Sacramento Kings Benefitted More OFF The Court With India Trip
By Rafe Wong
The Sacramento Kings have spent the last week in India playing their preseason games and exploring the country’s culture. Even though the trip was a great experience for the team, it benefitted them more off the court than on.
The Sacramento Kings just finished their preseason series against the Indiana Pacers in India. Overall, the trip was a success as two entertaining matches were put on display in front of the people of India. Especially the first game where both teams combined for 263 points and the game went into overtime.
But even though it was great for the Kings to be one of the first teams to play an NBA basketball game in the country of India, there is no doubt that they benefitted more from their trip away from the basketball court.
The Benefits OFF The Court
Let us start with the first. The Kings were in freaking India which was probably the first time many members of the organization got to visit the country. Secondly, the Kings were able to experience both sides of India. The chance to see tremendous sights like the Taj Mahal but also seeing the poverty side of India probably made them grateful for the life they have and the opportunities they have received.
Also, the way the Kings traveled to India was not bad at all. Sure, the plane flight was probably long, but at least they got to travel in style as they got to go on Drake’s private plane.
How The Kings Did Not Benefit On The Court
Although the festivities were great for the Kings both on and off the court, going to India for preseason did not help them in terms of on-court performance. With the Kings entering the 2019-20 season with the mindset of making the playoffs, they need to be in tip-top shape to begin the year.
So with flying to India, playing two exhausting games, and then taking another long flight back in just a couple of days must have been a draining process. It may not seem like too big of a problem now, but all that traveling and energy used starts to build up as the NBA year goes on.
Hopefully, the Kings can get good rest and not strain themselves too much for the rest of their preseason campaign.
Final Thoughts
The trip that the Kings took to India last week resulted in a huge success. The team was able to explore and bond together in a different environment while helping majority owner Vivek Ranadive live out his dream of watching NBA basketball in his home country.
But will this trip possibly cost the Kings in the long run, as the trip overall must have been taxing for the purple and white both physically and mentally? With this season being playoffs or bust for them, having all the energy they can get is key if they want to reach their goal.