Probably not the last.

The Sacramento Kings opened training camp Saturday with the former BYU sensation as the star attraction, injecting some life into a franchise that seemed destined to move south to Anaheim last summer and desperately needs to build momentum for a new arena by March to avoid relocation. While Fredette still has to improve defensively, he’s expected to team with Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton this season to form a powerful backcourt rotation.

“I definitely respect these guys as basketball players and as people,” Fredette said. “And if you show them that respect, they’ll respect you right back. That’s what it’s all about. So I’m continuing to gain that respect hopefully and just try to make the right decisions and be a good person.”

Fredette’s first day also had its share of bumps.

The point guard often looked lost defensively, missed shots and also piled up a few turnovers. Evans, the 2009-10 rookie of the year, blew past him on several occasions for easy buckets and his size and strength gave Fredette fits on the glass.

Treating him no differently than any other rookie, Kings players also tagged Fredette with several chores, including handing out bottles of water and Gatorade while they finished stretching. He was the only rookie to clean the floor.

“I have to pick it up or it’s $100 a bottle,” Fredette said, chuckling. “Not taking any chances.”

Though the Kings believe the 6-foot-2 Fredette will work well in a backcourt with Evans and Thornton, the rotation is still unclear. The 6-foot-6 Evans has the ability to match up with bigger guards defensively, easing the load on Fredette, but Thornton’s scoring ability might trump them all.

Thornton, who re-signed with Sacramento on a four-year deal worth at least $31 million, averaged 21.3 points in 23 games for the Kings after being acquired in a midseason trade with New Orleans. Evans and Thornton played together during the scrimmage portion of the nearly 3-hour practice, with Fredette and Evans matched up against each other at the point.

Clearly, Evans is more seasoned at the moment.

“He’s been playing this game for a long time. I told him, ‘Don’t change up nothing now,’” Evans said. “One time I backed up off him, he was probably at the hash mark. Coach told him, ‘Shoot it.’ He shot it. I told him don’t change your game. He did it in college. I don’t see why he can’t do it in the NBA.”

Fredette transition to the pros offers a scintillating subplot this season for a franchise that has so often been in national news for other reasons.

The Kings came oh-so close to moving the franchise to Anaheim this summer. Instead, the NBA and Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof decided to give Sacramento until March to approve a plan to help finance a new arena — or else.

Sacramento Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie today announced the hiring of Keith Smart and Bobby Jackson as assistant coaches on Head Coach Paul Westphal’s staff. Additionally, the Kings hired Dwayne Wilson (equipment manager) and announced the promotions of Pete Youngman (director of sports medicine) and Manny Romero (head athletic trainer).

Smart, who brings 22 years of professional basketball experience as either a coach or player, joins the Kings after spending last season (2010-11) as head coach of the Golden State Warriors. Prior to his appointment as head coach, Smart served seven seasons as an assistant coach for the Warriors, giving him the longest tenure of any assistant coach in Golden State history. Smart, 47, originally joined the Warriors prior to the 2003-04 campaign after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was named the Cavaliers interim head coach in the middle of the 2002-03 season upon taking over for John Lucas. At the time, he was second-youngest head coach in the NBA.

Before joining the Cavaliers, Smart spent three seasons as the head coach of the CBA’s Fort Wayne Fury, compiling a record of 85-83 (.506) and guiding the team to its first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history in 1997-98 and 1998-99. In his first campaign as a head coach at any level in 1997-98, he guided the Fury to a franchise-record 31-win season and a trip to the playoffs. The club made the playoffs again in 1998-99, despite having a single-season franchise record nine players signed to NBA contracts. He was awarded the American Conference Coach of the Month Award five times during his tenure with Fort Wayne and had a CBA-high 21 players signed to NBA contracts. During his professional basketball playing career, Smart spent six seasons in the CBA, two seasons in France and one in Venezuela. He also played briefly with the San Antonio Spurs during the 1988-89 season. Smart was originally drafted by the Warriors in the second round (41st overall) of the 1988 NBA Draft out of Indiana University. He is widely remembered for his Final Four heroics in 1987, in which he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after leading Indiana to a National Championship with his game-winning shot versus Syracuse in the title game.

