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1 Minute Recap: Kings Trip to China

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It seemed we were there for a month, and yet just a couple of days at the same time – nonstop moving, tours, arenas, fans, and experiences to last a lifetime.

I keep saying it, but I’ll say it again: It was first-class the whole way.

It’s good to know this organization goes all out in everything it does, and there’s no reason why it won’t translate onto the floor. The players recognize it and, in time, it’ll make the Sacramento Kings a destination franchise.

I knew going in we had a multi-talented ownership group, but I had no idea.

Getting to know people like Chris Kelly, Andy Miller, Lisa Parker, Phil Oates, and so many more really drives the point home. Not only are these people extremely successful and powerful in their own fields, but they also bring an undeniable sense of “can-do” to the Kings, and it’s an awesome thing to watch.

Before we get to some final photos, I want to take a personal moment to thank Vivek, Chris Granger, Matina, Ben Gumpert, and so many others who gave the OK for me to go. The idea of being an embedded fan was cool, and to live out the fantasy on behalf of so many is something I’ll never forget.

Without question, the nine-year-old kid who became a Kings fan when the team landed in Sacramento was on this trip, not a media member – I was, and always will be, a fan first.

As we left Shanghai for Beijing, I looked through the airport food mart for some in-flight snacks. I passed up the first option…

Not much to explain about this pic… We got there safe and sound. You didn’t know I was a pilot?!

The NBA remarked several times behind the scenes about what a dream the Kings players and staff were to work with and, as a Sacramento fan, I was glad to hear it. Reggie Evans and so many others went out of their way to connect with fans and, I assure you, it made their day, if not their year.

On our first full day in Beijing, we went to the Great Wall. I was afraid it would merely be OK…

And I had a chance to take a picture with “The Rock” at the base!

The Wall is massive, and I cannot imagine how it was built so long ago, with so few modern tools. Seeing the players turn into kids when they saw it was amusing as well. This colossus truly is a Great Wonder of the World.

Here’s Kings prez Chris Granger getting ready to ride the toboggan (yes, toboggan) down the Great Wall to the parking lot. Doesn’t get much cooler.

The next day it was off to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. It wasn’t really forbidden, as there were loads of people there. Here’s Kings ownership group member Phil Oates and I having fun right in the middle of the whole thing.

I have to say, one of my favorite parts of the trip was watching the locals take pictures with Kayte Christensen. She must’ve taken as many pictures as the players did. I was curious if they wanted a pic because they thought she was a WNBA player, a beautiful woman, or just tall – maybe all three?? One time, we were at coffee shop in Beijing, and when she got her coffee, we looked at the name on the cup: Madame XL.

It became her nickname for the rest of the trip.

The last event before the final game was the NBA China welcome reception in Beijing. A star-studded affair, even Slamson dressed up for it.

Of course, Shaq was there. He and Vivek had a nice conversation about whatever super successful and smart people talk about.

The Commissioner was there as well, and Kings ownership group member Brad Jenkins and I had a chance to snap a photo with him. How stoked was I? The Commish!

Later, it was off to the MasterCard Centre...

…Where I ran into a couple of cows on the concourse.

Yep, that’s Peja, Vlade, and Mitch, all onscreen in Beijing – legendary NBA 3.0!

Unfortunately, the Kings fell to the Nets in OT.

Afterward, it was off to the plane for our return home!

Here’s the obligatory shot of the in-flight menu again. I can’t resist. Best “airplane food” I’ll ever have.

Wheels down in Sacramento, and it was bittersweet.

Although the entire trip was fantastic, and a lot of new friends were made, I think everyone was happy to be home and to see their respective families.

Next up, it’s time to get some rest, and continue preparation for the new season just around the corner.

I certainly have a much bigger respect for the strains endured by coaches and players that come with extended travel. Although not every trip is as far as China, I’m sure it’s tough acclimating and playing no matter where the team lands.

As a final note, thank you so much for following along.

The feedback has been excellent, and I hope I was successful in giving you a little sliver of what it was like to be on the trip.

Now, let’s hope the team’s off-court bonding shows up on-court, and the turnaround for this franchise continues this season.

I can only imagine what it’s been like for the players. I cannot stress enough how much NBA players are rock stars here in China, and the Kings are no exception.

We started off in Zhujiajiao Watertown. They call it “The Venice of China”.
What a difference an hour makes. Shanghai is the largest “city proper” in the world, yet a quick drive and you’re in an entirely different world.

So many of the things offered in the shops as we passed by were interesting. Here were some live little fish for a small fee.

Tons of stores and all kinds of exotic things.

Seriously, it would see you point your camera, and pose. Sweet!

After much deliberation, we went for noodles and the dumplings. We’ve all been eating a lot of dumplings here.  Unfortunately, half of the menu I just don’t understand.

The aforementioned dumplings and noodles were fantastic.

Gondoliers… Remember, we’re just an hour out of the biggest city in the world. Pretty surreal scene.

After our tour, we went back to the hotel for some needed R&amp;R.

I have a new appreciation for players and their schedule. Obviously a trip across the world doesn’t compare to a trip to Phoenix or even New York, but I always figured because they flew first class and stayed in nice hotels traveling was easier.

While that may be true to a point, it doesn’t take into account jet lag and the wear and tear of travel. I DON’T play basketball for 48 minutes and I’m dragging a bit.

Later in the day, we got all dressed up and went to the NBA Welcome Party at the House of Roosevelt. I’m a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain, and his CNN show “Parts Unknown” had just done a show on Shanghai before we left. One of the spots he visited was the House of Roosevelt, so to see it in person was a little like walking into a TV screen.

