Kings coach Paul Westphal isn't one to pass on a chance to break the ice with a joke.
And with two of his most popular players behind him on a building wrap that measured 177 by 65 feet, Westphal couldn't resist.
"We are getting better,"
Westphal said. "We've added some experience, some size. In fact, most of you don't know that's the actual size of DeMarcus Cousins."
The selling of the 2010-11 Kings continued Thursday in West Sacramento with a news conference in front of the sign featuring Cousins and Tyreke Evans on the side of the CalSTRS building.
Billed as the largest building wrap in Sacramento history, it's part of the team's "Here We Rise"
campaign for the upcoming season.
The campaign and new ticket plans are part of the Kings' effort to bring fans back to Arco Arena. Arco was once the standard for fan rowdiness in a packed arena, but the 25-win Kings had just three sellouts last season.
While being questioned about the Kings' future in Sacramento, team co-owner Gavin Maloof noted the need for a new arena but would settle for the atmosphere of about 10 years ago for now.
"Our main focus now is putting people back in Arco,"
Maloof said. "And I can say tickets are going well. We still have a long ways to go, but we think we can get there with people buying tickets and get back the old Arco thunder."
Much of the optimism about recapturing that thunder centers on Evans and Cousins. Evans, the 2009-10 NBA Rookie of the Year, and Cousins, the Kings' first-round draft pick this year, have been featured extensively in marketing the team.
Besides having their likeness on the CalSTRS building, visible from Interstate 5, each has a banner on the side of Arco.
Maloof called the duo the Kings' "potential stars."
He said having stars is essential in the NBA, especially with teams such as the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers collecting big names.
"We've never had, since the Chris Webber days and Vlade (Divac), a star to rally behind,"
Maloof said.
Ownership is optimistic after Cousins' performance in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and the roster changes that have given the Kings a deep frontline.
Besides Cousins (6-foot-11), the Kings drafted Hassan Whiteside (7-0) in the second round and traded for center Samuel Dalembert (6-11).
Maloof believes the Kings are better than they were entering training camp last year. And there are high hopes for camp, which begins Sept. 28.
"We'd like to be pushing for the playoffs,"
Maloof said. "I think that's a goal that we can attain."
