By Mardeio Cannon | OBSERVER Columnist
Now that all the Thanksgiving leftovers are eaten and everyone had a Great Thanksgiving, let’s get down to business!
When the Sacramento Kings introduced the beam a couple seasons ago, this marketing idea caught fire and excited the fans, players and received national attention. I am sure everyone knows that a purple laser light is lit from the top of the Golden 1 Center after each Kings’ victory. This beam can be seen from miles all over Sacramento and has become a Sacramento Kings landmark.
I have no problem with the beam and I believe it should become a permanent part of the Sacramento Kings’ culture. However, in my opinion, the beam has been somewhat of a curse to the Sacramento Kings homecourt advantage.
My specific issue is that before each Kings game, the Kings in-game emcee fires up the crowd with: “Who’s ready for Kings basketball and who’s going to light the beam tonight?” I believe that statement fires up the opposing team to inspire them to play harder than ever to keep the Kings from lighting the beam on them.
Why is it that every NBA team that comes into the G1C despite their record shoot 3’s better than they shoot anywhere else including their home floor?
A recent example was the game against the San Antonio Spurs this past Monday where the Kings dominated in every part of the game, however the Kings could not overcome the San Antonio Spurs hitting 23 three-point shots.
I have been to almost every Kings game this season and despite the Sacramento Kings playing very well at home, they cannot overcome the opposing team shooting and making incredible shots with their “not lighting the beam on me” motivation.
All I hope for is that the Kings game-time emcee doesn’t motivate the opposing team before the game starts and see what happens. I am 100% sure that the opposing team coming into the G1C will return to normal and the Kings will improve on their 3-point shot defense.