Like many others, Monte McNair can’t wait for the day Golden 1 Center is packed with Kings fans for a playoff game.
As the general manager for two seasons, McNair is locked in and ready to give the fans what they’ve been waiting for and craving for more than a decade.
McNair came to Sacramento in 2020 and was up for a challenge, but knew he was the right person for the job.
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“Well first, [there was] someone who believed in me and picked me,” McNair explained to NBC Sports California’s Kyle Draper. “So it starts with Vivek [Ranadivé]. As Kings fans can probably attest to, [I’m] not the most well-known name out there. And to find me and bring me in to give me this opportunity to build out a group that we can go and do what all Kings fans want us to do, which is get to the playoffs and figure out how to get there and it’s not going to be easy. It’s hard to win in this league.”
And although the Kings’ 15-year playoff drought likely won’t end this year, McNair is confident that his newly shaped squad will bring success in the near future.
Kings fans haven’t watched their team in the postseason since the early 2000s. During the 2001-02 season, they were one game shy of making their first NBA Finals appearance since moving to Sacramento.
McNair remembers those days and how lively the environment was, and he can’t wait to bring that back to the 916.
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“I think the other thing that was a big part of this was as a visiting team member coming in and just seeing the Sacramento fans,” McNair told Draper. “I grew up in Southern California, those late ’90s, early 2000’s Kings teams were so much fun and you saw the city and coming here in the new building and all of that, it’s been even better than that. I think the passion and the reception from the fans has been awesome. I think being in a city where the team is the number one show in town. And this is what people care about in the sports landscape and that’s so much fun, when it does pop off it’s going to be awesome.”
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And despite having another underwhelming season this year, fans have continued to show out for their Kings.
Just earlier this month, the Kings shocked the league with an impressive 112-103 win over the Chicago Bulls at home.
The energy in Golden 1 Center was absolutely electric after the win -- an early indication that Kings fans will cheer on their favorite team no matter what.
“Yeah, we dream,” McNair told Draper. “I would say touching back on the Chicago game, there were some Bulls fans… but what I loved was whenever they tried to get some noise going, our fans just completely shut it down, drowned them out, boo’d ‘em off the stage. So that was fantastic to see and I think the crowds have been amazing and they’ve been so receptive of [Domantas Sabonis] and the new guys as well as supporting our guys who have been here.
"As a visiting member before coming into this arena, we’ve seen what it could be. The city’s ready to explode, nobody supports their team like Sacramento fans. When we do finally hit our goal, and we feel confident we will, it’s going to be quite the scene and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”