Family.
It was a word repeatedly thrown around the Kings' practice facility Monday at Media Day as the team gets ready to officially kick off training camp Tuesday ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season.
Whether it’s “Uncle Keegan” Murray looking over De’Aaron Fox’s son Reign or Chris Duarte’s son getting a few shots up around teammates this summer, the Kings organization is ensuring they are creating and maintaining a comfortable work environment in Sacramento.
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"It's funny. A lot of people had babies in this organization this summer. I think it was like five or six babies,” Fox said Monday. “It's great to come in here, knowing you're going to work but knowing that you have people who actually care about you, your well being, your family. Most of the coaches' kids are all around the same age so it's dope being around a lot of people who have their kids grow together. It's just a fantastic environment to be in.
“But every time we come in here, we know we're going to get after each other, we know coaches are going to yell at us and cuss us out, but you know that it's best for us and it's never taken personal. And as a team, you need that. You need people to get on top of each other. A lot of times it's better to come from a player than a coach because we all know that we have a common goal.”
From last year's "Rookie Keegan" to this year's "Uncle Keegs," the second-year forward is expected to make a big leap this season. The Kings aren’t just expecting it -- they are fully counting on it.
But it was Fox who took Murray “under his wing” this offseason, as De’Aaron and his wife Recee spent just about every day with the 23-year-old. Of course, they put the work in on the court, elevating parts of each other’s games. But Fox recognized a substantial growth off the court from Murray, too.
NBA
More often than not, those things go hand-in-hand. And establishing a strong team culture or “family” can make all the difference for a young team with elevated expectations.
In what was a busy and wild offseason for some teams across the league, Sacramento will run it back next season with essentially the same squad. Continuity clearly is an important part of the puzzle for the Kings as they try to take last season’s success to the next level. But the offseason moves they did make -- including trading for Chris Duarte and signing Sasha Vezenkov and JaVale McGee -- should help with those efforts.
If you ask Malik Monk, though, those guys aren’t newcomers.
“They ain't new,” Monk said when asked about this summer’s acquisitions. “We don't see anybody as new, we're all family here. We're just looking forward to get going.”
Vezenkov might have a different perspective on that. The EuroLeague MVP definitely has experienced a lot of "new" since packing his bags and moving 7,000 miles away from Greece to Northern California this summer.
He still hasn't tried In-N-Out, but he said the Kings organization has helped him adjust to California living and appreciates how everyone in the organization -- from the players to the top bosses -- has stepped in to help make him comfortable.
"I feel great. Everything is going good," Vezenkov said Monday. "This whole organization in Sacramento makes me feel like my second family here. So I'm really thankful.
"From the first player to the president of the team, everyone is so, how do I say it, human. Good human beings. They help you, ask you every day how are you, how's your family. The connection is different. If you don't feel it, it's hard to express."
Trey Lyles, who was a free agent this summer, made it clear that he wanted to return to Sacramento for the upcoming season. He got his wish, signing a two-year contract with the Kings in June.
This will be only his second full season with the Kings, but the former first-round pick said the team and the fans made the Canadian native feel right at home in Sacramento.
"It feels amazing," Lyles said. "The coaching staff, the team, the front office, the fans, everyone in general made me feel at home here the last year and a half. I'm just ecstatic to be back and be part of this again."
And speaking of family, the McGee family's ties to Sacramento grew stronger this year.
McGee will wear a Kings uniform for the first time this season, but he's no stranger to the city of Sacramento. His mom, Pamela McGee, was drafted by the Sacramento Monarchs in 1997 where she spent her first WNBA season.
He said the full-circle moment is special to him and his family, and aside from the connection with his mom, Kings coach Mike Brown played a big part in his decision to come to Sacramento.
Brown was a former assistant for the Golden State Warriors when McGee was on the team. They established a close relationship during their time in the Bay that never faded.
"Definitely one of the top deciding factors," McGee said. "The compatibility I have with him, that vocal, of being able to call your coach and just really have a serious conversation and knowing that your coach isn't going to bulls--t you. He's going to tell you what it really is. So I've always had that in Mike Brown. That was definitely a helpful thing that got me here."
For Harrison Barnes, whose future with the franchise was in question this summer, his relationship with his teammates -- whether they were going to be current or former teammates -- remained strong throughout his free agency.
Barnes said he never stopped talking to his teammates, and they all traveled together to Napa, Las Vegas, and Southern California. Barnes has been in the league for a while and spent his career playing with other teams. He understands the connectivity this group has is unique and special.
"It's probably unique to this group," he said. "I think naturally, we all just get along together off the floor. Spent time with them in the gym this summer, and if things went a different way, still would be on the court with them.
"It's great. Speaking of kids, we've got 10 to 12 with the new coaching staff. So that definitely helped the culture there. I think we were always a close-knit group, some guys just started to get older, mature, and families have expanded. Everyone's kind of on similar timelines with that stuff. It's fostered a different way for us to bond and connect."
Monk doesn't plan on having kids anytime soon -- he said he's good with his dog at home. But whether it's a pet, children at the practice facility or helping international players feel right at home -- the Kings are making all the right steps toward establishing a well-respected culture in the 916.