Programming note: "Wire to Wire: Warriors vs. Kings" debuts this week on NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California. The hour-long special is highlighted by extensive in-game audio from the Warriors-Kings game on Feb. 25 at Chase Center. Watch on NBC Sports Bay Area on Tuesday at 10 p.m. and NBC Sports California on Wednesday at 10 p.m.
The initial trade was pretty basic. One veteran for another, with a smattering of inexpensive contracts being added to make the money work.
Kent Bazemore was a bit of a mystery when the Sacramento Kings acquired him, along with Anthony Tolliver for Trevor Ariza, Caleb Swanigan and Wenyen Gabriel. He had put together a sub-par first season in Portland. His shooting numbers were down and he mostly looked like a player that would have to rebuild his value on a “make good” contract in free agency this summer.
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When the 30-year-old wing walked into the Kings' locker room, it was like a breath of fresh air. Light-hearted, smart and with a story to tell, Bazemore, along with Tolliver, called for a team meeting to tell the struggling Kings what they saw from the outside. That conversation was a catalyst for change.
With Bazemore playing big minutes, the Kings posted a 13-8 record over their final 21 games before the NBA had to shut their doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. Before the season was put on hiatus, NBC Sports California and Bay Area partnered for a rare night of what we are calling “Wire to Wire.”
On February 25, NBC Sports mic'd up a handful of players and coaches as the Kings and Golden State Warriors faced off at Chase Center. Like his play on the court over his 21 game stint with the Kings, Bazemore didn’t disappoint.
As players are announced, Bazemore can be heard teasing his teammates as their official NBA heights are announced.
“You’re 6-2, you’re 6-2, bro,” Bazemore tells starting shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic as he comes through the line. Listed at 6-foot-6, Bogdanovic smiles at his veteran teammate.
When De’Aaron Fox is announced as 6-foot-3, Bazemore is back at it, “You’re 6-1, let’s go.”
Since joining the Kings, Bazemore has been strong on the court, but his leadership and demeanor behind the scenes was a game-changer for Sacramento. They needed a veteran presence to lighten the room on occasion, but also to hold young players accountable.
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During the game, a 112-94 Kings victory, Bazemore works the sidelines like a second head coach. He cheers on his teammates and never stops chirping.
When Fox picked the pocket of Ky Bowman for a highlight-reel dunk on the other, Bazemore can be heard saying, “That boy is special, he’s special.”
When one of the officials mispronounces Nemanja Bjelica’s last name, Bazemore steps in to correct him, “It’s Bee-a-leet-za, not Ba-jelica.” He later admits to the official that he too used to mispronounce Bjelica’s name.
In the win over the Warriors, Bazemore finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, a block and two steals. He turned the ball over four times, but he also finished with a plus-24 in the plus/minus.
It’s hard to measure how much an individual player means to a team, but in his short stint with the Kings, Bazemore seemed to be the calming influence the squad needed.
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While he isn’t always perfect, Bazemore is a live wire and his energy is contagious. In the NBA, you don’t have to be an All-Star to impact a team if you can be an All-Star in your role. For the Kings, that is exactly what Bazemore has been, an All-Star in his role.
For more on Bazemore and his infectious personality, tune in to NBC Sports California’s “Wire to Wire” Wednesday at 10 PM. It gives the viewer an inside look into a player who has become not just a fan favorite in Sacramento, but a player the team would love to see stick around for a while.