No beam tonight, but Sacramento Kings fans still see the light after loss to Warriors

Alex Muegge
·3 min read
2

Ana Contreras said her child due later this month would be a Kings fan.

Contreras, 35, of Sonoma County, said she became a Kings fan in 2005 “when they were actually doing amazing” but suffered “nothing but disappointment” from then until now.

She attended Friday night’s game with her Warriors fan husband Edwin Chavez, 35, and was disappointed by the Kings 22-point loss, 119-97, a rather meaningless one considering the team will still make a playoff appearance for the first time in 17 years.

The Warriors were up roughly 20 points toward the game’s end, so the couple decided to leave early. They didn’t get to chant “light the beam,” the purple beacon that illuminates the Sacramento sky after a Kings win. Fans did not get to stand outside, wait for the beam moment and celebrate.

Still.

“I’m feeling great. I would have really loved to win this. I really would have,” she said outside of the arena. “It would have been great, but whatever. It’s fine.”

Kings and Warriors, maybe?

Contreras said that she hopes the Sacramento team’s record this year is the start of many good seasons to come because she feels like Kings fans have earned it.

Alisha Jones, 28, celebrated her birthday Friday night with a Warriors victory. Jones, although a Sacramento native, said she is a Warriors fan because she likes Stephen Curry.

She attended the game last-minute on an invitation from Dominique Alexander, 31, who was born and raised in San Francisco. He moved to Sacramento after his mother did the same.

He said Friday night outside Golden 1 Center that he has never thought about switching sides.

Jacob Fuentes, 18, also left the game early with his sister because starters De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Huerter were not playing, and they wanted to beat the rush to Insomnia Cookies in the Downtown Commons.

“I actually wanted them to lose tonight so we don’t have to (face) the Warriors in the playoffs,” Fuentes said. “The Warriors are obviously a four-time championship team. They just won the championship last year, so I would rather (face) the Clippers who we beat three times this year as opposed to the Warriors.”

He said the Kings having a winning season does not feel real. A sign outside of DoCo’s Identity Boutique, for example, points out that the last time the Kings made it to the playoffs: iPhones did not exist, Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of California and gas was about $2.59 per gallon.

A new generation of fans

Jacob’s sister, Samantha Fuentes, 21, said she is content with the season because “we took a lot of dubs and we made it to the playoffs. “

A new generation of fans awaits. Samantha Fuentes would have been about 5 the last time the Kings went to the playoffs. Jacob Fuentes would have been roughly 2.

“We were fans since we were children,” she said. “Our grandpa John always kept the legacy going in our family with buying season tickets, and now, my dad’s carrying it on. We’ve been fans since day one, so we’re pretty excited to see them back in the playoffs.”

Contreras and Chavez have another generation on the way, but this is their last game for a bit before their child arrives.

“This is our last hurrah before we have a child that will be a Kings fan,” Kings fan Contreras said. “He (Chavez) does not have a choice.”

“I’ve learned not to argue,” Chavez said.