Sunday Musings: Kings' "All In" mentality prevalent during early adversity

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All in? 

It’s a pretty simple question, but it is one that Kings head coach Mike Brown not only asked his players before the start of the 2022-23 season, he made them sign a poster to cement their commitment to the process.

“This year, it’s about being all in, for us,” Brown said earlier this week. “It's a big year for us. It’s a transition year, going from here, trying to get to here. And it ain’t going to happen just because we feel we’ve got some talent or because we think we worked hard during the preseason. It’s got to be a constant, constant thing that we do everyday when we come to the gym.”

According to Brown, everyone signed on the dotted line, which wasn’t technically required. The equipment staff has even made “All In” t-shirts, which you can see in pregame. 

This isn’t a new idea. Brown isn’t the originator of the concept. Every coach is searching for buy-in from their players. Last season under Luke Walton and assistant Rico Hines, Sacramento used the term “stacking days” as the tie to bind the team together. It didn’t work, but the concept is similar.

When the team stacked losses instead of wins, Walton was relieved of his duties. Hines departed during the offseason and now Brown has a fresh slate to install his own ideas for building chemistry and culture. 

“Whether the times are good or the times are bad, we have to all be in,” Brown said. “We’ve got to be on the same page. We all have to try to create this winning culture together at all times.”

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