We were waiting for a mid-December Sacramento Kings game and saw the the lower level concourse at Golden 1 Center suddenly resemble a giddy courtyard at Disneyland. Fans were waiting in line to have their pictures taken, but not with Minnie Mouse.
They were sidling up to Jerry Reynolds, the flesh-and-blood embodiment of affection for Sacramento’s only major sports franchise. With a group of my buddies, I joined the line. We were like eager fan-boys, waiting to take a picture with a senior citizen who never played in the NBA and who presided over some of the most talent-challenged Kings teams in the history of a franchise with only eight winning seasons in 34 NBA campaigns in Sacramento.