Kings Fans Come Out For Another Season Of NBA Basketball In Sacramento
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - It was a fiery show for King fans at the home opener Monday night as Sacramento hosted Northern California rival Golden State and won its first game of the season.
"The opening ceremony was fantastic," one fan said of the fireworks show. "It was really a lot of fun."
Fans at the newly named and nearly sold-out Sleep Train Arena proved to be wide awake for this game as cowbells were again out in force.
"Here to support the team, support the city, and keep this going hopefully this year and years to come," fan Steven de la Cruz said, referring to the ongoing arena issue and speculation the team might move after this season.
Mayor Kevin Johnson sat courtside, but despite the pregame pyrotechnics, his relationship with the Maloof family appeared to remain chilly.
Johnson did post a photo on his Twitter account of him greeting Joe Maloof, but the two sides sat far from each other and neither agreed to CBS13's requests for an interview.
Arena fallout is not lost on the fans.
"A lot of fans, they're burnt out basically," Mike Tavares said.
Tavares is the founder of FANS (Fund Arena Now Sacramento). He decided not to boycott any games after collapsed arena talks last year because he wants to show the NBA that fans here still support pro basketball.
"It is what it is with the ownership," Tavares said. "They've said before they will stay in Sacramento."
For this season at least, the NBA is back in Sac, and for that, fans were celebrating Monday night.
