The Sacramento Kings had something of a breakout year last season as a team after years of suffering in the doldrums due to daft draft picks and poor management. Now, the team seems to be going in the right direction with a strong young core of De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley, Harry Giles, Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
During the preseason, the Kings are slated to hold preseason games against the Indiana Pacers in Mumbai, India – marking the first time the NBA has played a game in India ever.
Because the flight is likely to take a toll on the players due to its length (19 hours) and cutting into their regular preseason schedule, the Kings and the NBA have announced that they have chartered Air Drake, a refurbished Boeing 767 that is owned by Canadian rapper Drake – a noted NBA fan who often stans for the Toronto Raptors.
According to a story on The Athletic by Sam Amick (subscription required), “[Kings] staff members will still fly on the original plane, but the players and coaches whose preseason regimens are being impacted by the trip should now have an easier time dealing with the jet lag that will surely come from the time change (12 ½ hours) and travel.”
The Kings will be looking to make the playoffs after just fizzling out down the stretch and falling to the 9th seed in the West. This year, with new additions such as Dewayne Dedmon, Trevor Ariza, Cory Joseph, Richaun Holmes and NCAA Champion and Most Outstanding Player Kyle Guy on a rookie two-way deal, the Kings might have a shot to transition from up-and-coming team to playoff threat.
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