What Being a Kings Fan Means

As any true sports fan can tell you, there are ups and downs with being a die-hard fan. Even if you are a fan of a winning organization such as the New York Yankees or Pittsburgh Steelers, or even the Los Angeles Lakers, the team can quickly fall off the radar, make moves that disappoint you, or have players who make questionable decisions tarnishing their reputation as well as the organization's.

Claiming to be a Kings fan in public can bring about a negative response in light of the recent events that have gone on in Sacramento. We've fallen off the radar since the golden years of battling for the top spot, with the then heated rivalry with the Lakers. Toady, if you ask a Lakers fan the rivalry is dead; but ask a Kings fan it is still very much alive. If you were fortunate enough to be a fan back in the late 90s and early 2000s you know the heartbreak that comes with having a good team to follow when things do not turn out as they should. You see players suffer season and possibly career ending injuries- see Chris Webber in Dallas, heartbreaking trades- Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, and Kevin Martin, and worse yet the shattering of dreams by a improbable last second shot, see Robert Horry.

It comes as no surprise to me, after being a Kings fan for over 10 years, why people still say that Sacramento has the best fans on the NBA. While ARCO, soon to become Power Balance Pavilion, may not be as nice as other arenas or as full as it used to be, it's still full of fans coming out to show their support for THEIR team. Fans are protective of the players and defend them no matter what. Being a true fan means you take the losses, not well, but you know that there is a better day tomorrow, or at least the promise of one. You accept that you are in the lottery year after year, never getting the top pick, but "winning" the lottery anyway. In the past two years we have been at the bottom, or near the bottom of the NBA basement and still haven't picked higher than #4. If the #4 spot lands us Rookie of the Year in Tyreke Evans and the #5 spot lands us a top rookie in DeMarcus Cousins, I can't complain. While I would prefer to be back in the 20s where we used to be, I find our picks in the lottery to be winning. We might be the youngest team in the NBA this season, but the last two games of the season have proven what we have all known all along. That being young means nothing as long as you can learn to play as a unit.

The games I am referring to is the game on January 28th against the Los Angeles Lakers and the game on the 29th against the New Orleans Hornets. The Kings had lost their last eight meetings with the defending championship Lakers. We are not a particularly strong road team this season either, let alone visiting STAPLES Center. That is a game any Kings fan wants the team to win more than any other, but don't necessarily expect to win. The whole game the Kings played the way we all know they can, together. They played unselfish ball, passed the ball, and gave up individual opportunities to feed a better one of a teammate. DeMarcus Cousins came 1-point from tying his career high of 28-points and only had one foul the whole game. There were 5 Kings in double figures that game. As a Kings fan, we know that every second of the 48 plus minutes of a game matter. We have seen several games where the Kings have had a comfortable lead with time running out only to see a loss clocked by the time the final buzzer goes off. Friday night that didn't happen. The Kings held off the defending champs and beat them 100-95. The Kings are not the best in back to back game situations. One game is usually a loss if both aren't. I was in attendance at Saturday's game against the Hornets. Coming into the game, the Hornets were on a 10-game win streak and are one of the top teams in the East. DeMarcus continued his hot streak from L.A. during that game, tacking on 10 points before making his exit in the first quarter. The Kings lead for most of the game and staved off many runs by the Hornets to win. It was a great game.

To make a long story short, being a Kings fan means ups and downs; disappointments and triumphs. The bad times make the good times that much better. I bleed Black and Purple, I wear my Kings gear proudly. In the end, I am a Kings fan til the day I die, or the Kings cease to exist. Be Proud, Be Loud! That's a good way to be!