After the breakup of the Bulls championship team, I was going to boycott the NBA but I peeked at the free preview of the League Pass and stopped surfing when I saw Webber. ......and there was this KID bringing the ball up full bore into the San Antonio front line. I couldn't stop watching. Webber was pulling down rebounds 1 handed from both sides of the lane (anyone remember when he used to do that?)......their passing was unbelievable......they were a breath of fresh air, like the spirit of the game breaking out from the oppressive atmosphere of overcoaching and over marketing that the nba had become. I watched them again and saw the most amazing NBA game I've ever seen .....the Kings vs. Phoenix ...and on to Houston where Scottie and Hakeem dusted off some of their flashy moves for the new kids on the block......by then I was hooked and posting on about 5 message boards about the Kings. I also renewed my League Pass. I took quite a bit of trash talk when I beat the drum for the Kings...making bold statements like "This team will change the game", but soon the "W&W Showtime Road Team" was the top espn highlight...and I was vindicated.

Last year the NBA changed the rules to encourage the Kings' style. After watching the Bulls for so long....the Marquee NBA Team....with all the attention that goes with it, King Ball was a blast. It reminded me of a little out of the way jazz club that you stumble on before it becomes trendy. They weren't on national TV and they came on the way a team is supposed to....from the grassroots and word of mouth. Things have changed....NBA marketing discovered te Kings and Petrie made some moves I didn't like, but I'm still watching. The '99 Kings made me remember why I love basketball after the jaded infighting and media frenzy in Chicago. The 2000 Kings made me wonder again if basketball can survive business & marketing.. I'm probably not a "true" Kings fan....more attached to the players and the style than the franchise....but I'm rooting for the small market Kings to make a splash (and maybe a change) in the NBA landscape and I get a kick out of posting with the fans who have waited a long time for a good team in Sacramento. I'm having fun. GO KINGS!

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