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Today, the Sacramento Kings announced the newest premium and exclusive space in Golden 1 Center, the Row One Club. The Club was unveiled during a special event for Season Ticket Members on July 21 and 22 and will debut during the Kings 2021-22 Opening Night.

“The Row One Club is a space unlike any other,” said Sacramento Kings President of Business Operations John Rinehart. “The attention to detailed service and hospitality standards will provide memorable experiences from the time you walk into the club to the moment you go to your seats.”

The meticulously designed 4,000 square foot lounge will feature an elegant, illuminated bar, custom-made furnishings and an immaculate 4K Daktronics LED display measuring 8 feet high by 14 feet wide. The all-inclusive food and beverage menu inspiration will continue to showcase Golden 1 Center’s 90/150 food charter program featuring sustainability and diversity amongst local suppliers within the region. Based on event types, this club will have the ability to service walk-up buffet style creations as well as a combination of passed and/or tableside menu items served in the dining room or bar.

Members of the Row One Club will enjoy first row courtside seats for every game, complimentary VIP parking and presale access to select Golden 1 Center concerts and events. In addition, members will enjoy complimentary premium food and beverage in the Row One Club as well as via in-seat service.  Members will also get to take part in an away game road trip, exclusive year-round premium events and the annual premium member party. 

For more information about the Row One Club and to join the waitlist, visit Kings.com/RowOneClub.

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Kings Unveil Sacramento’s Newest Premium Space, Row One Club

The Sacramento Kings have signed forward-center Chimezie Metu to a multi-year contract, according to Kings General Manager Monte McNair. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

“Chimezie has worked hard this season and done a terrific job to earn his place on the team,” said McNair. “He provides toughness and energy to the group. We are happy to watch his career develop in a Kings uniform.”

During the 2020-21 season, Metu has appeared in 28 games (no starts) with the Kings, averaging 5.1 points (.556 FG%, .690 FT%), 2.5 rebounds and 10.2 minutes per game.

In a subsequent move, the team has waived forward Chris Silva.

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Kings Sign Chimezie Metu To Multi-Year Contract

The Sacramento Kings announced today that Wes Wilcox, Phil Jabour and Paul Johnson have been added to the team's basketball operations group. Wilcox will serve as Assistant General Manager, Jabour as Vice President of Player Personnel and Johnson as Director of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the team’s G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. Per team policy, terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Wilcox will support General Manager Monte McNair in all facets of front office operations including roster construction, strategy and player evaluation. Jabour will be primarily responsible for overseeing the structure and processes of the scouting department. Johnson will lead Stockton’s front office and have a hand in multiple aspects of Kings basketball operations. These three executives join Chief Strategy Officer Joe Dumars, Assistant General Manager Ken Catanella, Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Teena Murray and Vice President of Kings Academy and Professional Development Galen Duncan in rounding out McNair’s management team.

“I am excited to have Wes, Phil and Paul join the front office,” said McNair. “Wes’ background as an executive in the league combined with Phil’s veteran leadership through the scouting ranks and Paul’s proven experience in evaluating talent will be strong additions to the basketball operations group. Their diverse skill sets and unique perspectives will add valuable knowledge and innovative thinking as we focus on executing our vision of building a winning culture in Sacramento.”

Wilcox joins the Kings organization with nearly 20 years of experience in the NBA, including serving as General Manager (2015-17) and Assistant General Manager (2012-15) of the Atlanta Hawks. Prior to the Hawks, Wilcox was Director of Player Personnel for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the first General Manager of the Cavs’ NBA Development League team, the Canton Charge. He joined the Cavaliers in 2003 and held the roles of Advance Scout, College Scout, Pro Personnel Scout and Assistant Coach, prior to his promotion to Director of Player Personnel. Wilcox began his career in the NBA as an intern (2001-02) with the Miami Heat in their scouting and video department, before becoming a Video Coordinator with the New Orleans Hornets in 2002-03. He recently served as an Analyst for NBA TV and SiriusXM NBA Radio, is a 2001 graduate of Cal-State Fullerton and a native of La Habra, California.

