NBA fans will have most certainly heard of the phrase “Light the Beam.” After all, it is an increasingly growing slogan associated with the Sacramento Kings. As we all know, the Kings have been playing incredibly this season and managed to break a long postseason drought for the franchise.
Although this is very impressive and deserves its due credit, some fans who aren’t well-versed with the situation in Sacramento find their latest phrase to be confusing and require an explanation. That said, let us take a closer look at the origin of “Light the Beam” and what it symbolizes in the eyes of Kings’ fans.
When did the Sacramento Kings first use their iconic franchise phrase?
Some fans might be aware that popular slogans and phrases have been associated with multiple franchises across the league for years now. “Strength in Numbers” and “We the North” are some of the other phrases used by teams like the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors.
Coming back to the Sacramento Kings, they managed to make the playoffs this season after having last been there during the 2005-2006 NBA season. Several people felt that the pairing of De’Aaron Fox and Domontas Sabonis has played a huge role in the success that the team has seen this season.
In fact, the Kings even give certain prominent personalities watching the games the privilege of lighting the beam. Since this action seemed to be translating into success for the team, fans quickly integrated it as part of their chants. We could hear it being exclaimed across the arena when the Kings qualified for a spot in the playoffs this season.
Even the main stars like Fox have shown a liking for this phrase. Some have even mentioned it during postgame interviews and others have posted it on social media after impressive victories. In any case, this appears to be a new part of the modern-day Sacramento Kings’ culture and should be expected moving forward.