Programming note: Watch Morgan Ragan's full interview with Gary Gerould on "Kings Central" at 5 p.m. PT Sunday on NBC Sports California before "Kings Pregame Live."
If anyone knows the Kings, it’s legendary radio announcer Gary “G-Man” Gerould.
Now in his 40th season with the team, Gerould called his first Kings game in the fall of 1985 – the year the organization made a move to Sacramento from Kansas City.
Ever since, Gerould's well-respected play-by-play announcing has earned him a special place in Kings history. But also along the way, Gerould has endured a plethora of disappointing seasons in Sacramento, notably a 16-season NBA playoff drought, which was snapped during the 2022-23 season.
The Kings’ renowned announcer sat down with NBC Sports California's Morgan Ragan on "Kings Central" and detailed the organization’s revival under coach Mike Brown, who, after years of letdowns, injected new life into his storied career.
“Suddenly, Mike Brown comes in, Monte McNair [and] things start to turn around,” Gerould told Ragan. “And it’s been in the last couple of years that there’s been a renewal in terms of my spirit and certainly from a Kings fan standpoint.
“And [it’s been] so well deserved because these fans have been so patient, so diligent, so faithful. And you say, ‘How could they possibly be that faithful when this team has been so consistently bad?’ So, that’s one of the amazing things that makes Sacramento so special, in my mind.”
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Despite the Kings’ notable playoff drought stretching from 2006-07 to 2021-22, Gerould and Sacramento saw better days in the early 2000s, notably under coach Rick Adelman.
During Adelman’s eight-season tenure, the Kings made eight straight playoff appearances, winning two division titles.
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Adelman was behind the Kings’ golden era in Sacramento, and Gerould still recalls how unique of a moment it was.
“Well, it was so in contrast to what we were accustomed to,” Gerould recalls. “But it wasn’t only refreshing and welcoming, but it revitalized and reenergized everyone.
“You couldn’t wait to get to the arena. You’re thinking, ‘This could be a 60-win season for the Sacramento Kings.’ When you look back at all of those years, like I said when you struggled to 20, 25 there were some really bleak times.”
Gerould never laced them up, yet he always had an idea of what it must feel like to be a part of a turnaround.
“So now, it’s like, ‘Hey, we’ve turned a corner. We’re legit, and we think we can beat anybody on any given night,’” Gerould concluded. “That’s a wonderful feeling.
“I’m not a professional athlete – never have been. But to be able to have that feeling as an athlete it must be a wonderful, marvelous feeling. I know that it can come and go so quickly in the blink of an eye.
“So many things impact the final outcome of games. It can be injuries. It can be so many different things, but when you’re rolling and you’re on top of that wave, man, look out, here we come.”
Gerould knows Kings basketball as very few people do.
