The Sacramento Kings’ latest attempt at team bonding reportedly took an unusual turn.
On the latest episode of The Zach Lowe Show, Zach Lowe said he had heard from league sources that Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé turned a dinner involving players, coaches and team executives into what was essentially a roast of the organization – joking about the many ways the franchise had fallen short.
According to Lowe’s account, Ranadivé poked fun at different failures and frustrations surrounding the team, apparently intending the moment to be humorous. But the reaction inside the room was not entirely what he expected. Lowe indicated that some people were taken aback and that the jokes did not land as smoothly as Ranadivé may have hoped.
Ranadivé has never been a conventional NBA owner. Since taking control of the Kings in 2013, he has regularly spoken about innovation, culture and doing things differently. Years ago, he even described his ideal organization as more like a “jazz band” than a rigid marching band, with individuals improvising while still working toward the same goal.
This particular attempt at levity, however, appears to have created more awkwardness than intended.
The Kings have endured repeated stretches of instability during Ranadivé’s ownership, and that context makes jokes about organizational shortcomings more complicated. Even if the intent was self-awareness and team bonding, employees listening to the owner make light of failures may not necessarily experience it the same way.
