Kenny Smith is famous for his stint with the Houston Rockets, but the TNT analyst's three-year Kings tenure was his first taste of the NBA.
During an interview with NBC Sports California's Bonta Hill and Monte Poole, Smith explained what about Sacramento stuck with him over the years after entering the league with the Kings back in 1987.
"It's a small town, but the people there were just unbelievably great," Smith told Hill and Poole. "They have a great community of people in Sacramento, like it just felt good. Every day you felt good. I'm a New Yorker, I'm crossing the street, 'Hey, get out the way, you!' That's what I'm accustomed to. When you get to Sacramento and you cross the street, they're like, 'You sure you don't want to go? Who else is coming?' It's a whole mentality. So that was so refreshing.
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"That's the thing I remember most, is the people in that city. And it was such a tight-knit community. You could look up in the stands and you'd go, 'Oh, that's the guy who owns that restaurant.' You'd see people you'd see outside the arena, inside the arena. And that was the fun part about being in a small town. The guy who owns the ice cream store is sitting 10 rows up and you're going go there tomorrow and get some ice cream."
Smith then likened the close-knit community in Sacramento to that of a college town due to the amount of familiar faces you encounter day after day.
"It's like a college town. When you're in college and you come out, you see the students in your math class. You see all your peers. You know everyone in that community after a year living there, so you know everyone in the stands as well. So it's a very college atmosphere in Sacramento."
Smith averaged 15.6 points per game with the Kings from 1987 to 1990, and it's clear his time with Sacramento is special for far more than just what he achieved on the court.
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As the Kings celebrate their 40th season in Sacramento, the unbridled support Kings fans provide their beloved team remains the same as it was back when Smith was drafted No. 6 overall by the franchise.