San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds took some time out of his busy afternoon on Wednesday to speak with the Kings as they prepared for the 2022-23 NBA season.
Although the contents of that conversation were not explicitly revealed, Kings coach Mike Brown gave an idea of what the baseball icon told his squad at training camp.
"Basically in a nutshell," Brown told reporters after practice (h/t FOX 40 Sacramento). "[Bonds said] 'Hey, take advantage of whatever's in front of you, no matter what's in front of you, try to be the best you can be and embrace it.'"
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Overall, Brown said that having the seven-time NL MVP in the practice facility to speak with the team was "amazing."
"Obviously, that's greatness," Brown said. "Everybody in, not just sports but life, aspires to be the best of the best and we got to witness it, touch it, feel it, and all that stuff, firsthand.
"So it's tremendous."
For Bonds to give that type of pep talk to an upstart Kings team looking to turn their fortunes around, it could be just the motivation Sacramento needs to break their playoff drought.
As it stands, the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz have all but signaled their intention to bottom out and draft 7-foot-5 prospect Victor Wembanyama.
NBA
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That leaves the Kings in a prime spot to snag a play-in tournament or playoff spot from the other 10 teams. With a mix of young, talented players and experienced veterans, this season's playoff hopes seem promising.
As the regular season inches closer, Kings fans are hopeful that Bonds' message carries the team through the regular season and beyond.