Sacramento Kings bring a loud, lively game of basketball to Folsom State Prison
A normally quiet basketball court at Folsom State Prison was turned into the facility’s center of attention Thursday night.
Members of the Sacramento Kings came for a pickup basketball game featuring inmates coached by the NBA team. To make it happen, steel beams, a scoreboard and tarp cover were brought in to give the court a new look. Bleachers were brought in that held about 300 incarcerated men who got popcorn, cotton candy and water. A DJ and the tap dance group Syncopated Ladies were also brought in as entertainment.
The loud music and dancers gave the crowd something to cheer for. It was so loud the area vibrated.
The Sacramento Kings aren’t the only local pro team to play this type of game. Sacramento Republic FC plays regularly at the prison. However, the Kings’ visit was the first for an NBA team.
The players were split into equal teams coached by Marvin Bagley and Trevor Ariza. Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica, owner Vivek Ranadive and general manager Vlade Divac all sat on the bench. Kings head coach Luke Walton laced up his basketball shoes and played with the men on Ariza’s team.
At halftime, Ariza showed his gratitude to the crowd.
“We love and appreciate you guys for letting us in your space,” Ariza said. “No matter what happens or no matter how much time you have, there’s always an opportunity to get back. You guys are loved and not forgotten about.”
Bagley also was appreciative. He says this won’t be the last time he’ll give back to the community.
“It was great to be here and listen to some of the people’s stories,” Bagley said. “Basketball is not going to be forever and I’m a person first. If we all continue to love each other and show positivity to everyone, the world would be a better place.”
The star on the court was 37-year-old Joseph Keller, who had the crowd on their feet with his crazy shots. He’s a Sacramento native who played basketball at Mira Loma High School and at American River College. He shared words with Bagley after the game about their mutual love for rapping and basketball.
“Basketball and rapping are a lifestyle for me,” Keller said. “I appreciate this area and what everyone is doing for us. If you make a mistake, you can find redemption. I don’t want people on the outside to think prisoners are villains. A lot of people in here are in different programs and are getting an education. We are really involved. I helped 35 people get their GEDs. We are men that are trying to change and want to be better sons, fathers and people.”
After Keller’s sentence is over, he wants to give back to his community.
“My mom works at UC Davis Hospital, so when I get out, I want to volunteer there,” Keller said. “I want to contribute and give back to society.”
Folsom Prison was notified Nov. 18 it would be hosting this event. Despite the little time for preparation, they pulled it off.
“There was a lot of preparation for this event and there were so many moving parts,” Folsom State Prison public information officer Ernie Valencia said. “It’s always worth it to see the smiles on everyone’s faces after an event like this. I thought the whole experience was great and letting people escape their reality for just a few hours was rewarding.”
To make the event happen, the Kings and Milwaukee Bucks partnered with the nonprofit Represent Justice Campaign in February 2019. They will join the Bucks in Milwaukee on Feb. 10 for the second Team Up for Change event.
The Represent Justice Campaign said it doesn’t use terms like “inmate,” “convict,” “criminal,” “addict,” “offender” and “felon” because the organization believes they are degrading and they contribute to a cycle of harm perpetuated by the legal system.
The photo captions on this story have been corrected to indicate that teams were composed of inmates, former inmates and members of the Kings organization.
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 10:38 AM.