Sacramento selects Keegan Murray in 2022 NBA Draft
Kings trade away both second-round picks
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Anxious Kings fans waited outside the Golden 1 Center on Thursday afternoon in scolding 100-degree weather to see who the team would select in the 2022 NBA Draft.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stepped to the podium around 5:30 p.m. PST and announced, “With the fourth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select Keegan Murray from the University of Iowa.”
The reaction among the hundreds of Kings faithful that braved the heat to witness what could be a franchise-altering selection was mixed, to say the least. Some fans, like Aidan Becker, were displeased with the pick.
“(General manager Monte McNair) should have traded down if this was the guy,” Becker said. “Take best available over position as well. I think Murray will be a good player, but we should have gotten assets and traded down since a lot of teams were high on (Jaden) Ivey.”
As a sophomore with the Hawkeyes, Murray was selected to the All-Big Ten first-team after averaging 23.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.3 steals in just under 32 minutes a game in 35 starts. He made a huge leap in scoring from his freshman year, increasing his points per game by 16.3, which is the largest increase in PPG by a Big Ten player in the last 25 seasons.
“Ultimately after sitting in the room with my front office staff, our whole staff, our scouting department, our analytics department, it became unanimous that Keegan Murray was the best player available and we jumped at the chance to select him,” McNair said in a press conference after the draft. “I think as we went along, and certainly as we got into the final days, it was just apparent to us that if Keegan Murray was there, that was going to be the best course of action for us.”
RELATED: ‘Speak on it,’ Mike Brown is ‘here to win’
The 21-year-old ranked fourth in the country in scoring average and first in total points (822) and field goals (307). He also displayed his versatility last season as the only collegiate player with at least 50 dunks and 50 3-pointers. Murray is the highest drafted player in Iowa history and the first Hawkeye to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft since 1998.
“They’re getting a winner first and foremost,” Murray said on the draft telecast after being chosen. “I’m very versatile. I hit a late growth spurt so I have a lot more room to grow in my game and I’m excited to get to that.”
At 6-foot-8 and 215 pounds, Murray cemented himself as one of the best power forwards in the nation in the 2021-22 season, winning the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award. Murray was also named a consensus first-team All-American and the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
“I would’ve picked the guy that had the highest chance at being an All-NBA star in four years in case we have to blow things up (rather) than get a guy that fits our play-in squad and is ‘good,’” said Kings fan Collin Giordano.
In the second round of the draft, Sacramento was scheduled to pick at No. 37 and No. 49. However, McNair traded away both picks on Thursday, dealing the latter first. Just before 10 a.m. PST, the Kings exchanged the 49th pick for the rights to Sasha Vezenkov and cash consideration from the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to McNair. The 26-year-old was a first-team All-EuroLeague selection in 2022 and was selected 57th overall in 2017 by the Brooklyn Nets.
“Sasha, certainly the intrigue with him is his size with his shooting,” McNair said. “Somebody whose hit threes at a high clip but also can playmake and just shows his feel out there on the court. The fact that he’s done it at arguably the second best league in the world at an age where he’s just entering his prime, we love to see that.”
RELATED: Sacramento Kings organization and fans say goodbye to ‘Old Barn’
Sacramento waited until they were on the clock at No. 37 to trade the other second-rounder. The Kings traded the pick to the Dallas Mavericks for two future second-round picks, according to McNair. NBA insider Marc Stein reports that the picks are for 2024 and 2028.
Following the conclusion of the draft, Sacramento reportedly agreed to deals with two undrafted free agents. The Kings agreed to a two-way deal with shooting guard Keon Ellis from Alabama, The Athletic reported. Sacramento agreed to terms with forward Jeriah Horne from Tulsa, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
McNair will formally introduce Murray at a press conference on Saturday morning at 10 a.m.
‘Speak on it,’ Mike Brown is ‘here to win’
Kings formally introduce new head coach
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Hours after parading through the streets of San Francisco to celebrate the Golden State Warriors’ fourth championship in eight years, Mike Brown was formally introduced Tuesday afternoon as the new coach of the Sacramento Kings.
Brown is the 20th head coach in Sacramento franchise history and the 12th since Rick Adelman departed the organization in 2006. Adelman is currently the only Sacramento coach to lead the team to a winning record. The Basketball Hall of Famer had a (.633) regular season winning percentage along with eight playoff appearances in eight years.
“I’m excited about being here,” Brown said at his introductory press conference. “The fan base is tremendous. I remember back in the day, them damn cowbells just use to ring in my ear and use to drive me crazy. I hope we get back to that point because now I’d love to hear them cowbells every game.
“I’d be the first one raising the roof and telling everybody to get up and ring those things all day long. The fans, they’re extremely passionate, they’re knowledgeable and I’m just looking forward to being around them.”
Brown has been as an NBA head coach on three separate occasions, with the Los Angeles Lakers (2011-12) and twice with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2005-10 & 13-14). In seven full seasons as the leading man, Brown has led his teams to the playoffs six times, without a single first round elimination. Brown was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 2009 after leading Cleveland to a 66-16 record and the Eastern Conference Finals.
“We conducted a very robust, thorough, comprehensive process and we wanted to ensure that we found the right coach,” said Kings general manager Monte McNair. “We did a lot of research, and it came down to really three key things for us: experience, successful head coaching experience; relationships, the ability to build relationships across the organization; and leadership, as a head coach and leadership for everything that we’re trying to do here.”
RELATED: Sacramento Kings organization and fans say goodbye to ‘Old Barn’
During seven plus seasons as a head coach in the league, Brown has a winning record in both the regular season (.616) and playoffs (.566). The 52-year-old spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach with the Warriors, adding three rings to the one he earned as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003.
“We gotta get one for the thumb, I only got four!” Brown said to a media member while pounding the table with a laugh and a smile.
Brown expressed three areas of focus as he enters his new role: 1. An alignment of trusts within the organization. 2. A set of values upheld by leadership. 3. An embracement of your role.
“One of the main reasons that I was brought here is to bring some leadership in a lot of different areas,” Brown said. “I’ve been with a lot of different teams in my 30 years, and I’ve experienced what I believe is something that can get organizations over the top, not just in one year, but year in and year out, and that’s having a winning culture. My job is to lead in that area. Every organization out there in my opinion has a soul. The stronger that soul is, the better that organization will be. A strong soul in my opinion equates to a winning culture.”
It’s well chronicled that the Kings’ active playoff drought is the longest in NBA history at 16 seasons. Some new coaches may try and avoid questions about it, but not Brown.
“There ain’t no elephant in the room, you can speak on it,” Brown said. “We’re going to embrace that. I’m not coming here to ‘have fun and be excited enjoying the area.’ I’m coming here to win!”
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – This weekend, DOCO (Downtown Commons) will offer a variety of memorable ways to celebrate Father’s Day.
Guests are encouraged to plan a day at DOCO by playing mini golf, enjoying a satisfying meal and/or beverage or simply spending time together in the open-air plaza.
A sampling of Father’s Day experiences, specials and gift ideas include:
- Echo & Rig: Highly acclaimed and well-known for its quality meats, house-made specialties and delicious craft cocktails, the restaurant is offering a special brunch on Father’s Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Reservations are available here).
- Flatstick Pub: (member of the DOCO Merchants Association): For those wanting to get into the swing of Father’s Day, a Mini Golf Open is being held at Flatstick Pub on Sunday, June 19, from 12 – 2 p.m., where adults can compete for a chance to win $1 beer for an entire year (along with other great prizes). Interested participants are encouraged to dress up in their best golf attire and register via Eventbrite.
- Jimboy’s Tacos: Treat dads and grads by giving an extra $5 in bonus funds for every $25 spent on an eGift card or when customers load their mobile app. The Jimboy’s Tacos app is available for iOS or Android and features rewards, order ahead options, pay by phone functionality and special member offers. The special offer is valid through June 30, at participating locations and cannot be redeemed for cash.
- Sauced BBQ & Spirits: A few of the spirited Father’s Day specials dads might enjoy, including a $9 Eagle Rare High Cotton Whiskey of the Day, a $7 Old Forester Whiskey of the Day and their $11 “Bearded Ham” Shot and Beer Combo, which is Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Piggy Style Pale Ale.
In addition, DOCO Rewards members will earn double points all weekend. The loyalty program provides prizes, discounts, incentives and benefits for shopping, dining, playing, staying and completing activities at the plaza via the online app. The DOCO Rewards app is free to download via the Apple Store and Google Play. A complete set of DOCO Rewards rules and restrictions, a list of DOCO businesses and members of the DOCO Merchant’s Association and easy-to-follow instructions for redeeming points for earned prizes, gift cards and experiences are available on the app. For more information about DOCO Rewards, please visit www.docosacramento.com/rewards.
DOCO is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment destination in the heart of downtown Sacramento. Convenient parking is available in DOCO’s central garage with an entrance on J Street between 4th and 5th Streets. The elevators and escalators take guests up to the plaza’s main level and second level terrace near many of the restaurants, eateries and retail tenants.
For more information about upcoming community activations and/or the variety of retail shopping, dining, and service offerings at DOCO, visit www.docosacramento.com or follow DOCO on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Social Media Tags: #HelloDOCO.
About DOCO (Downtown Commons)
Located adjacent to Golden 1 Center (the world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable arena), DOCO is an entertainment and lifestyle district in Sacramento’s dynamic urban core showcased by incredible retail destinations, bars and restaurants, office space, residential units, the Sawyer Hotel (a 250-room hotel managed by Kimpton Hotels), and the vibrant and iconic sculpture by Jeff Koons titled “Coloring Book.”
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – On Thursday, June 23, the Sacramento Kings will host an NBA Draft Watch Party in Downtown Commons (DOCO) for fans to witness the team select the #4 overall pick.
Fans will be able to watch the Draft live on a 16’ X 9’ LED screen in DOCO while enjoying live entertainment, food and drink specials, photo opportunities, activities, appearances by Kings personalities, chances to win prizes, Kings swag and more. The event begins at 3:30 p.m. with Draft broadcast coverage starting at 4:30 p.m.
This event is free admission. Fans interested in attending should RSVP at Kings.com/DraftParty. Capacity is limited and entrance will be granted on a first come, first served basis.
Second fire at Carmichael Improvement District leads to speculation
CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) – For the second time in a handful of months, the Carmichael Improvement District (CID) was targeted by arsonists.
The CID is a Property-Business Improvement District (PBID) that was started in 2016 by Carmichael businesspeople. The CID has an office located at 6825 Fair Oaks Blvd. that has now been set on fire twice in several months.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District was called to the scene of the crime early on Friday, June 17, as the first call came in around 6:34 a.m. The Metro Fire crew responded to the scene and spent about two hours in total putting out the flames and performing the necessary checks.
Local Carmichael businessman Gary Hursh believes the two fires are not a coincidence.
“It appears that someone has targeted the Carmichael Improvement District,” Hursh told the Carmichael Times.
Months ago, the first fire occurred at the office building. If you are facing the property from Fair Oaks Blvd., the first incident occurred on the right side of the second floor of the building. Repairs have been made to the structure, but the replacement wood has yet to be painted to match the building and old material that was burned remains on the ground below where the first fire took place.
“The office of the Carmichael Improvement District is just being rehabbed now to remove the burned part of the structure and the smoke smell,” Hursh said. “Now they have a second part of that building that was caught on fire this morning.”
The second fire that occurred on Friday, appears to be much smaller and contained quicker. Facing the building from the street, the most recent fire burnt and charred the strip on the left side of the building. However, the fire did not spread and was contained before spreading to the remainder of the building.
Hursh speculates that some homeless individuals in Carmichael could be the culprits.
“The Carmichael Improvement District is addressing the homeless issue and that has offended some homeless people,” Hursh said. “There are cameras that were able to show two persons in the area of the fire before the fire was noticed.”
