Steven Wilson

Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes and his wife Brittany are donating more than $200,000 to different nonprofits that were created by the families of victims of police brutality and gun violence.

With the Kings playing eight seeding games during the official restart to the season, Barnes will dedicate every game to a different organization by contributing $25,000 to the nonprofit and highlighting their mission on his social media.

Since breaking into the NBA, Barnes has been known for his altruistic efforts in supporting the Black community. As all eyes return to basketball this week, the Barnes’ are utilizing this time to put the spotlight on organizations that are dedicated to helping fight racial injustice and support those who have been victims of police brutality.

The organizations Barnes will contribute to are:

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Sacramento Kings Forward Harrison Barnes to Donate $200,000 to Help in the Fight Against Racial Injustice and Police Brutality

Watch live at 1 p.m. PT as the Sacramento Kings battle the Los Angeles Clippers in the final scrimmage prior to the resumption of play.

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Kings vs Clippers Scrimmage Live Stream

On November 9, a Camp Fire Day of Remembrance was held to commemorate the first anniversary of the fire and reflect on the ongoing rebuild and recovery of Paradise. As part of the day’s events, the Kings Street Team, 916 Crew, Jr. Kings members and Kings staff traveled to Paradise to visit with children and families who were affected by the fires and extend love and support on behalf of the entire Kings organization. Over 3,500 members of the community were in attendance as Kings team members played basketball with the kids, passed out t-shirts and swag and taught attendees some new dance moves, courtesy of 916 Crew.

In anticipation of the first anniversary of the fire, the Sacramento Kings visited the American Red Cross in Paradise to reflect on how the town has transformed over the past year and to learn how their nearly $90,000 donation, enabled by fans and partners, was used to help those impacted.

Since the Camp Fire – the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history, the city of Paradise has made significant strides in cleaning up 95 percent of the rubble from destroyed businesses and houses, installed water and sewer infrastructure and has begun to remove trees near homes to prevent further fires. The American Red Cross has allocated funds to help provide spiritual, mental and health-care experts within the town to support residents as they rebuild. These efforts are made in part by generous donations and the help of volunteers.

Last year when the Camp Fire broke out, the Kings organization offered support for those affected by the fires and provided opportunities for fans and guests to donate to relief efforts. In December, Kings Emcee Scott Freshour, mascot Slamson, team dancers and staff traveled to three back-to-school rallies in Chico to welcome students who were displaced by the fire.

On December 12, the team hosted nearly 200 Paradise High School students and family members for a VIP game experience as the Kings played the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their experience included a pre-game meal, a close-up experience watching warm-ups and a meet and greet with WWE Superstars Mojo and Apollo. Following the game, the students also received a surprise visit from Kings Color Analyst Doug Christie and Kings Assistant Coach Bobby Jackson, who spoke with them about persevering through difficult times. Later that month, Paradise High School Junior Varsity and Varsity basketball teams returned to the arena for a day of basketball activities and drills with Jr. Kings coaches.

For information on how to help the ongoing Paradise rebuilding efforts and the prevention of future fires, visit RedCross.org.

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Kings Camp Fire Efforts — One Year Later

Watch as the Kings take on Melbourne United live for the team's final preseason game. The live stream will be available to fans within 75 miles of Golden 1 Center.

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LIVE: Kings vs Melbourne United | Preseason 10.16.19

The Sacramento Kings tonight selected Justin James and Vanja Marinkovic (VON-yuh ma-RIN-ko-vitch) with the 40th and 60th overall selections respectively in the 2019 NBA Draft, according to General Manager Vlade Divac.

With the 40th overall pick, Sacramento selected James out of Wyoming who averaged 22.1 points (.409 FG%, .296 3pt%, .741 FT%), 8.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 38.2 minutes per game in 32 games (32 starts) during his senior season in 2018-19. James totaled the second most points in a single season in program history (706) and led the Mountain West Conference in points per game, ranking his scoring average 19th in the nation. James earned All-Mountain West First Team honors as selected by the media and was chosen by the coaches to the All-Mountain West Second Team. James finished third in career points (2,061) in Wyoming Men’s Basketball history and fourth in career points in Mountain West Conference history.

A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Marinkovic was drafted with the 60th overall pick by the Kings after he averaged 12.2 points (.402 FG%, .328 3pt%, .750 FT%), 2.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 27.7 minutes per game in 23 games (19 starts) for Partizan Belgrade of the Adriatic League First Division during the 2018-19 season.  Marinkovic posted 12.4 points (.419 FG%, .356 3pt%, .776 FT%), 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 29.1 minutes per game in 16 games (15 starts) during the ULEB EuroCup and FIBA Champions League for Partizan Belgrade, which he ranked 16th in EuroCup play. The 6-6 guard is also a member of the Serbian National team and played for Partizan alongside Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic during the 2013-14 season.

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Kings Select Justin James and Vanja Marinkovic in the Second Round of 2019 NBA Draft

On Thursday, April 25, the Sacramento Kings received two awards from local organizations – City Year Sacramento and the Greater Sacramento Urban League – for the team’s efforts to use their NBA platform to make a positive change in the community.

City Year Sacramento hosted their annual City Year Ripples of Hope Gala at Golden 1 Center, uniting Sacramento stakeholders, partners and donors to honor the work of City Year AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps members are volunteer tutors, mentors and role models to students at eight local schools, promoting academic success and impacting over 4,000 students in impoverished areas throughout the greater Sacramento region.

During this year’s Gala, City Year Sacramento honored the Kings franchise for their ongoing commitment to the community. Kaiser Permanente Senior Vice President and Area Manager Trish Rodriguez presented Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé with an honorary City Year Sacramento jacket. For AmeriCorps members, the jacket symbolizes a sense of purpose for a greater cause and unity within the City Year network. Vivek and the Kings share similar values of education and equity and operate with a passion for uplifting youth and proactively investing in the local community.

Through their partnership with City Year Sacramento, the Kings have hosted and participated in hundreds of community events – including hosting NBA Fit activities at local schools, launching the “ROOT” community garden program that encourages food literacy and healthy eating and having mascot Slamson join an attendance rally at Oak Ridge Elementary School to encourage students to come to school on time every day.

The same evening, the Greater Sacramento Urban League held their annual Unity Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. For the past 19 years, the Unity Dinner has celebrated Sacramento’s corporate and community commitment to diversity and shined a light on an outstanding business or individual who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment the betterment of individuals, families and communities challenged by social and economic barriers in the Sacramento region.

At the dinner, Greater Sacramento Urban League President &amp; CEO Cassandra Jennings presented the 2019 Unity Award to the Kings for their successful Team Up for Change summit. Kings Senior Vice President of Communications Joelle Terry accepted the award on behalf of the team for their shared commitment to educate and empower the local community.

On February 27, the Kings partnered with the Milwaukee Bucks to host “Team Up for Change” – a daylong summit convened to address social injustice and bring together community leaders, law enforcement and youth advocates from Sacramento and Milwaukee by highlighting local and national perspectives of social justice and equity. With a focus on the intersection between sports, race and the pursuit of more equitable communities, the summit encouraged working towards meaningful outcomes for positive change. Later that evening, Kings forward Harrison Barnes participated in a Q&amp;A session with local youth to discuss his role as a player in addressing social injustices. Barnes was also in attendance at the Unity Dinner to represent the Kings franchise.

The Kings are honored to be awarded with the City Year Sacramento honoree jacket and the 2019 Unity Award in recognition of our ongoing efforts to support education, equity and expanding opportunities in our #SacramentoProud community.

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Kings Receive Awards from City Year Sacramento and Greater Sacramento Urban League for Work in the Community

This week, the Sacramento Kings hosted an AR/VR Pitch Fest at Golden 1 Center, kicking off their collaboration on the Capital Region AR VR Accelerator with McClatchy New Ventures Lab, Clark Pacific and Moneta Ventures. The competition welcomed up-and-coming startups who pitched their products to industry icons amid an event featuring panels and networking with leading augmented reality innovators and influencers.

Pitch-Fest platformed presentations from 12 AR/VR startups, serving as a space where the companies could receive feedback from industry leaders in a Q&amp;A discussion. The top-scoring startup, Observer Analytics, took home a grand prize of placement in Capital Region AR VR’s 11-week accelerator program beginning in January that provides investment capital, custom-tailored mentoring, a mutually-aligned milestone plan, and an emphasis on growing industry relationships to ensure sustainable company success. Observer Analytics will also be showcased at the Kings’ opening game in October, exposing basketball fans to the latest in technology.

