SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ In times like these, you look for signs of life, leadership and accountability, something _ anything _ to suggest there are better days ahead for the Sacramento Kings.
You could see some of that in Buddy Hield's eyes as he finished dressing and turned to face the media in a somber locker room late Wednesday night. The Kings had just been booed off their home floor after falling to 0-5 for the first time since the 1990-91 season with a 118-111 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Hield flattened his T-shirt, straightened his spine and addressed the crowd of reporters waiting in front of his locker, answering each question with thought and purpose. He said he trusts in his teammates, believes in his coaches and promises they are working hard every day to find a winning formula, but he hears your boos and he doesn't blame you.
"I know fans are frustrated right now," Hield said. "They're booing us and everything. I know when we get this thing rolling, they're passionate, so we've got to finally get a win."
The Kings will try again when they conclude a three-game homestand against the Utah Jazz (4-1) on Friday at Golden 1 Center. Victory seems unlikely against a Utah team that beat the Kings by 32 last weekend, but Hield insists the Kings won't stop trying to give the city the success it craves after 13 consecutive losing seasons.
"It's Sacramento, man. They're diehard basketball fans and I respect that," Hield said. "If my team's not doing well, I'd boo them, too. You can't take it harshly because we're sucking right now. They're passionate fans. I know they love us for sure, but we're not winning so they're showing their frustration."
