Fan Appreciation Friday: Chris Lopez

Keith Jouganatos: Ok so before we begin, would you please state your full name for all of our readers and where you're from?

Chris Lopez: My name is Christopher Lopez, I go by Chris, and I was born in Sacramento (raised in Elk Grove since I was 4).

Jouganatos: Can you take me back to when your fandom with the Kings started?

Lopez: My dad always dressed me in Kings gear as a small child, but when I really became a big fan of the Kings and basketball was in 2002. During the All Star Weekend in Philadelphia, my dad told me he would buy me a Peja Stojakovic jersey if he won the 3 point shootout. He won, I got my first official jersey. I loved it and over the next few months I really started to love the game, even getting NBA 2K2 for the GameCube and learned about all the teams and players and even learned how to shoot from the shooting mechanics in the game.

Jouganatos: I know it's going to be a crazy number, but how many Kings games do you think in a rough estimate you've been to in your life?

Lopez: I actually have a log on my computer where I've kept track haha. We're at over 175 Kings games now. And around 30 Monarchs games, back in the day.

Jouganatos: Wait hold up, you keep track of every game you go to?

Lopez: (Laughter) Yes, and I've kept every ticket too

Jouganatos: You've kept every ticket too!?

Lopez: Ha, yeah they go in a drawer. I like to archive.

Jouganatos: I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that number, you realize if we were to add up every NBA game you've been to that's over 4- 82 game seasons?

Lopez: Haha pretty good considering I'm not a season ticket holder. First game was in 2000

Jouganatos: 100 plus games attended, what's the one that sticks out most in your mind that you've been too?

Lopez: It's a tough choice, but I would say game 6 in the 2004 playoffs against Minnesota. Crazy ARCO atmosphere of course, but the game itself really stands out. Kings and Timberwolves both going on 14-0 runs multiple times in the first half. I remember Peja hitting a 30 footer at the halftime buzzer. And near the end of the 3rd, there was the fight between Anthony Peeler and Kevin Garnett. Which resulted in Peeler's ejection. Peja goes to the line to shoot the technical free throws, and actually misses one of the two. After talking to each other, the free throws get negated because the Timberwolves' coach was supposed to choose the Kings' free throw shooter. Flip Saunders, may he rest in peace, chose the guy on the end of the Kings bench, center Jabari Smith. And he goes up and swishes both of the free throws and the crowd goes crazy. And in the 4th, little-known Rodney Buford scores 7 points, including a 3 pointer and a dunk, to help the Kings seal the game and force a game 7 in Minnesota. Great memory that I got to share with my dad.

Jouganatos: I've always had this infatuation with this fan divide, in the sense that there are fans that have experienced those winning teams like yourself, and then there is this contingent of new era fans who don't know what it's like to see the Kings be competitive. With all the losing these past couple of seasons, do you ever catch yourself reflecting on what it was like when the team was good and in contention?

Lopez: I have a friend that actually became a Kings fan because of Kevin Martin, after the playoff run was over. He's a diehard fan, but he's never seen the Kings win. As for reflecting on the past, while I certainly appreciate the history and memories, I don't find myself reflecting much anymore. I definitely used to a few years ago, but after the arena drama, I became a lot more invested in the the welfare of the city. Not just the Kings win/loss record. I'm not just a "basketball" fan anymore when it comes to the Kings. I love being around the social scene, going to games and what being a fan provides, even if they aren't winning. When the Kings are contenders again, it'll give us even more to bond and be excited over, and it'll be an amazing time.

Jouganatos: In all honesty, what do you think makes Kings fans in your opinion so amazing?

Lopez: I think the Kings fanbase its very unique in the North American sports market. The passion, pride, goofiness, and sheer love the fans have for the Sacramento Kings is a joy to be apart of. The small-market, us-against-the-world mentality fuels a lot of Kings fans, I think and having to deal with multiple threats of relocation only made us stronger and closer. After watching losing basketball for almost a decade and the team seemingly out the door, it would've been easy to quit and accept our fate. But Kings fans are different and fought like crazy to keep the team and better their city through the Golden 1 Center, sitting through hours and hours on city council meetings, public workshops, and dealing with the general anxiety of worrying if your team was leaving. We are Sacramento, and we are Sacramento Proud.

