The first time I saw the Sacramento Kings and their new Light The Beam tradition, I rolled my eyes. It’s stupid. Having been born and raised in the city, this was the kind of nonsense that we are known for. Phil Jackson called us a cow town because we thought dumb crap like a huge laser going into the sky was cool.
But this actually is cool.
The Sacramento Kings have turned Light The Beam into an organic tradition. Players and fans both embrace it. This has become a thing on its own instead of being some force-fed marketing junk crammed down our throat by the team’s social media accounts.
Look, Kings’ fans think the cowbell stuff is cool. It most certainly is not. Leaning into an insult never ends well. If someone calls you fat, you don’t go out and put on more pounds. When an NBA head coach calls you a hick, the answer isn’t to start acting more hick-ish.
There is nothing more embarrassing than going to a game at Golden 1 Center and seeing that massive cowbell. It is a painful reminder of just how dumb Sacramento can be. As bad as it was for the Maloof brothers to sell off Arco Arena naming rights to a scam company, that dumbass cowbell is somehow worse.
Keep Reading: An honest Golden 1 Center review
However, the Sacramento Kings have found something with Light The Beam. It has become a rallying cry. A source of pride we can all get behind. For a franchise that hasn’t had much to cheer about in 15 years, a big, purple laser provides a rare ray of light, pun fully intended.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this all is the fact Sacramento has embraced the tradition. As a city, we’re extremely cynical and basically hate everything. Light The Beam is stupid. But it is a good kind of stupid. A basketball equivalent to Big Trouble in Little China or tacos from Jack in the Box. This is why the town likes it.
Congrats to the Sacramento Kings for Light The Beam. Vivek Ranadivé has owned the team for almost ten years, and he finally did something right. Now can we please send the cowbells back to Rio Linda where they belong?
Related: Remembering when basketball legend Bill Russell coached the Sacramento Kings
