National Basketball Association

Kings draw massive home crowd for first playoff game in 17 years

Published Apr. 15, 2023 9:32 p.m. ET

Sacramento Kings fans waited 17 years, changes to the team's ownership, misguided front office decisions, and two separate near-relocations that would have seen their team move to Seattle or Anaheim before the NBA playoffs' return to California's state capital.

Needless to say, Kings fans are ready.

As if there was not enough motivation to make their voices heard upon their team's return to the playoffs, Kings fans get to watch their team take on the Golden State Warriors, who play less than 100 miles from Sacramento and practically share the same sports market as the Kings.

And Kings fans have had to watch from the sideline as those same Warriors emerged from their own generational purgatory to become the NBA's preeminent dynasty of the past 10 years with six trips to the Finals and four championships in that span.

Even given all that context, the massive crowd outside of Golden 1 Center in Sacramento before Game 1 of the series between the Kings and Warriors was a sight to behold. Check it out below:

The Kings themselves have also teased that those fortunate enough to be inside the arena for the game will be a part of the team's pregame introductions. Those that did paid an average price of $688, per Front Office Sports — and they brought the noise inside the arena too.

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