Jabour comes to Sacramento’s front office with 14 years of experience in the league, most recently serving as Director of Scouting for the Philadelphia 76ers where he was heavily involved in day-to-day personnel operations, including talent evaluation, leading intel processes and collaborating with player agents. Prior to Philadelphia, Jabour was a Scout for the Orlando Magic (2012-14) and contributed to collegiate and professional prospect evaluation. Jabour made his NBA debut as Daryl Morey’s first scouting/personnel hire with the Houston Rockets in 2006. In his five years in Houston, he served in a variety of scouting roles including Director of Scouting with NBA G League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2009-11). Jabour was hired by the Rockets after working as a support staff member with USA Basketball in 2006 following four years on staff with Arizona State men’s basketball program. He is an Arizona State University alum (2006) and earned a Master’s of International Business from the University of St. Thomas (2007).

Johnson joins the Kings basketball operations department with seven years of NBA experience, most recently serving as the Assistant General Manager of the NBA G League’s Oklahoma City Blue. Prior to that promotion, Johnson was a Pro Evaluation Coordinator after having worked in different capacities for the Oklahoma City Thunder since 2015. Before that, he served as a Referee Operations Analyst at the NBA league office (2013-15). Johnson played collegiately at La Salle University in the Atlantic 10 Conference, where he was team captain of the men’s basketball team and graduated in 2009.

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Kings Add 3 Executives to the McNair-Led Front Office

An MRI was performed on Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III last night following an injury to his right foot during Sunday’s practice. The team is awaiting further evaluation of his MRI from doctors and will share more information once the results become available.

Bagley III is averaging 14.2 points (.467 FG%, .806 FT%), 7.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 25.7 minutes per game in 13 games (6 starts) for the Kings during the 2019-20 season.

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Marvin Bagley III Medical Update

Today, the Sacramento Kings announced a new partnership to enhance the fan experience with cutting-edge technology. Through a partnership with ION360, the award-winning digital team will use the ION360 U – an all-in-one 360-degree camera, phone case, and battery – to create immersive content during the six games held at Golden 1 Center July 2-3 and 5.

“As a franchise, we embrace emerging technology to enhance the fan experience in Golden 1 Center and around the world,” said Sacramento Kings Chief Technology Officer Ryan Montoya. “ION 360 understands our commitment to redefining how teams interact with their fans – not just through sport, but through investments in our community.”

ION360 Chief Strategy Officer and Sacramento native, George Foreman Jr. stated, “It was important to start with the Sacramento Kings and the Kings Foundation because they give back to so many organizations locally. I want to utilize ION360 to create internships, jobs and enriching opportunities for the Sacramento community. Sacramento is my passion and I am committed to continuing to align with leaders like Louis Stewart, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Sacramento to provide access to technology, entrepreneurship and education.”

Through the partnership with ION360, Kings fans will have an opportunity to impact Sacramento’s non-profit community. Not only will Kings fans be able to purchase the ION360 U at a steep discount – only $100, available in the arena or online at https://ion360.com/pages/kings– ION360 will donate $25 to the Sacramento Kings Foundation on sales made before July 6. With a focus on investing in Sacramento and the region’s economy, this partnership has also created over ten internships for Sacramento youth who are studying in the areas of business, marketing and or technology.

About ION360: ION360 has reimagined the 360-degree platform with hardware, software and content that enhance how consumers use technology today. The new ION360 U instantly transforms a smartphone into a 360-degree camera to capture the full picture of life moments. For more information, visit www.ion360.com

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Sacramento Kings Partner with ION360 to Create Immersive Content for California Classic Summer League

We’ve been back from China a little over a week now.

The first 24 hours in Shanghai quite literally felt like we’d been there three days, so it’s no wonder it has taken me a week to decompress and process the amazing trip.

So what did I take away from the seven-day excursion?

From the moment we arrived at the airport, we could tell we were in for an incredible trip!

Driving into McClellan Airfield, there were huge purple Kings signs with balloons directing everyone to the private jet way.  Our cars were valeted and luggage seamlessly checked. Flanked by two private jets, there was a huge purple carpet filling the hanger.

It felt very much like a VIP party, although it felt like a hot July afternoon rather than a crisp fall day one might expect in early October.

