The 6th Man Report: More Cowbell

I will admit that I haven’t been a very good Kings fan since moving back to Sacramento in the summer of 2021.

Despite being a fan since the team first came to California, my interest had waned over the years as the Kings became a laughingstock and super teams and trade demands made it hard to maintain a rooting interest in any one team.

As a TCU graduate and someone who still covers Horned Frog athletics, I became more attached to guys like Kenrich Williams and Desmond Bane, watching their games and box scores more closely than anything the Kings were doing. I knew those guys well and wanted them to succeed, and Sacramento wasn’t doing anything of interest, anyway.

That has changed this season.

It’s not just that the Kings are good: they’re FUN. Fun in a way I haven’t seen in a very long time.

I was at Arco Arena when the Sonics eliminated the Kings in their first playoff appearance of the Sacramento era. I won’t ever forget how loud it was. Somehow it was louder during the late-90s, early-2000s run, and the fanbase stayed committed well after the winning stopped. That’s why you see fans of other teams, commentators, and former players cheering for the Kings now with the tagline of “no fanbase deserves this more.”

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a March Pass, a cheap ticket that gets you into every home game in March but doesn’t assign you a seat until a couple hours before tip-off. Because of some other commitments, I didn’t actually get to a game until Thursday night, when I braved the weather to watch the Kings take on the red-hot Knicks. I got my seat assignment — in literally the last row of the arena — grabbed a beer and a slice of pizza, and made the trek up. And up. And up some more.

I’ve become a bit of a seat snob since I started as a credentialed media member; once you’ve worked the sidelines and in press boxes, it’s a little tough to go back to the cheap seats. But there’s something I missed about sitting in the stands, and that’s being with the fans. And the thing I’ll always appreciate about the fans in the upper deck is that you find the passionate people there — the ones that just desperately want to be in the building, not the ones that are there to be seen. When you’re sitting in the upper deck, you’re there for the vibes, the feeling, the energy; it can get a little corporate in the best seats but it’s chaos when you get a little higher up.

I had a blast Thursday night, screaming my head off, taking selfies with strangers, and high-fiving every big play. I booed the guy in the Knicks jersey that spilled a beer on the court every time they showed him on the Jumbotron — and it was a lot of times — and cheered my purple heart out when former TCU quarterback Max Duggan was announced as in attendance. It was as happy as I have been watching NBA basketball in a long time, and walking out into the rain after the way Sacramento won that game was pretty special.

The Beam has united Kings fans and gotten the attention of NBA fans and media members nationally. It works because they’re winning, and the fans are still a likable group because it’s been so long since the team has done anything of note. De’Aaron Fox is as fun to watch in the fourth quarter as any player we have seen in the last few years, and his proclivity for making big shots in the biggest moments — and doing so in a style that is uniquely his — makes him must-watch TV. Harrison Barnes plays the role of grizzled vet, Keegan Murray of up-and-coming rookie, and Domantis Sabonis of the lovable big man that passes like a point guard. It’s a hard team to hate.

But, all that to say, I think the hate is coming. And I welcome it.

The cute story of the regular season is about to be a much darker film; if the Kings hold on to a top four seed and host a playoff series, the sound of cowbells ringing throughout the arena to add to already off-the-charts decibel levels is going to be a bane in the existence of opposing fanbases. There’s a long history of great players hating playing in Sacramento, and that reputation should grow in the coming weeks.

The magic number to host a series sits at 10 with 16 to play — the Kings will get seven of those at home and there are injuries and off the court issues surrounding their closest competitors.

Let the cowbells ring, friends. The Kings are back.

Crown Him:

There has been a lot of love on Twitter for the newest King, trade deadline acquisition Kessler Edwards, and rightly so.

The former Pepperdine Wave came to Sacramento by way of the Nets, where he averaged a shade under 5 ppg to go along with three rebounds. A second-round pick, Edwards is a rangy wing who shot nearly 40% from three in college, but struggled this season from deep.

Sometimes, the best remedy for struggles is a change in scenery, and Edwards is seeming to find his footing with the playoff-bound Kings. He had his coming out party Saturday night in the desert, scoring 12 points and pulling in seven rebounds in 26 minutes, all while harassing the ever living heck out of Suns’ star Devin Booker. Though Booker had a big game, Edwards didn’t make it easy on him, and his effort on the glass was a breath of fresh air after Thursday’s struggles on the boards against the Knicks.

It also helped that Edwards flashed brilliance on a night when rookie Keegan Murray struggled.

In addition to his defense, Edwards knocked down a huge three pointer (after bricking a deep ball earlier and a near-devastating turnover), likely earning himself more minutes going forward. The Kings have a need for defense and rebounding off of the bench, and if Edwards can provide that — and knock down open shots — Sacramento just got a lot better.

SacTown’s Finest:

I am a huge college basketball fan. I have become an even bigger college basketball fan since TCU became a respectable program. Everyone seems to be paying attention to college hoops come March, and there is absolutely nothing like attending tournament games in person.

Well, SacTown folks, you’re in luck: Golden 1 is hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament this weekend.

It doesn’t matter who is playing, it’s worth checking out. We will be treated to some really fun matchups here in the Capital City, with a pair of upper echelon Pac-12 teams (Arizona and UCLA), a tournament darling (Northwestern) making their second ever appearance, a decorated Ivy with connections to the Kings (Princeton, once led by the legendary Pete Carril), a couple of western teams (Utah State and Boise State), UNC Asheville, and Missouri.

Much like the home team, the offenses will be flowing this weekend. I hate to go chalk here, but I think the Wildcats and the Bruins are far and away the best two teams, and should both advance to the Sweet 16.

With the Kings on the road, get your basketball fix with the college game. It promises to be a good weekend of hoops.