Anyone with information about the fire can contact the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office at 916-874-5115. Anyone with information who would like to report it anonymously can call the Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-AA-CRIME.
Happy Hour at the Zoo
SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - The weather was delightful, a cool breeze, and a little overcast. It was a Thursday night. Over 21 years of age admitted only. Tickets could be bought in advance and at the gate.
Casual was the dress code. Beverage selling kiosks were placed around the zoo to make sure you did not get thirsty. Food trucks kept your rumbling stomachs quiet. To top all this off, hired for the night, the fabulous Cover Me Badd band. A beautiful, open, grassy space just as you walked into the Zoo, past the gift shop, was the wide, open band area. Lots of old/new dance music that kept many happy hour folks jumping. That’s the way to visit the zoo.
The crowds at the zoo were just enough to where you could actually get up close to the animals. The animals were up and about, a lot of them are nocturnal, night roamers anyway.
It really was a light, fun, happy night. I hope to go next year too. Animals are friends too.
New Fire Station 68 Responds to Firefighter Well-being
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - On May 27, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District (Metro Fire) opened with a “hose uncoupling” the newly constructed Fire Station 68 in east Rancho Cordova. The now inaugurated facility, located near Douglas Road and Sunrise Boulevard, incorporates state-of-the-art improvements which show the way of the future in firefighting facilities.
Susan Wood, wife of Sac Metro Board Director Ted Wood ‒ Division 4, shared with the crowd that during the economic slowdown, the older Fire Station 68 had been temporarily closed, which left a sizeable “geographic service area hole” in the surroundings.
The new Fire Station 68 located at 12065 Cobble Brook Drive will replace the station that was formerly located at 4381 Anatolia Drive, which Rancho Cordova Mayor Donald Terry described as “more like a shed with a house in the back.”
Sac Metro staff said the facility will keep “three firefighters, staffing one fire engine with room to expand staffing as the area continues to build and grow.” And there certainly has been a lot of growth recently.
Fire Chief Todd Harms commented on the first stages of the project: “When I first came out here, and we looked at the site, there was nothing that was out here‒literally a few roads. There was a little bit of expectation of the growth that was about to happen. But just in the time that we have built this location, the growth has just been incredible.”
The fire station, which features state of the art crew quarters, health and wellness facilities, safety equipment, and fast-access sideways opening bay doors (rather than garage-style doors), was designed by Tylor Babcock of MFDB Architects and built by Trent McCuen of McCuen Construction Inc., and the construction management team led by Sean Strongman.
Speakers highlighted that what makes the new fire station building so innovative are the health and safety features incorporated into its design.
Chief Harms explained that “because someone will live in this fire station 24 hours a day and 365 days a year for the next 60-70 years,” they will be exposed to toxic diesel exhaust fumes and soot which cause cancer.
Station 68 features a descending exhaust ducting system that hooks up to tailpipes to expel spent gases, together with divided living and garaged areas which are pressurized at different levels (somewhat analogous to a space station) so as not to allow contaminants flowing into living spaces when opening doors and other access breaches.
Metro Fire Board of Directors President Cinthia Saylors expressed gratitude that this station prioritizes the long-term health and safety of its members.
“As a retired firefighter, this is extremely important to me,” Saylors said, “My generation suffers [from] very many types of cancers because we did not have the protections of sucking up the exhaust fumes; We had to live with the exhaust from our rigs; We had to live with the dirt on our turnouts; We carried our turnouts inside our rigs... We did not know that just the soot on our turnouts was cancerous.”
Newly representing the redrawn Supervisor District 3, which covers Station 68, Supervisor Rich Desmond attended the grand opening and congratulated the fire district and residents.
Desmond said that the new station was not only going to “improve response times… in the local community… but also that it was going to boost Sac Metro’s response to all hazards in the county.” He was referring to the pre-positioning of wildland response rigs and other special operations which will be based at Station 68.
For more information visit: metrofire.ca.gov.