[nickm1123]

I am a Sacramento native and a LIFELONG Kings fan.

LaSalle Thompson was the first pro athlete I ever met, way back as a reward at a reading fair at my elementary school in 1985.

I once met Reggie Theus at a Macy's in downtown Sacramento when I was a junior high basketball player, and he was very gracious to me and my family, as well as very encouraging to me as a young player.

I have gone to dozens of games over the years, and was even privileged enough to work for the team on the radio side for a couple of years.

I once saw Michael "Yogi" Stewart randomly at a Toys R Us, remembered I had a game program with him on the cover in my trunk, ran out to the car and grabbed it, found a red Sharpie in the glove box and took it in and had him sign it.

I am very proud of my Kings PC, particularly of the signed cards from in-store appearances that I have waited many, many hours for, from guys like Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmer Fredette, Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Thornton and Hassan Whiteside.

I finally, just last month, added the final piece to my PC — a Chris Webber auto.

I have made some really good friends and trading buddies on this site while picking up Kings singles for my PC.

The one constant in my life has been the Kings, through growing up as a young boy, moving away to college, moving home, moving away again, getting married, having kids of my own, losing my grandparents, losing my best friend to suicide (who was also a major Kings fan).

Quick story on him ... we went to different high schools after going to the same elementary and junior high together.

In 1993, when the Kings drafted Walt Williams, I called him up because I was really excited about the pick.

His dad answered the phone and said with a laugh, "Well, I guess he's not at your house like he said he was. I'll have a little talk with him when gets home."

So my buddy calls me a couple of days later ( he was grounded, big time), and was like, "Dude, I KNEW you were going to call me."

And I was like, "Man, you should have told me. I would have covered for you ... or at least not called your house."

He's not here anymore, but I always have those memories of him and the Kings.

OK, a couple of things ...

The "fans" had nothing to do with the relocation vote, so don't dump us in with the owners or whatever. That's just ignorant.

For whoever said "from what I have heard it doesnt sound like the Kings are super popular down there" ... you have NO DAMN IDEA what you are talking about.

The Kings fans still to this day put 10,000 people in the seats in a 17,317 seat arena night after night, simply because we love our team — there are MANY teams in the NBA with MUCH BETTER RECORDS and MUCH SHINIER, NEWER ARENAS that STILL don't draw as well as the Kings.

Do your research before you open your mouth.

As for ... "Good for Seattle! Screw Cali Spoiled brats. Dont know when they have a good thing. Now they want NFL. Good Luck. Dont they have enough? "

You're from North Carolina. You have no idea how much many people in Northern California despise the SoCal people.

Don't lump us in with them ... if many of us had our way, we'd be a separate state.

We DO know when we have a good thing ... we've known it for 27 years!

Now here's the deal with Seattle.

I am happy for them. They didn't deserve to lose a team, either.

As hard as it will be for me, I will try to follow the Sonics — I think they'll be really good in about three or four years.

I do like the Warriors and it helps a little that they're doing better this year, but it's not the same.

For the most part, the Kings haven't been very good since they've been here.

But, they've ALWAYS been here.

The Webber-Vlade-Peja years were crazy fun, and I'll always be a huge fan of guys like Reggie Theus, Mitch Richmond and Wayman Tisdale, who were great players here that didn't get to experience a lot of team success.

So when you guys are sitting around doing your little end zone dances and commenting back and forth about how Sacramento sucks and doesn't deserve a team anyway, remember that there are members here who are very upset and hurt by this.

Seattle and Charlotte were fortunate enough to get a second chance.

I hope we do, too.

If not, I'll always have the Kings on card board.

You are right I have no clue....hence why I said that is what I heard..I didnt say it was a fact or even what I personally thought...I also mentioned how I felt bad for taking a team from another town.....But you are right...I have NO DAMN idea what I am talking about....And before you make comments that I should shut my damn mouth maybe read my entire post before you make comments like that. I made a statment based on what I heard in the news in Seattle. I never said it was based on research or even based on what I personally thought....just what I heard.....

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Here you go:

http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance