Want to eat and hang out with former Kings Matt Barnes and Mike Bibby? Here’s how

The NBA and Sacramento Kings season is just around the corner — can you feel the excitement?

Former players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson are flying into Sacramento to preview the upcoming season for the Kings and get ready for the fifth season of their award-winning podcast “All The Smoke.”

On Saturday, the duo will be at Urban Roots Brewery and Smokehouse, 1322 V St. in midtown, to host a special live recording of the show to lend their expert insights and expectations for the Kings this season.

Along for the ride will be Kings legend Mike Bibby as their special guest. Bibby played seven seasons in Sacramento, where he averaged 17.6 points and 5.4 assists in 476 games.

A VIP ticket to the event is $150. The ticket includes a seat at the live taping of the show in Urban Roots’ Barrel Room; access to the lunch mix-and-mingle with Barnes, Jackson and Bibby; a barbecue feast dinner; and two beverage tokens redeemable for beer, wine or a non-alcoholic drink.

The dinner includes your choice of chicken, pork ribs, fried fish or brisket served with sides including macaroni and cheese, collard greens and salad.

The event opens at 1:30 p.m. and food will be available until 3 p.m. when the taping begins.

Fans without a ticket can watch the streaming party on the patio free on a first-come, first-served basis. Smokehouse Tacos by Cerveceria along with other local vendors will be available.

Barnes, who played for Del Campo High School in Fair Oaks, and the Kings, said that he’s always trying to bring excitement to his old hometown.

“When I used to live there, I used to do an annual golf tournament that would bring some of the biggest stars in the NBA out there. Now that I don’t live out there as much, but I’m still working for the Kings, I still try to find unique ways to bring experience to Sacramento. And, you know, this is no different,” Barnes said. “Sac is my heart even though I don’t live there anymore. I love the city. I love the team. I love the community and I wanna continue to try to bring fun experiences out there.”

The pair hosted former Kings point guard Jason Williams for a taping in April. Barnes said he hopes to bring more Kings legends such as Chris Webber and DeMarcus Cousins to the capital city for future episodes of the show.

Tickets can be purchased online at urbanrootsbrewing.com/ats.

Barnes’ sneak peek to Saturday

Barnes, also a TV analyst for the Kings on NBC Sports California, knows the Kings are gunning for another big season. He had high hopes for the Kings’ moves this offseason.

“They didn’t really do anything this off-season to make any huge splashes, but I think that’s because they really love what they have. They love their core. They resigned their key pieces. They got Sasha (Vezenkov), who’s supposed to be amazing,” Barnes said. “I’m looking forward to seeing him play. The key free agents, you know, the Javale McGee signing was huge. I really like what he brings. Obviously, Chris Duarte brings some more depth to this team, but I’m just really excited about the possibilities of this year.”

The Kings made the playoffs for the first time in 16 years last season. Barnes believes the emphasis for Sacramento will be on the defensive side of the ball.

“You know, they wanna play stronger, they wanna play faster,” Barnes said. “But what’s more important to me is they really have to lock in on defense. I’m looking for the team to, obviously, improve on that offensive rating, but also take a huge step to be one of the better defensive teams. I think they need to be in the top 15 on the defensive side of the ball to really make any noise this year.”

One of the key additions that he believes will be important to help achieve their goals is McGee, a three-time champion with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers who played alongside Barnes.

“Experience is the best teacher in a league now where you don’t find too many,” Barnes said. of the 35-year-old “He’s had a long career being a champion and you need that kind of experience, you need that kind of vocal leadership from some of your older guys.”

The Kings’ preseason tipped off last weekend with a 112-99 loss to the Toronto Raptors. The team plays the Lakers on Wednesday.

The next day, Barnes and Jackson will arrive in Sacramento, attend the Kings practice on Friday to chat with some of the players and coaches before meeting fans on Saturday.

“All the Smoke” is produced by Showtime and available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.