The Sacramento Kings have cemented their status as the favorite NBA team of the state of Iowa.
First, it was Iowa native Harrison Barnes joining the Kings at the trade deadline in 2019. Then came popular Iowa State player Tyrese Halliburton, drafted by the Kings in the first round of the 2020 draft. After the Kings traded Haliburton in February, they re-upped their support in Iowa by drafting Keegan Murray, the highest pick in the history of the storied Iowa Hawkeyes program.
Iowa fans wear Sacramento Kings gear. Some have Murray jerseys or purple and black attire. A handful already made the investment of buying NBA League Pass, which allows fans to watch all out-of-market games, so they can keep an eye on Murray.
“It’s been cool,” Murray said of the support. “I have been back to Iowa once since I’ve been drafted and I’ve seen people with Sacramento Kings stuff on and that’s never happened in the state of Iowa. It’s been cool to see the people out there who have helped me. … (Sacramento) has been good to me so far.”
While Murray lived in Sacramento to prepare for the start of the season, his family was back home in Cedar Rapids. Kenyon Murray, Keegan’s father, has seen the support firsthand.
“The biggest buzz has been people looking forward to the NBA season,” Kenyon said. “We have had so many people whether it’s been through Twitter, Facebook or even at games. … People are just excited about the season because now they have somebody to really follow and cheer for.”
He added, “It’s different having someone to root for from the area and the state. This is a Hawkeye state. The University of Iowa is the fans’ pro sports. There’s been a number of guys from Iowa that have made the NBA, they just didn’t have that tie to the University of Iowa. It’s why we’re starting to see such a swarm of people say they can’t wait to watch the NBA.”
If Keegan Murray gets homesick, he can turn to Barnes to talk about the Iowa State Fair or discuss the windchill back home. Barnes grew up in Ames and attended Ames High School. Kenyon said having someone like Barnes on the same team can help his son get through the grind of a long NBA season.
“I’m always happy to see another guy from Iowa carry the torch,” Barnes said. “Not a whole lot of us coming from there. He’s got a super-bright future not only for this team but in this league. I’ll be a fan of his for many years.”
A.J. Speck, a longtime Iowa sports fan, grew up watching the glory-day Kings teams 20 years ago. Drafting Murray brought him right back to his fandom.
“I stopped watching the NBA altogether a couple of years ago,” Speck said. “Keegan has me right back. I’ve seen more summer league and preseason games this year than I have actual games in five years and it’s completely because of him.”
There are no professional sports teams in Iowa. Iowans like to joke they don’t have a professional football team because Minnesotans would get jealous and want one, too. (Sorry, Vikings fans.)
Iowa and Iowa State universities both enjoy outsize support in the sports-crazed state. Iowa fans have been looking for a reason to hop on the NBA bandwagon.
Now that have one.
“Keegan is going to be a statue in Iowa City some day and I can promise you thousands of us are now diehard Kings fans,” Iowa fan Ethan Steinbronn said. “We’ve been looking for a reason to bandwagon onto a new NBA team and this is what has done it. You might as well call Sactown West Coast Iowa City. … I was in Iowa City last weekend for the Iowa Football game and saw probably 15 Keegan Kings jerseys. Kings gear will be all over the place out here come this winter.”
Anthony Reed, an Iowa graduate, has mostly been a college basketball fan. Because of Murray, he stayed up past midnight to watch the Kings first preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers a couple of weeks ago.
“(In the past) I’ll maybe watch NBA playoff games, but that’s it,” Reed said. “I bought the NBA League Pass and stayed up on the East Coast to watch a Kings preseason game starting at 10:30 pm on a work night. I even watched all summer league games. … I’ve been following Kings news since the draft and will watch more Kings games this year than I’ve watched total NBA games probably over the last 10 years. All for Keegan.”
The Kings drafting Murray is a dream come true for Sacramento resident Jess Klostermann. He grew up in Iowa and says his friends back home have taken a larger interest in the NBA because of Murray.
“I think Keegan being the first Hawkeye basketball player to be drafted this high, combined with his outstanding summer league and preseason performances has really caught the attention of Hawkeye fans back home, who may not have had a reason to follow the NBA before,” Klostermann said. “I’ve had several friends and family members who have purchased Murray jerseys already and are planning to come out during the season to catch a game.”
He’s not alone. Murray’s coach at Iowa, Fran McCaffery, is also on the Kings bandwagon.
“We’re all Kings fans,” McCaffery said at Iowa media day. “We love Keegan and hope he’s rookie of the year. So proud of him. ... We couldn’t be happier for him.”
