Get your tissues at the ready.
It was a special night in Springfield, Massachusetts on Saturday, as three fixtures in Sacramento basketball were enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Among the 2021 class were Kings legend Chris Webber, Monarchs champion Yolanda Griffith and Kings coach Rick Adelman.
In their speeches, both Griffith and Webber addressed the city and its fans in what can only be described as a love letter to Sacramento.
Chris Webber’s message to the fans:
“And now, to the best fans in the world; to the Sacramento Kings.
I just want to talk a little bit about God’s grace. I want to talk about the fact that God has to lead you. You’re not always supposed to know where you’re going or how good it’s going to be when you come out on the other side — it’s just about trusting Him, trusting God and trusting the process.
Sacramento, my faith will forever be strong because God gave me you.”
#21HoopClass enshrinee, Chris Webber. pic.twitter.com/hmuQAtXlka
— NBA (@NBA) September 11, 2021
Yolanda Griffith’s message to the fans:
“To Sacramento: how can you say thank you to a city that embraced you? To the best fans in the WNBA: you gave us a purpose, a will to always strive to the best on the court, and without you, there were no Monarchs.
#21HoopClass enshrinee, Yolanda Griffith. pic.twitter.com/EvPIb8d6KC
— NBA (@NBA) September 12, 2021
Those years of basketball in the early 2000’s, when Sacramento was at its pinnacle, are truly some of the best moments in the history of the sport. We still remember the roar of Arco Arena and the triumphant days of a championship WNBA team and the #1 seeded Kings. For the players to return to their roots and thank the people who supported them was such a welcome site.