‘Light the beam’: Sacramento Kings named NBA Team of the Year, wins Innovation Award for purple-victory beam

Jeremiah Martinez
·2 min read

(FOX40.COM) — The Sacramento Kings were named the NBA Team of the Year along with getting the league’s Team Innovation Award for their purple-victory beam.

The awards were announced at the annual NBA sales and marketing meeting in Miami on Monday.

According to a press release, the NBA Team of the Year Award recognizes achievements across team business operations including ticketing, partnerships, marketing and strategy and analytics.

The Innovation Award honors the “execution of unique ideas” that generate a positive impact on the team’s business.

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Achievements that led to the Kings’ Team of the Year honor are nearly 100% season ticket renewal and ranking second among all NBA teams in ticket revenue growth.

The team was ranked No. 1 in the league in fan in-game experience, launching a new e-commerce and in-arena store that led to a 35% increase in merchandise sales.

For home games, the Kings also launched the Golden 1 Skills Challenge, a digital concourse activation where participants test their basketball skills.

As for the beam, it has become an international phenomenon and has become a celebratory tradition among Kings fans after every victory. “Light the beam” has also become a popular chant amongst fans.

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The beam has made the Golden 1 Center a “communal fireplace,” illuminating the skies of downtown Sacramento and becoming a pillar for fans and the community.

The beam was categorized as a “place of worship” on Google maps, as fans gathered outside the arena following a win to take photos of the beam’s glow.

“We are tremendously proud to be recognized with these distinguished honors as we have further ignited our fanbase, continued to build international excitement and revolutionized our business,” Kings owner Vivek Ranadive said in the release.

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