Sacramento Kings: Top 10 moments from 2017-18 NBA season

1. Kings reach out to community in wake of Stephon Clark’s death

The biggest moment of the Kings’ 2017-18 season was in response to something that occurred in the Sacramento community. However, it happened well beyond the walls of the palatial Golden 1 Center.

On March 18, 2018, 22-year-old Stephon Clark was fatally shot multiple times by two officers of the Sacramento Police Department, despite being unarmed. The incident coincided with an ongoing national conversation about police accountability and their treatment of people of color. Therefore, news of Clark’s death drew outrage from across the country.

On March 22, a day of extensive protests in downtown Sacramento culminated with protesters blocking entry into the Golden 1 Center ahead of the Kings’ matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.

Eventually, arena security locked the doors and turned away spectators left outside, vowing to give them refunds. The game was delayed, but ultimately played as scheduled. Only 2,000 fans were able to get into the game and witness the 105-90 victory.

Following the game, team owner Vivek Ranadivé came to center court, full Kings team and staff surrounding him, and delivered a heartfelt speech in the wake of the tragedy. In addition to giving condolences to Clark’s family, he spoke on the team’s responsibility to helping make the Sacramento community a better place for all.

Their following game was a home matchup against the Boston Celtics. Both teams filmed a joint PSA calling for accountability, unity and recognizing the humanity of the slain Clark. During the game, they wore shooting shirts stating “Accountability. We Are One.” on the front and “#StephonClark” on the back.

Ranadivé’s speech, the organization’s decision to allow the protestors to remain outside of the arena and the players’ actions in the following days showed that the Kings understand that certain things in life are bigger than a sport.

Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

Taking those small steps to reach out and understand the grievances of the community shows that the Kings want to be more than just the local sports franchise. They truly want to be “Sacramento’s Team.”