Artest traded to Sacramento for Stojakovic (finally)

Remember my post a while ago explaining why I’m a Sacramento Kings fan? Well, I think we can officially axe that. I’ve been growing less and less interested in the Kings in the past couple years, and with their immensely apathetic performance in the playoffs last year, the trading of Bobby Jackson in the offseason, and the trading of Doug Christie last year (notice I don’t mention the Chris Webber trade), I’ve been basically waiting for the last nail in the coffin. And what better way than trading the guy who got me excited about the Kings in the first place for the biggest ass hole in the entire league. Done and done. So I guess I’m a Bulls fan officially now. I’ve been rooting for everything else Chicago, so I may as well complete the circle.

However, despite the non-dramatic ending, the Kings and I have not been without our moments:

– coming back from down 2-0 to tie up the series and almost win it against the Lakers in 99 (who were favored to win that thing easy), including this fiesty guy who was the sixth man named Peja Stojakovic

– playing another fiesty best of five series against the Lakers the next year

– thousands of Divac flops when guarding Shaq

– trading Jason Williams for a guy named Mike Bibby, who would become the hero of a later moment on this list (as well as countless others not on this list)

– Stojakovic almost single handedly eliminating the Mavericks from the first round of the 02 playoffs

– Peeler’s elbowing Garnett in the neck when G put on his standard playoff “mean-face” in 04

– Webber’s last second three rimming out with the potential to tie the T-Wolves in the second round of the 04 playoffs

– Divac’s last second hitting the ball directly to a wide open Robert Horry, who drills a three to win game four of the West Conference Championship in 02 (this one probably hurt the most, but it was memorable)

– the Kings destroying the Lakers by like 40 on Christmas day in 02, and yet Bill Walsh continued throughout the game to say “This is why the Lakers are so dangerous” after Kobe hits a meaningless three when they’re still down by 30. I hate Bill Walsh.

– Bobby Jackson winning sixth man of the year award in 03

– Bobby Jackson and Nick Van Exel playing scrappy immensely entertaining basketball in round two of the 03 playoffs

– Stojakovic’s last second three that was about two feet off with the potential to win game seven of the Lakers series in 02

– Seeing an incredibly boring but nevertheless momentous Pistons/Kings game last year live at the Palace (aka the Circus), my only live NBA game I’ve ever been to

– And finally, the greatest moment I ever had being a Kings’ fan: the inbound pick & roll from Bibby to Webber back to Bibby, who drains a fade away 18 footer, winning game 6 against the Lakers in 02, forcing game 7, and causing me to jump about three feet out of my chair, and hug about 15 guys at BW3s, none of whom I knew.

(it was also during that game where I was using the bathroom, and a guy stood at the toilet next to me, sighed and exclaimed “Man, I love bitches.” To which after and astounded pause, I replied “I hear ya.” What else was I supposed to say? Good times all around.)

So it is with fond memories that I bid adeu to the Sacramento Kings. It’s been a good 6/7 years, and best of luck Bibby (the only player left on that team that I really like)!

Go Bulls!