A return to basketball

I'll preface this with saying that I have been a Kings fan for, literally, my entire life. Born in 1987, I remember going to games for $1 (through some Target store promotion) to see Mitch Richmond put on a show and watch the hapless Kings lose time and time again. I remember cheering for Mitch as he displayed impeccable defense and precision 3-point shooting, leaving the games with a hoarse voice after a heartbreaking Kings loss.

Then there was a change in the Kings. Sacramento went out and starting turning over the roster and getting better. And the big shocker--Mitch Richmond traded. And the Chris Webber holdout. Then he comes around and, along with Vlade Divac, he and Jason Williams formed a team that was incredibly fun to watch. As the Kings rose to prominence, you can imagine how much I loved watching them. Then, with the combination of the 2002 heartbreaker losing to the Lakers and the 2003 heartbreaker against the Mavericks, I had to stop watching basketball. This was not because of anything the Kings did or didn't do, but this was because I began to hate the NBA's enforcement of rules. The subjectivity of the calls got me to the point where it was better for my blood pressure just to follow generally through the internet.

This whole time, I have still followed Kings on ESPN and of course always rooted for them to win, but I could not come to a place where I could have a vested interest in a game that I watched. I had to turn that switch off. Now, after a 6 year hiatus, I find myself passionately following the NBA and the Kings once again. I cannot stop myself. Kevin Martin is a guy who I have liked since the Kings drafted him and now the Kings have paired him up with an exciting talent like Tyreke Evans. Oh man, this team has me excited again. The raw ability of Evans and Thompson make me drool and the sweet shooting of Kevin Martin makes me swoon. Couple that with Spencer Hawes offensive ability and I can't help but return to basketball.

I know that the Kings aren't likely to win a lot of games, but this team promises to be an exciting one. It's not the best example, but the prospect of exciting play reminds me of the '98-'99/'99-'00 Kings with a young and exciting Jason Williams coupled with Chris Webber and Vlade Divac. Of course Jason was a different PG than Evans is and those teams actually made the playoffs, but the point is the exciting basketball that these young talents promise to bring.

I for one am excited to see the Kings head into the '10s with the talent they have acquired.