After bag check and security screening, we boarded the plane.

Of course, I was seated next to my best friend, Carmichael Dave, who is what I consider to be a travel rookie, as he started traveling the friendly skies in February of this year after overcoming a fear of flying.

By travel rookie of course I mean the kind of person who is overly excited about everything. ‘The seats turn into beds! There’s a game console! We have our own TV screens! Look at this swag bag! Wow, are those headphones with Kings logos on them?!’

Not only was he excited… He was sloppy, and sitting next to him for 14 hours was a problem. His bags were spread out all over the floor. He was getting up and down to put things up and take things down from the overhead compartment, as well as frequenting the in-flight buffet of food.

He had already played poker and golf on the game console, while I was typing up notes (otherwise known as WORKING). Meanwhile, Happy Gilmore was on his fourth glass of Gatorade.

The Pudong district of Shanghai where we stayed is only 24 years old. Development of the area began in 1990 and it’s now the most luxurious area of the city.

For one of our first tours, we took the underwater tunnel to an older part of the city – Chinatown and Yu Garden. Even now, I’m at a loss for words to describe the area -- the architecture, ambiance and cultural experience was fascinating.

We walked through a garden older than the U.S. – work on Yu Garden started in 1559 (Ming Dynasty) and it took about 20 years to complete.

The juxtaposition of a building inside the 455-year-old garden, along with a modern day crane perched atop the Shanghai Tower directly behind it in the distance, was anything but ironic – in China, a crane is a symbol for longevity.

We had some free time after our guided tour to take in the shopping and sights. My idea of experiencing any country I visit is about the food. If you want to really experience a culture, you must actually taste its local fare!

I’ve always considered myself a bit of a daredevil, so I went all out.

I didn’t hesitate to try a kabob with unknown meat – it tasted like chicken and, who knows, maybe it was?

I also tried sparrow-on-a-stick. It was presented in full form – head and all – and I’m pretty sure it was smoked and seasoned with curry.

Now I know sparrow tastes like duck, but I didn’t find it worth the effort to get to the meat!

Believe it or not, “Great Wall” is an understatement. There’s no denying the sight of it brought out the history buff/nerd in me, so bear with me for a moment…

It was built between 220-206 B.C. and, without a doubt, is the most impressive fortification system this world has ever seen.

An archeological survey concluded that the wall – and its natural defenses, such as rivers and hills – stretches over 13,000 miles.

How it was constructed without the use of modern building capabilities is what makes it truly remarkable.

When I learned about my opportunity to tag along on the trip, the chance to visit the Great Wall was something I couldn’t pass up.

We had a limited amount of time to spend there, so I had to make a choice – hike as far as possible one direction or go the opposite way and take a toboggan down. I, of course, opted for the hike, and much to the chagrin of my poor cameraman, Jeff, I took off with a goal of making it to the top.

We got to the second to last platform right beneath the highest point of the wall. I could’ve kept going but determined it was time to turn back to make sure we caught the bus.

The athlete in me wanted to conquer it all and push myself to the extreme, especially when I later found out that a medal is given to those who make it to the top!

There’s no denying it, by the time we visited the Forbidden City, I was exhausted. But who can resist a chance to visit a place that served as the imperial palace for almost 500 years?

The sheer size of it was mindboggling. The architecture was beautiful. The history is completely fascinating.

But, what stuck out to me most was that I seemed to be as intriguing to some visitors as the sight itself.

For the first time on the trip, locals bombarded me for pictures. At one point, I felt I should have just set up a booth and charged per photo!

Being a part of the Kings organization going on five years has been a true blessing, and the trip provided an opportunity that doesn’t come along very often.

We traveled with a group of 150-plus people that included owners, team members, players, coaches and partners. It was a group that never gets a chance to spend time together for an extended period, let alone during a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

On tarmacs, the plane was like a mixer – players and coaches mingled with owners and guests, as well as chatted with our flight crew. The pilot even hung up my garment bag and knew me by name!

One night, a group of 20 or so of us went out to karaoke. I never imagined being in the same room singing with Pete D’Alessandro, Ryan Bowen, Hakeem (our director of team security), and team members from basketball and business operations!