Jackson, who enjoyed a 12-year career as a player in the NBA, begins his first season as an assistant coach for the Kings. He spent the past two years working as the Kings’ basketball operations special  assistant where his responsibilities included assisting in the areas of scouting, handling player evaluations and preparing for the NBA Draft. Jackson played six of his 12 NBA seasons with the Kings, averaging 10.6 ppg (.440 FG%, .356 3pt%, .810 FT%), 3.2 rpg, and 2.2 apg in 365 games with Sacramento. Drafted by the Seattle Sonics (now Oklahoma City) with the 23rd overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft and then traded to Denver on the night of the Draft, Jackson played for six teams in his NBA career — Denver, (1997-98), Minnesota (1998-99 – 1999-00), Sacramento (2000-01 – 2004-05, 2008-09), Memphis (2005-06), New Orleans (2006-07 -2007-08), and Houston (2007-08).

When he retired, Jackson ranked fifth in three-pointers made (381) and sixth in attempted (1,070) in Kings’ franchise history. He also ranked 10th in steals (356) in the Sacramento era. Jackson averaged 9.7 ppg (.417 FG%, .354 3pt%, .793 FT%), 3.1 rpg, and 2.6 apg in 755 career games. In eight of his 12 seasons, Jackson played in the NBA Playoffs and averaged 9.2 points (.405 FG%, .270 3pt%, .807 FT%), 2.8 rpg, and 2.1 apg in 58 contests. His best season came in 2002-03 when he earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award after averaging a career-best 15.2 ppg (.464 FG%, .379 3pt%, .846 FT%), 3.7 rpg, and 3.1 apg in 59 games. He became just the second point guard in league history to win the award, joining Orlando’s Darrell Armstrong (1999). Jackson remains one of the most beloved players in Sacramento-era history for his efforts both on and off the court. He established the Bobby Jackson Foundation in February 2004, a community-based organization created in honor of his mother, Sarah, who passed away in January 2002 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. Additionally, he serves as the local spokesman for the Sacramento affiliate Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in memory of his mother.

Wilson enters his first season as the Kings’ equipment manager after serving in the same capacity for the Milwaukee Bucks for the past six seasons. With Milwaukee, Wilson also assisted the team’s strength and conditioning coach with player development. He was originally hired by the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant strength and conditioning coach in 1998. Wilson added the title of equipment manager in 1999 and served as both until the summer of 2004.

Youngman enters his first season as the Kings’ director of sports medicine after serving as the team’s head athletic trainer the previous 15 seasons. He spent three seasons as the club’s assistant to former head trainer Bill Jones before accepting the head post in June of 1996. Youngman joined the Kings after spending the previous nine years with the Boston Red Sox professional baseball organization at all levels of their minor league system.

Romero begins his first season as the head athletic trainer and his ninth overall with the team. He served as the Kings’ assistant athletic trainer/performance enhancement specialist the previous five seasons. Prior to joining the Kings, Romero worked seven seasons as a part of the Los Angeles Lakers training staff.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Former Sacramento Kings guard Bobby Jackson remains active, not only within the organization but also as a fixture within the community.

Jackson, spent part of his Thursday visiting with patients and spread a little joy at the UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento. Jackson was joined by Kings mascot Slamson as together they spent some one-on-one time visiting with children, signing autographs and passing out gift bags to patients.

Jackson said that whenever he’s asked to make an appearance at an event like the one on Thursday, he never turns it down.

“I think it’s important just to give back and put a smile on a kid’s face”, Jackson said. “I feel like we’re blessed to be healthy and why not try to make them smile and (brighten) someone’s day.

“I brought my son and my nephew so they can really see how good they really have it. Hopefully they will do the same thing as I’m doing, one day.”

After a 13-year NBA career consisting of six seasons with the Kings, Jackson re-joined the organization and retired in 2009. Following his retirement, Jackson was named an ambassador to the Kings before later becoming a scout for the team.

Jackson has always placed a high emphasis on being visible and active within the Sacramento community, including roles with a variety of local charities.

Jackson finds a lot more time than usual for appearances like Thursday’s hospital visit, while the NBA and the Players Association are in the midst of a league imposed lockout; a work stoppage the result of a harsh labor disute that began July 1.

“I was part of one in (1998-1999), so I know it’s going to be a long process and hopefully the NBA and the players will get something resolved”, Jackson told News10.

The last NBA lockout lasted 204 days when it concluded on January 20, 1999, resulting in a shortened 50-game season.