Jouganatos: What some people might not know before reading this is you and I are good friends.What they may not also not know is you do a hell of a Grant Napear impersonation. You were able to go on Sports 1140 KHTK and do your impersonation, and people can actually search it on YouTube and find it. How did that story come about with Dave putting you on the show and letting you do it?

Lopez: Haha ah yes that was fun. Well it was the day of the Kings home opener in 2014. Early in the morning, I drove to the the KHTK studios. The morning show was having a little gathering outside with free food, a gaming truck, and of course, the radio show. They had a raffle to win Kings tickets for the home opener that night, and I entered. I already had tickets, but I figured I could give them to someone else who couldn't afford to go. Multiple people won in the raffle, but as it turned out, I was the first winner. Keith Brooks read my name and immediately Carmichael Dave recognized my name, as we've had met and spoken in-person and online several times. I had posted a status on Facebook probably a week before listing a bunch of voices I feel I can do, and Grant Napear was among them. Dave had commented on it saying someday I would do it on his show. Anyway, Dave tells the crew to get me a headset and I got to yell IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT, YOU DON'T LIKE NBA BASKETBALL on a 50,000 watt radio station. And it was cool. Plus, I gave the tickets to a Crown Downtown member who couldn't afford to go. Fun day for sure.

Keith: And then touching off that Napear impersonation in front of Dave, you actually had some car troubles and Dave donated to helping your car get back on its feet?

Chris: Yes, I had started a GoFundMe back in March to help me fix my car. Its a long story, and I was very uncomfortable doing it, but it was necessary. As for Dave, I messaged him to thank him personally for the donation and it turned out it was his wife Melissa who had donated in his name. Which was exceptionally kind of her. I received a lot of love from that endeavor.

Keith: As a Kings do you think it was easy for you to take your mind off all the things that happened last year by watching the team?

Chris: Yes absolutely. I've had a number of stressful things occur in my life in the past year. But for me, one of the few consistent positives has been being a Kings fan. Maybe that sounds silly. But going to games and spending time with like-minded people is incredibly therapeutic. It makes me feel not-so-alone. Sports teams are a great unifier. And in the kind of times we live in, I think that's very important.

Keith: What people also don't know is that you're the reason the Dubs couldn't close the deal against Cleveland in last year's Finals. Explain that please, ha.

Chris: Haha well I have a hard time sleeping a lot of the time. One night in June, after midnight, I decided to go out for a drive and ended up following the Sacramento River, after a few hours I ended up in Oakland. I decided to take a Snapchat of me driving by Oracle Arena and booing it. Mostly in defiance of the Sacramento media channels telling me I'm supposed to care about the Golden State Warriors. I posted in on Facebook the next day and the Warriors ended up losing a critical game 5 against the Cavaliers. Everyone started making jokes that I should go back and it for game 7, should there be one. And since I'm a crazy son of a b***h, I decided to follow through and I drove back to Oracle the night before game 7. Except this time I got out of my car and took a selfie with the arena in the background, and wrote #CURSED on the picture. The rest is history. Now this wasn't out of any real spite towards the Warriors, the Bay Area, or their real fans. All in good fun. But living in Sacramento and seeing bandwagon Warriors fans, some of which I KNOW are from Sac, has gotten a little grating. This is Kings country, and I will resist attempts to make the Kings less relevant.

Keith: Alright final question I always end these on this one. What would you do if the Kings won the NBA Championship?

Chris: Seeing a triumph like galvanize the city would bring me joy like I don't think anything else can. I'd yell, jump, smile and hug. That parade down the Capitol Mall will go down in history. ♛

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