Laser-focused Kings are beaming toward the playoffs
The Sacramento Kings debuted a victory laser beam Oct. 29. Since then, they’ve been lighting up the league.
After every Kings victory this season, the team “lights the beam,” turning on four giant purple lasers mounted on the entrance to their arena, the Golden 1 Center. It creates a purple beam that “goes into outer space,” according to Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé. He told NBC Sports' Tom Dierberger, “It goes farther than the human eye can see. I want aliens to see it. I want it to go so far out that everyone can see it.”
The team — and the fan base — have rallied around the beam. Since it first blasted into the sky, the Kings have won eight of 10 games, and both losses came after missed calls that could have sent the game to overtime. Fans have started chanting “Light the beam!” at the end of Kings games. Kevin Huerter nicknamed them “#BeamTeam,” and the fan base has followed suit.
Players have taken turns lighting the beam — Thursday night it was Chimezie Metu's.
Beyond the symbolic, hilarious nature of the beam, the Kings are, as LeBron James would say, “Sitting there with a lot of lot of lasers on their team.” They’ve made the fifth-most three-pointers in the league and are shooting 38.1 percent as a team. Huerter is making 51 percent of his triples while taking more than seven per game. Sacramento is fourth in assists and has the No. 2 offense in the NBA. It’s the best the Kings have been in a long time.
The Kings’ other good luck charm? Malik Monk’s Band-Aid. Monk put it on after getting his face scratched in the Kings’ loss to the Warriors. His face has long healed but the bandage remains, since the team has won five straight with the Nelly-like adornment on his face. Fans are starting to wear bandages of their own in the stands.
Beams, Band-Aids and Ball movement: The keys to a hot start that’s leaving Kings fans beaming.
More must-reads: