SACRAMENTO \u2013 Dozens of zealous Kings fans welcomed the team\u2019s newest additions to Sacramento upon their arrival Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
There were cheers, applause and excitement in the air as Darius Acuff Jr., Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp touched down in California\u2019s capital to embark on their new journeys as NBA players.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a great feeling,\u201d Sharp said at the rookies\u2019 introductory press conference Monday. \u201cGetting off the plane, it kind of caught me by surprise. I wasn’t ready for it, but great fans. It just shows how invested they are, and that’s all you can ask for in the fan base.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I can’t wait to be out there on the floor with them cheering for us and lighting the beam.\u201d<\/p>\n
The three rookies hope to give fans those same reactions with their play on the court over the years, as their eyes are set on helping turn this franchise around and building on the winning culture general manager Scott Perry pushes to establish.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking to bring it back,\u201d Acuff told NBC Sports California on Monday. \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m here for. I\u2019m not a guy to just tell you a lie in the media. I\u2019d rather just go on the court and do it. Like I said, I\u2019m excited to play in front of the fans; they deserve to start winning again. So I\u2019m excited to do it for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sacramento has missed the NBA playoffs the last three years, and it won just 22 games last season.<\/p>\n
The Kings got a temporary taste of sweet victory during their magical \u201cBeam Team\u201d year \u2013 their only playoff appearance in the last 20 years.<\/p>\n
While Acuff recognizes the organization and fan base\u2019s hunger to bring winning basketball back to a city that deserves and yearns for it, he doesn\u2019t feel pressured by the situation. Not even when he hears the term “face of the franchise”<\/a> roaming around Sacramento.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don’t really feel pressure. It’s just basketball at the end of the day,\u201d Acuff Jr said. \u201cWe all been hooping for a long time, so I just go out there and play my game for real.\u201d<\/p>\n Sharp feels the same.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel the hunger but not pressure,\u201d Sharp told NBC Sports California. \u201cWe\u2019re stepping into a new situation. They\u2019re trying to build something here, so it\u2019s really just looking forward to starting the process of building good habits, bonding with my teammates and establishing a great culture.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKings’ draft pick Emanuel Sharp joins NBC Sports California’s Tristi Rodriguez\u00a0 to discuss his goals to build a winning culture in Sacramento.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Rather than focus on the Kings\u2019 past, Sharp is just excited for the opportunity to build upon the organization\u2019s future.<\/p>\n \u201cThe best part about this is I\u2019m ending a chapter of my college basketball and stepping into something new,\u201d Sharp told NBC Sports California. \u201cI\u2019m excited to do whatever I can to further the organization and help build something up.\u201d<\/p>\n One thing that will help with that is his shooting.<\/p>\n The second-round selection is best known for his 3-point shot, shooting 37.6 percent from long range on nearly six attempts per game over four seasons at Houston.<\/p>\n Sharp is viewed by some as a potential 3-and-D guy<\/a>, and he shared that he believes his defense is the most underrated part of his game.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen people see me, they probably think of my shooting,\u201d Sharp said Monday, \u201cbut I like to pride myself on my defense first. I come from a defensive program, so, like I said, we take a lot of pride in defensive stops. So I think that’s probably the main area of my game.\u201d<\/p>\n That certainly is music to coach Doug Christie\u2019s ears, who was sitting front row at Monday’s press conference. Since taking over as coach last season, Christie has preached defense, defense, defense.<\/p>\n So has Perry.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an area of the game the Kings are trying to build an identity around, and one Sharp welcomes.<\/p>\n \u201c[My conversations with Christie] have been great,\u201d Sharp told NBC Sports California. \u201cI love everything he\u2019s been preaching and everything he wants for this team. I think I fit right in. I\u2019m excited to have him as my coach.\u201d<\/p>\n He also is \u201creally excited\u201d to begin his NBA journey with his fellow rookie teammates Acuff and Karaban.<\/p>\n They all understand the tall task at hand, but it\u2019s a challenge they\u2019re looking forward to. Together.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m ready to build that bond with them and get started on what we have to do here,\u201d Sharp told NBC Sports California.<\/p>\n