Mayor Johnson Leads Rally For ‘Reke
March 2, 2010 by Andrew Nicholson
It’s hard to believe, but Tyreke Evans is still just a rookie.
The dynamic point guard’s first-year NBA story took another exciting turn on Tuesday, as the Mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson, held a press conference to officially endorse the Kings young leader for Rookie of the Year.
“Sacramento strives to be a world-class city, and Tyreke Evans is proving to be a world-class player,” Johnson, standing in front of a multi-story ‘Rally for ‘RekeROY Night’ banner and flanked by prominent local leaders, Slamson and members of the Sacramento Kings Dance Team, said. “He has my official endorsement for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. I encourage all Sacramentans to show the nation how we support Tyreke by attending ‘Rally for RekeROY Night’ at ARCO Arena on March 10.”
In honor of Evans’ incredible play in his first season in Northern California, the Mayor along with other prominent local politicians, leaders and members of the Kings 100, came together to voice bi-partisan support and spread the excitement about #RekeROY (the hashtag used to reference Evans on Twitter) and the young Kings team.
“I think it’s very important for Sacramentans to support the Sacramento Kings organization,” Johnson continued. “Look, if he’s going to get Rookie of the Year, ultimately, it comes down to what he’s doing on the court. He’s already done that. However, when the writers and voters look at what’s happening in Sacramento, (and) they can see we’re excited and the elected officials are coming together and we packed the house on March 10 in support of Tyreke Evans, all that has some sort of influence on the people who are going to vote. Us coming out and supporting him is going to send a message around this League that the city of Sacramento has rekindled the spirit and the excitement of Sacramento Kings basketball, and a lot of it has to do with the rookie who’s leading the Kings organization, Tyreke Evans.”
Along with being mentioned regularly this season among three of the greatest players to ever play the game – Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James – which is incredible in its own right, the soft-spoken yet powerful point guard has been praised by those ranging from Kings fans to All-Stars (James, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash) to the President of the United States, Barack Obama.
As sport so often does, support for Evans and the team breaks down political barriers and unites people across the region.
“The Kings give a lot of pride, a lot of entertainment and a lot of satisfaction, not just to the city of Sacramento, but the city of Citrus Heights, city of Folsom, Roseville, El Dorado Hills, my home community of Fair Oaks,” Republican Assemblyman of the Fifth Assembly District Roger Niello said. “And Tyreke Evans, this year, has just been a thrilling part of that and there could be nothing better that could happen to this whole region of Sacramento than for Tyreke to be Rookie of the Year — RekeROY!”
Along with his official allegiance to Evans’ run for ROY, Johnson shared he is, as appointed by the NBA, a mentor for the Kings rookie. The former All-Star explained he serves as an advisor to Evans giving him advice on leadership and sharing opinion on matters on-and-off the court.
“On the court, there’s not a lot I can teach him,” Johnson said humbly. “This guy can do things I could never do playing in the NBA. He’s doing things you can’t teach other players to do. His instincts, the nuances of the game, his IQ are very high.”
When asked if he’d recommend a future career in politics to the Kings rookie, Johnson said his advice would be a simple amendment to a well-known adage.
“When I played basketball, one of the things we used to say is, the best offense is a good defense,” Johnson said smiling. “In politics, it’s actually reversed. The best defense is a good offense, so that’s what I would tell Tyreke Evans.”
Join Mayor Johnson and fellow Sacramentans by showing your support for Tyreke Evans’ run for Rookie of the Year. Buy tickets now for ‘Rally for RekeROY Night’ to see the Kings take on the Toronto Raptors on March 10 at 7 p.m. at ARCO Arena.
2 words-"Reke ROY!
KJ knows whats up…. Reke for ROY!!!
Hey let's all Rally for RekeROY. We as a community need to help our rookie sensation win this great honor. As of now he is the ONLY one who really deserves this title. Petrie was right when he chose this fine young man. So far he hasn't let all of this go to his head. Again, RALLY FOR REKEROY!!!!!!
Nice photo, but one of the dancers must be unhappy to be there. She didn't smile the whole time she was there. It wasw bad on TV