About the Author
Built by @BrendanWelsh, FYBA Legend. Hoop dreams. Known as BulldogsRock25 on AIM. Born and raised in Sacramento. Grew up playing youth basketball, played on the court at Arco Arena. Sat in the nosebleeds watching Webber, Peja, Vlade, Doug Christie, and the greatest team to never win a championship. Skipped school in 4th grade to get Carl's Jr Kings bobbleheads. Recently got $15 tickets to a game and $16 hot dogs.
Getting Bibby's autograph at Food Source, 2002
The beam doesn't just stay at the arena.
$15 seats. $16 hot dogs. Worth every penny.
Light the beam.
About This Site
After every Sacramento Kings home win, a purple beam shoots from the crown of Golden 1 Center into the Sacramento sky. The beam is powered by a 1.5 million candlepower searchlight mounted on the arena roof — visible from miles away. It stays lit for about an hour after the game, painting the downtown skyline purple. The tradition started in 2022-23 when the Kings ended a 16-year playoff drought.
This site tracks every beam. During live games, the answer shifts — YES, LIKELY, PROBABLY, MAYBE, DOUBTFUL, UNLIKELY, NOPE — based on real-time win probability from ESPN. All data pulled from ESPN's public API. Scores update every 30 seconds during live games. Season archives go back to 2022-23.
But "light the beam" has become bigger than basketball. Got a promotion? Light the beam. Aced the exam? Light the beam. Your kid took their first steps? Light the beam. It's a Sacramento thing. It's a celebration.
Not affiliated with the Sacramento Kings. Made by a fan, for fans.
Hoop Dreams, Baby.