Jackson’s hospital visit is among many planned throughout the summer, as the Kings have scheduled many other community appearances with former players and members of the basketball operations department.

By Sean Cunningham, SCunningham@News10.net   
Twitter: @News10Sean 

News10/KXTV

Israeli basketball star Omri Casspi admitted he doesn’t know much about Cleveland or its Jewish community, but the former Sacramento Kings standout said he’s looking forward to discovering what his new city and team have to offer.

“I hear there’s a very warm and welcoming Jewish community in Cleveland,” said Casspi, a 6-foot-9 forward from the Tel Aviv suburb of Yavne, who talked to the Cleveland Jewish News from his basketball camp at a JCC in the Los Angeles area.

The Kings traded Casspi and a conditional 2012 first-round draft pick to the Cavaliers on June 30 in exchange for forward J.J. Hickson.

 

        (For the original Cleveland Jewish News version of this article, CLICK HERE. And for the reaction of Jewish fans in Cleveland, CLICK HERE. The rest of the article includes local reaction rounded up by j. staff writer Andy Altman-Ohr)

Cleveland’s gain will be Sacramento’s loss, said Rabbi Reuven Taff of Mosaic Law Congregation, a Conservative synagogue in Sacramento.

“During Omri’s two years in Sacramento he inspired and instilled in our Jewish community an excitement and enthusiasm which people of all ages, basketball fans and non-fans enjoyed,” Taff wrote in an email. “His tenaciousness as a player emulated Israel’s success in showing the world that determination and hard work can result in great accomplishments in all areas of life.

“We will miss Omri very much. He endeared himself to our entire community and I hope that the Cleveland Jewish community will welcome him with open arms.”

Casspi, 23, said he has tentative plans to hook up with the Mandel JCC once he gets settled in the Cleveland area. He was involved in numerous Jewish programs while living in Sacramento, including community menorah lightings and events for the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region.

“Omri’s personal accomplishment as the first Israeli to play in the NBA was monumental for the entire global Jewish community, and obviously we in Sacramento felt great pride as we watched his career take shape,” Neil Soskin, the immediate past president of the Sacramento federation wrote in an email. “He was a wonderful ambassador, representing his home and the Jewish homeland with grace. He also was out in the community, exemplifying the diversity that we enjoy here.”

Last week, Casspi was processing the trade just as he was hurriedly getting ready to head home to Israel. There he was planning to train for the Euroleague championships scheduled for September. Casspi has no plans to visit Cleveland soon as the current NBA lockout effectively shuts down the league for the summer. Once labor negotiations are resolved, Casspi said he will think about finding a house in the area.

“I can’t really talk to the team now,” he said. “I’m just glad to know where I’m playing next year.”

Casspi averaged 8.6 points and 4.3 rebounds mostly coming off the bench for the Kings last season. A favorite of Jewish fans across the country, he started 27 games, but as his role on the Kings diminished, he expressed a desire to be traded. He averaged 24 minutes a game and grew disgruntled as his playing time went down.

The Cavaliers were in need of a small forward and Casspi will likely step right into the starting lineup.

“We’re excited to add a young, talented, tough-minded player like Omri, that we feel is a good fit for our team and can help improve our perimeter group, while also being able to obtain another important asset with the additional first-round draft pick,” Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant said in a statement.

Casspi was the first Israeli player to be drafted in the first round when Sacramento selected him 23rd overall in 2009. At age 17, Casspi signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv, the best basketball club in Israel and one of the top teams playing in the Euroleague.

During his first two seasons in the NBA, Casspi was greeted by fans waving Israeli flags in road games in Miami, Boston, Los Angeles and New York.

“The support of [American Jews] has been unbelievable,” said Casspi. “They cheered for me from Day 1.”

Akiva Tor, the consul general of Israel for the Pacific Northwest region, was one of those cheering the loudest. After all, even though he serves a wide area, his office is in Northern California (San Francisco).

“It was a total thrill having Omri in our region,” Tor noted. “He made my family and I into expert King fans. Now I’m torn because I grew up in Cleveland on the Cavs and Austin Carr. Omri may suffer from the Lake Erie winter, but the Cleveland Jewish community will give him the same abundant love he felt from the from the Jews of Sacramento. I wish him incredible scoring and much floor time at his new NBA home.”

This article first appeared in the Cleveland Jewish News and is reprinted here by permission. AP photo by Ross D. Franklin.