I also never thought I’d be sitting in the airport with Vivek, Andy Miller, and additional owners talking about what I saw during the game.

I never imagined being at a party talking basketball with Mitch Richmond and Phil Oates, or talking with Peja Stojakovic about when I lived and played in Greece and apparently frequented a couple of his restaurants. Even watching Vlade embrace G-Man at a party and kiss his head was unforgettable.

As many of you may know, my best friend in the world is Carmichael Dave, and we were so thrilled to get to go on the trip together.

It was the first time we’d spent even close to that much time together, and we learned a lot about our friendship over the course of the week.

Traveling with anyone can be stressful. Traveling with your best friend I learned could be gut wrenching… But we made it through!

On one bus ride, we had a spat and stopped talking. Halfway through the day, though, we made up because that’s what best friends do.

We normally talk and FaceTime multiple times daily. It took six days after we arrived back in Sacramento for us to finally reunite!

Speaking for Dave, spending seven days with me was probably way too much. But, a picture he posted of me on Facebook sleeping on the plane added a few days to our much needed bestie detox!

Now, we can return to our routine, and thankfully, we’re able to look back and feel grateful we experienced the Kings trip to China together!

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A Trip to Remember

KINGS AND AARON BROOKS AGREE ON A CONTRACT IN PRINCIPLE

SACRAMENTO, CALIF., July 16, 2012 -- The Sacramento Kings and free agent guard Aaron Brooks today have agreed in principle to a contract, according to Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“We’re really excited about the prospect of Aaron joining the team,” said Petrie. “The fact that he’s chosen to play for the Kings makes us feel good about what he’ll be able to provide to us on the court. Aaron’s another young player who brings a lot of speed, quickness, experience and scoring ability.”

Brooks, a four-year NBA veteran, led the Guandong Southern Tigers of the China Basketball Association to the Finals while leading the team in points (22.3), assists (4.8) and steals (1.9) per game this past season. Selected by the Houston Rockets in the first round (26th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft, Brooks has amassed NBA career averages of 12.5 points (.411 FGs, .363 3FGs, .850 FTs), 3.6 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game in 272 outings with Houston and Phoenix. His best statistical season occurred during the 2009-10 campaign when he averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 assists per game with the Rockets, which resulted in winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. Brooks was traded by Houston to the Suns on February 24, 2011.

A native of Seattle, Brooks enjoyed a four-year career at the University of Oregon, recording career averages of 13.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in 115 contests.

About Maloof Sports &amp; Entertainment (MS&amp;E):  Maloof Sports &amp; Entertainment includes the Sacramento Kings and Power Balance Pavilion. Owned by the Maloof family with long-term, local partners, the organization is committed to being a contributing member of the Sacramento community. Teaming up with local leaders and non-profit organizations to give back to those in need throughout the region, MS&amp;E has donated more than $20 million in cash and in-kind donations to more than 200 charitable entities over 13 years of Maloof family ownership. For more information about Maloof Sports &amp; Entertainment, please visit Kings.com, PowerBalancePavilion.com or call 916-928-0000.

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Kings and Aaron Brooks Agree in Principle to Contract

SACRAMENTO, CALIF., July 16, 2012 -- The Sacramento Kings today acquired James Johnson from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for a second round pick in 2014, according to Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

“We’re excited to add a talent like James to our young nucleus of players,” said Petrie. “He’s an outstanding defender with athleticism who can play at both positions up front while providing some versatility offensively and adding a dimension to what we can do on the floor.”

Johnson, a 6-9, 245-pound forward, is entering his fourth NBA season. He averaged career-highs of 9.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 25.2 minutes per game in 62 contests with the Raptors last season. In his 40 starts during the 2011-12 campaign, Johnson increased his statistical production to 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 26.9 minutes per game. He has recorded career averages of 6.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 24.0 minutes per game in 165 outings, of which he started 76.

Johnson was selected in the first round (16th overall) by Chicago in the 2009 NBA Draft. He was traded to Toronto on February 22, 2011. He enjoyed a two-year career at Wake Forest, averaging 14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 61 contests. He entered the draft after his sophomore season.