Kings notes: De’Aaron Fox pens diary; how to watch preseason NBA India Games on TV
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox is chronicling the team’s historic trip to India with a daily diary for The Undefeated.
The Kings will play preseason games against the Indiana Pacers on Friday and Saturday in Mumbai, the first time the NBA or any other North American professional sports has played games in India. The Kings departed from Sacramento late Monday night on two planes, including “Air Drake,” a $185-million Boeing 767 owned by Grammy Award-winning musician Drake.
Fox’s first journal entry was published Monday evening as the team was preparing to depart on the 19-hour flight for the NBA India Games. Fox continued to fret over the absence of wifi on Air Drake, an issue that also concerned teammate Buddy Hield, but Fox said he is excited about bonding with teammates and experiencing India’s culture.
“I hope everyone can just enjoy being around each other on this trip. Learn new things together,” Fox wrote in The Undefeated. “Obviously, we’re going out there to play basketball games and discover who we are as a team. But through a long trip like this, it can only help us grow chemistry and grow closer together.”
Kings at Taj Mahal
On Wednesday, the Kings will visit the Taj Mahal, India’s iconic ivory-white marble mausoleum. On Thursday, Kings’ players Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Dewayne Dedmon will join the Pacers’ Malcolm Brogdon, Alize Johnson and Goga Bitadze in leading an NBA Cares basketball clinic for 50 children at the NSCI Dome. Later that evening, the Kings and Pacers will attend the NBA India Games welcome reception.
At Friday’s NBA Innovation Summit, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive will discuss his journey to America from India, his vision to take the Kings to India and technology innovations shaping today’s sports landscape. Ranadive and NBA commissioner Adam Silver will later hold a news conference that will be shown on NBA TV.
Fox and Pacers center Myles Turner will address the crowd before Friday’s game. Kings forward Harrison Barnes and Pacers guard Victor Oladipo will address fans before Saturday’s game.
TV & Radio
The Friday and Saturday games will be televised by NBA TV and NBC Sports California beginning at 6:30 a.m. PDT. The games will be streamed on NBA.com and through the NBA app. Both games will also air live on KHTK 1140.
Sacramento Kings preseason schedule
Oct. 4 vs. Indiana Pacers, 6:30 a.m. (India)
Oct. 5 vs. Indiana Pacers, 6:30 a.m. (India)
Oct. 10 vs. Phoenix Suns, 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 at Utah Jazz, 6 p.m.
Oct. 16 vs. Melbourne United, 7 p.m.
This story was originally published October 1, 2019 at 2:53 PM.