The Sacramento Kings are on their way to India to play the first-ever NBA games in that country, taking on Indiana next Friday and Saturday in Mumbai.
The Kings are getting there in style.
Drake loaned his personal, modified $185 million Boeing 767 to the Kings for the trip — a plane built for luxury, which is what you want for a flight of more than 20 hours. Team owner Vivek Ranadive set the whole thing up.
“Yesterday, out of consideration for the comfort of the players given the travel time required to make this historic trip to India, the Kings finalized an additional aircraft for the players and several members of the coaching staff,” the team told James Ham of NBC Sports California.
Do we even need to ask if the players are good with this?
The Sacramento Kings prepare for their preseason India trip in style thanks to owner Vivek Ranadive and his pal Drake, who loaned his $185 million luxury Boeing 767 to the team. Hear from @swipathefox , @hbarnes , @MB3FIVE & coach Luke Walton about the near 20-hour trip. pic.twitter.com/L0RiVjfuAh
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) September 29, 2019
All the comfort in the world does not reduce jet lag and how this kind of trip throws off body clocks and rhythms. As Matt Moore of the Action Network has pointed out, teams that have made the preseason China trip in the past have finished below their projected Las Vegas betting win totals at a higher rate than expected — the trip takes a toll on them. India is actually a longer trip and harder to get to. It should be a concern for a team with playoff aspirations, maybe not a huge one but a legit concern. This is a more complete team that should take a step forward, but in the West nothing comes easy.
At least the Kings are getting there in style.