It still didn’t prepare me for the view…

It’s a little fuzzy, but they had the entire side of a building lit up for the team’s arrival.

It’s also hard to quantify the amount of adulation the Chinese people have for Yao Ming. I know we hear and read about it, but when the man walks into a room, or an entire arena, the air goes out of the place, completely. He’s an absolute megastar here.

Yao arrived at the party, and before I knew it, he was near me having a very friendly and animated conversation with Vivek. Pretty cool to have an owner who’s only owned a team for a little over a year, yet he’s very connected and admired by basketball players all over the place.

The evening was a fantastic experience. I’m really proud of this team and organization. There’s something to this NBA 3.0 idea, and it’s good to see we’re right smack in the middle of it, and in many ways leading the charge.

Next up: Kings basketball, and an opportunity to see some on-court action!

I took an informal poll of about 20 people on the trip. Last night was our first night of sleep in China, and all but one person woke up at 3 a.m. local time ready to go. Of course it’s quite early, but our body clocks have yet to completely adjust.

Shanghai is as brilliant in the morning as it is at night. We were up and ready to hit an early morning meeting.

carmichael-daves-blog-wrap-up

Carmichael Dave’s Blog: Wrap Up

In front of a raucous crowd in Beijing, China, Sacramento looked to bounce back from its two-point defeat to the Brooklyn Nets three days earlier.

Led by Darren Collison’s 16-point first half, the Kings overcame a hot first quarter in which the Nets shot 55 percent from the field and 66 percent from three.

Ben McLemore’s corner three with 4:02 remaining in the 2nd quarter capped Sacramento’s comeback. The 11-point deficit quickly turned into an 11-point lead as the Kings 3-guard attack of Collison, Sessions and McLemore forced numerous turnovers leading to easy transition buckets.

As the halftime buzzer sounded, Sacramento had outscored Brooklyn by 20 points in the frame and held the All-Star laden offense to just 16 points, leading the Nets by 9 at the break.

However, the second half started much like the first, with Brooklyn scorching from the field as the Nets trimmed the Kings lead to three by the end of the third.

With the Kings in danger of dropping both games in China, trailing by 8 with 3.5 minutes remaining, Sacramento turned to its former first-round Draft pick.

Omri Casspi nailed a clutch three-pointer with 21 seconds remaining and nearly hit a game-winner as time expired, but his shot fell short and the 2014 NBA Global Games extended into an extra period.

Sacramento struggled to find stops in overtime and, ultimately, came up short 129-117. 

Head Coach Michael Malone opted to start Ramon Sessions for the team’s second game in China. Ramon scored a team-high 18 points in Shanghai.

Following Sessions’ lead, Collison came off of the bench for Game 2 and immediately provided a spark. No. 7 was sizzling from deep and connected on 4-of-4 three-pointers in the first half, scoring 16 points and dishing 4 assists.

Through 3 games of the Kings preseason slate, Rudy Gay was still looking to find his stroke. No. 8 may have found it Wednesday night in Beijing. The talented forward scored 14 points on 6-of-9 from the field in the first half.

There is an unmistakable air in arenas in China when Yao Ming walks into the building – especially when joined by Kings owner Shaquille O’Neal – which was the case on Wednesday night in Beijing. A crescendo of noise follows the former NBA All-Star and his star power is still very present, even after the 7-foot-6 center retired nearly 4 years ago.

DeMarcus Cousins (bilateral Achilles soreness) was a late scratch from the game and is listed as day-to-day.

Kings Owners Vivek Ranadivé and Shaquille O’Neal joined Sacramento legend Vlade Divac for a shopping excursion at the adidas flagship store in Beijing on Wednesday. The crew took to the store to buy a late birthday present for Vivek and interact with local fans. Stay tuned for more from the trip on Kings.com!

The Kings return to Sacramento to face Maccabi Haifa on Saturday, Oct. 18 at Sleep Train Arena at 7:30 p.m.

kings-fall-in-global-games-finale

Kings Fall in Global Games Finale

gallery-kings-practice-in-china

Gallery: Kings Practice in China

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SACRAMENTO, CA ---- The Sacramento Kings today announced their 2014 NBA preseason schedule, which opens on the road against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, Oct. 5 in Vancouver, British Columbia at Rogers Arena (4:00 p.m. PDT), followed by the team’s 2014 home debut against the Raptors 48 hours later at Sleep Train Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 7 (7:00 p.m. PDT).

Sacramento continues the international portion of its exhibition slate as participants in the NBA’s Global Games, where the team will face the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai (9:30 p.m. PDT). The Kings participation in the 2014 Global Games occurs a decade after Sacramento joined the Houston Rockets in October 2004 to play the league’s inaugural contests in China. The teams will meet again on Wednesday, Oct. 15 (4:30 a.m. PDT) at the MasterCard Center in Beijing before Sacramento returns stateside to Sleep Train Arena for a contest with Israeli League standout Maccabi Haifa on Saturday, Oct. 18 (7:00 p.m. PDT).   

The Kings seven-game slate includes road contests against the 2014 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs on Monday, Oct. 20 (5:30 PDT) and the preseason finale against the L.A. Lakers at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, Oct. 24 (7:00 PDT). 

Seating priority for this season and the new arena is available by becoming a Season Ticket Member today.  Memberships start as low as $17 per game.  Call 888-91-KINGS or visit Kings.com to purchase yours while they’re still available.

Global Games

1 Minute Recap: Kings Trip to China

Carmichael Dave’s Blog: Wrap Up

Kings Fall in Global Games Finale

Gallery: Kings Practice in China

Kings Announce 2014 Preseason Schedule