The Sacramento Kings have only just begun their climb toward contention, but they're going global even before establishing themselves as one of the league's marquee teams worldwide. Sacramento released its preseason schedule for 2019-20 on Thursday, reminding the basketball world it will be playing a pair of exhibition games in Mumbai, India.

The Kings will play two preseason games against the Indiana Pacers at Mumbai's NSCI Dome on October 4 and 5.

Plans for Sacramento to travel to India during the exhibition season were first made public in December. Team owner Vivék Ranadive, the NBA's first and only chairman of Indian descent, told NBC Sports California's Aly Thanawalla that commissioner Adam Silver and the league office have long strived to make significant inroads in his home country.

“[Adam Silver] and I spoke about it all the time, and it took a lot of planning, a lot of effort,” he said. “The NBA has had a presence in India and in Bombay. We opened an Academy in Delhi. So, the NBA has come through on every promise it has made, and there’s a lot of work that went into it.”

The Kings, who went a surprising 39-43 last season, boast one of the most exciting young cores in basketball.

De’Aaron Fox broke out as a sophomore, establishing himself as a future star while single-handedly defining his team’s uptempo identity. Marvin Bagley III, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, consistently flashed last season en route to First Team All-Rookie honors. Buddy Hield is already one of the best off-ball guards in the league offensively. Bogdan Bogdanovic is perfectly suited as a top-tier playmaker off the bench, and Harry Giles, a former top-ranked high school recruit, made it clear during his debut season that he has impact player potential.

Sacramento already has a following in India. Soon, it will be even bigger – and not just because they're playing in Mumbai.