Kevin Huerter’s perspective on future of Kings victory beam at Golden 1 Center

When Kings players in March were asked to name which teammate is the biggest fan of the purple victory beam at Golden 1 Center, nobody hesitated to answer.

All six teammates named sharpshooter Kevin Huerter.

"He's a big proponent of the beam," Sacramento forward Harrison Barnes said of Huerter. "Can't wait to light it. That's all he talks about. Probably thinks about it when he goes to sleep."

Huerter was, after all, the creator of the nickname "Beam Team" from an Instagram caption during the team's seven-game winning streak in November.

Moving forward though, Huerter wonders about the beam's future in Sacramento.

"I’m kind of curious … if we’re going to carry it on into next year and the year after," Huerter told JJ Redick and Tommy Alter on "The Old Man and the Three" podcast. "Everybody loved it; it seemed like something that took over the NBA and was a really fun thing to get behind. It's a fun gimmick. It works. It was original at least.

"I’m not sure if things like that stick. I’m not sure how it's going to carry over."

The Kings' trek through the 2022-23 NBA season was all about establishing a winning culture and snapping the infamous 17-year playoff drought. They accomplished both by earning the No. 3 Western Conference playoff seed with 48 wins and taking the defending champion Golden State Warriors to seven games in their first-round postseason series.

Expectations for the Kings have changed. Next season, the fan base and the team itself will be hungry for more.

But what does that mean for the beam?

"'Light the beam,' it felt like every time we won -- especially at home -- it was a celebration," Huerter told Redick and Alter. "Like, 'hey, this is great. Let's light the beam.’

"Whereas moving forward, all the best teams that have done it year after year -- the first team that comes to my head is the Milwaukee Bucks -- they win and it's expected. They shake their hands; they walk off the court and get ready for the next game.

"At some point, you’ve got to flip the script. But I think for us, [the beam] was a way for us to enjoy each win. A way for us to interact with the fans; you’d grab the microphone after the game and put a big emphasis on, hey, we’re now a winning team. We’re not the same Sacramento Kings as past years.

"The expectation should change for us moving forward."

The Kings clearly are building something special in Sacramento. Next season, there won't be a big celebration when the team wins its 40th game or secures a playoff spot. Those milestones should be the floor of the 2023-24 season.

The purple lasers atop Golden 1 Center likely will be lit after Kings wins for years to come. As expectations change, perhaps the beam continues to be lit but players only mash the "Light the beam" button after playoff wins.

But if the Kings maintain the status quo on the beam next season, you can bet Huerter -- the Kings' biggest proponent of the beam -- will be first in line to light up the Sacramento sky once again.