“These companies are the future of AR and VR technology,” said Jon Gregory, General Partner of the Capital Region AR VR Accelerator and Vice President and Venture Banking Manager at Five Star Bank. “While all the companies that presented offered interesting innovations, Observer Analytics blew us away. I’m looking forward to seeing how these companies are able to grow and improve throughout the Accelerator program and beyond. Sacramento is continuing to lead with cutting edge technology and innovations.”

The winner, Observer Analytics, presented their analytics platform for virtual and augmented reality experiences that enables developers to examine how users interact with their immersive experiences, revolutionizing how software innovators can enhance and edit their product. Their game-changing AR/VR analytic software impressed the judges, earning them $50,000 in seed investment capital and a spot in the Capital Region accelerator program.

“It was incredible to get to hear and learn from the other companies presenting in this competition, and I am looking forward to continuing to learn throughout these next steps,” said Pitch-Fest Winner and CEO of Observer Analytics Lucas Toohey. “Golden 1 Center, the most technologically advanced arena, was the perfect venue to encourage us to find new ways to innovate and keep moving forward.”

The NBA is the first sports league in the world to offer immersive fan experiences through virtual reality technology, including VR streaming and engaging arena activities. As leaders in implemented virtual reality experiences for their fans, Pitch-Fest continues the Kings commitment to cultivating the next generation of digital innovators to set the standard for immersive fan experiences in professional sports.

“Augmented and virtual reality are transforming the ways we are able to interact with our fans, both in Golden 1 Center and outside of it,” said Sacramento Kings Chief Technology Officer and Pitch-Fest judge Ryan Montoya. “While these companies are young, they are the future of this industry. At the Kings, we are always trying to find new ways to use technology to create a better experience for our fans and community. These companies taught me some new points about innovation in this space and I’m excited to continue to work with these businesses as they learn and grow right here in Downtown Commons.”

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Observer Analytics Announced as AR/VR Pitch-Fest Winner

Through a partnership led by the Build.Black. Coalition, with support from the Black Child Legacy Campaign and the Sacramento Kings, a new youth summer basketball league will launch on June 9 in Sacramento. The Kings and Queens Rise Co-Ed Basketball League seeks to interrupt violence by providing an opportunity for young people to engage in inter-community sports. Building on the highly-successful Kings and Queens Rise: A Youth Voices Forum for Healing, this league will provide a caring and positive environment for Sacramento youth through community building, sportsmanship, and resources for health and safety.

The Kings and Queens Rise Co-Ed League (The League) is an element of the Sacramento Kings multi-year commitment with the Build. Black.Coalition – a group of Sacramento community leaders organized to support transformational change for Black communities in Sacramento.

"Sport has the power to create profound change, extending beyond the court to impact fans, families, communities and institutions," said Sacramento Kings Chairman and Owner Vivek Ranadivé. "Our hope is that this league will encourage an open dialogue to help our city grow stronger together."

"Through basketball, we have an opportunity to bring neighborhoods together, create safe spaces to share information and discuss the issues that impact our communities," said Sierra Health Foundation President and CEO Chet P. Hewitt.

The League will be comprised of 16 teams from eight Sacramento-area neighborhoods – Arden Arcade, Del Paso Heights/North Sacramento, Foothill Farms/North Highlands, Fruitridge/Stockton, Marina Vista, Meadowview, Oak Park, and Valley Hi, with two co-ed teams – 7th &amp; 8thgrade team and 9th &amp; 10th grade team – representing each neighborhood.

The League will tip-off with a league-wide jamboree at Encina High School on June 9, where members from all communities are invited to join players and their families. The eight-week season will feature weekly tournaments hosted in a different neighborhood each Saturday, culminating in a day-long tournament on July 28 at Golden 1 Center.

Weekly practices will provide a fun and safe environment for young athletes to learn fundamental basketball, as well as serve as forums for valuable workshops designed to address a variety of topics from mental health to conflict resolution to responsible social media use.

Through the Sacramento Kings Foundation, The League players will be will be invited to attend a youth forum on July 2, preceding the California Classic –  the Sacramento Kings Summer League, to discuss issues that are impacting their community, as well as to see the NBA’s future stars during the summer games.

For more information, visit BlackChildLegacy.org.