Sacramento Kings victory ray: More than a happy story or a rallying cry

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Sacramento, CA – Few words can bring Sacramento The mathematical community together more than these three:

“Light the beam!”

The Sacramento Kings have acceded to that request several times this season, lighting their victory beam and placing themselves among the top three in the standings. NBAWestern Conference.

For those unfamiliar, Sacramento shines lasers into the sky from the top of the Golden 1 center after each win—”farther than the human eye can see,” according to Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé. It was briefly listed as a “Place of Worship” on Google Maps By the most loyal fans.

Ray of Victory came to fruition after a brainstorming session with Ranadevi and King’s Chief Commercial Officer John Reinhart. Originally, Reinhart was inspired by a classmate at the California Professional Athletic Club. The Los Angeles Angels have a Big A sign, a 230-foot-tall metal structure in the shape of the letter A, in their parking lot with a halo that lights up after every win.

Then Ranadevi had a conversation with his friend David Kelly, founder of the consulting and design firm IDEO, before creating the Golden 1 Center. Kelly plants a seed in Ranadevi’s head which will later flower in the beam. He advised Ranadive what his “purple lights” were in reference to Kelly’s unique experiences on Virgin Atlantic flights, which have purple LED lights on all of their aircraft. Despite Ranadive’s imagination, he may not have imagined how the Sacramento community would embrace the ray.

“The Golden 1 Center is about 100 feet from us, and once they win, customers will go upstairs to get a visual of the beam itself,” said Danny White, assistant general manager of Flatstick Pub in downtown Sacramento. the athlete. “I think it’s just Sacramento pride and athletic pride.”

Not only the fans or the community are excited about the beam. The team itself has fully embraced it, too. Several Sacramento players took to social media after the win to express their excitement about the package.

Kings fans had a lot to cheer about this season. Daron Fox He was one of the league’s leaders in clutch points and developed into one of the most talented young guards in the NBA. Domantas Sabonis He seems to flirt with triples per game, averaging 18.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. Kevin Huerter On pace to achieve career-highs in scoring and 3-point shooting, Mike Brown is poised to coach the team to its first post-season berth in 17 years.

For some, the energy surrounding the victories — the image of 17,000 fans at the Golden 1 Center chanting “Light the beam!” – taking some getting used to it.

“I thought it was a little crazy that the chant starts two minutes and thirty seconds early,” Kings rookie said Keegan Murray He said after they beat them 110-101 bulls Last month. “But it was all good.”


Kevin Huerter of the Kings pressed the button to light the beam after a game against the Denver Nuggets at the Golden 1 Center. (Sergio Estrada / USA Today)

The cheer can often be heard during Kings games, but is loudest when a team is within striking distance of winning. These chants have even gone all over California. They were recently heard at the Crypto.com Arena, home of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

“We’ve heard it (the chant) so many times in the yards, and every time I hear it, I get a little nervous because they start chanting it as the clock ticks on,” Brown said. “But it’s fun to see Sacramento Kings jerseys on the road. We have the best fans in the league. … We feel it not only in the ring, but we feel it all over town.”

“To be able to get groups of people in your opponent’s arena to show the love that they have shown you feel good about yourself, but you feel good about them as well. … We hope they continue to travel with us.”

Back in downtown Sacramento, the ripple effect of the Victory Pack widens. Impound Comics, which is located 400 meters from the Golden 1 center, was established “lighting the beam” t-shirts Which Kings fans buy.

“It kind of becomes out of stock, so we’re always ordering new products,” said Brent Sands, owner of Impound Comics. the athlete. “There are people coming in now who may not have been in before. They see ‘lighting the beam’ T-shirts through the window, they’ll go in and we’ll explain to them what we really are.”

Every time the Kings build on their success and light the spotlight, local businesses have new opportunities to connect with new customers and the community at large.

“The Kings victory package has been a catalyst for uniting this community,” said Derek Gallanosa, head brewer at Moxa Brewing Company in Rocklin, Calif., about 25 minutes from downtown Sacramento. the athlete. “With the prospect of their first playoff appearance in (17) years, this dedicated fan base is indulging in anything and everything related to the Kings.”

The last time Sacramento won 25 games was by mid-January 2004-2005. This team finished 50-32, second in the Pacific Division and sixth in the Western Conference before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the third-seeded Seattle SuperSonics.

For a city without any NBA action after nearly two decades, Sacramento feels a sense of optimism that may once have felt impossible to recapture. The impact of winning – and the reward of a victory package – cannot be overstated.

(Top photo: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

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