons-deep camaraderie of your central city sports bar.
Tipsy Putt, a bar in the Downtown Commons complex, has announced plans to host watch parties for Kings playoff games, both home and away.
The Kings themselves will be hosting viewing parties for road games during round one, including buying tickets to view the games inside the Golden 1 Center.
Games one and four will be broadcast on ABC, while games two and three will be on TNT. The following games’ broadcast schedule has yet to be decided. We will update this story with additional details as they become available.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified which college Harrison Barnes attended. It has since been updated.
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