It doesn’t take much to make the Sacramento Kings fan base fall in love with you. Richaun Holmes, and his family, are doing just that.
The signing of Richaun Holmes last summer came as an under-the-radar move for the Sacramento Kings. They had already announced the rest of their free-agent signings by the time they inked the 6’10” center from Bowling Green to a two-year, $10 million dollar deal. Most casual NBA fans didn’t even know who Holmes was.
That contract is looking like a steal.
In a loss against Denver, Holmes had a career game, dropping 24 points and pulling down 13 rebounds, both one-off of his career highs. He is averaging 11.4 points per game and has earned himself a starting spot over the struggling Dewayne Dedmon.
As Kings fans are starting to find out, Richaun is kind of a package deal. His parents, Richard and Lydecia Holmes, are two of Sacramento’s newest, biggest fans. Mrs. Holmes is active on Twitter, live-tweeting some games and being a proud mother:
Did you see my boy dunk on Gobert? Man if @SacramentoKings can just switch it up a bit! When 3’s don’t work go to the big man @Rich_Holmes22. Announcer can’t downplay that dunk. That was serious
— Dr. Lydecia Holmes (@DrLydecia) October 27, 2019
In separate tweets that she sent out on Sunday, Lydecia played both reporter and analyst:
I believe the @SacramentoKings are just getting over their jet lag from India, they are finally figuring each other out and now the chemistry is there. Just a little more work and they will definitely be a serious contender! Keep it up guys! #bringthestorm #stay22uned #excited
— Dr. Lydecia Holmes (@DrLydecia) November 4, 2019
I love @NemanjaBjelica game! He is so talented. Quiet but very effective!!
— Dr. Lydecia Holmes (@DrLydecia) November 4, 2019
They post hype videos after every win, too. These are essentially just the two of them yelling joyfully in to the camera, again just being proud parents. These have become somewhat popular after the two recent victories for the Kings, and were even featured on the official Sacramento Kings Instagram account.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Y6Jy1ni70/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
As if that weren’t enough, the Holmes family also sells apparel based on their son’s likeness. The collection is pretty fresh, check it out here.
The recipe for a good relationship with the Sacramento Kings fanbase is easy: play hard, be passionate, and show love to the city. Holmes has been playing his tail off, and does so by providing intensity and excitement. During the Kings loss to the Denver Nuggets, fans in Sacramento began an “M-V-P” chant when Holmes attempted two free throws late in the game.
The quote from his post-game interview when asked about the incident is all that Kings fans are going to need in order to fall in love with Richaun Holmes:
"“Thats a lot of love right there. I don’t take that for granted, you know? I love this city and I love these fans and I just want to go out there and compete every night"
Well said, Richaun. Welcome to Sacramento.