Kings training in Colorado for conditioning and 'camaraderie'

The Sacramento Kings are holding their first week of training camp at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., in an effort to improve conditioning and team camaraderie after last year's locker room disarray, according to a repot in The Sacramento Bee.

Conditioning and getting ready for the season with high-altitude training was the obvious part of the trip, but the attempt to become more of a team may end up being more important for the Kings if they want to have some semblance of success on the court this year.

"We're trying to be a family this year," guard Marcus Thornton told The Bee. "That's the whole thing for coming out to Colorado, to build team chemistry and become a family. Once you get that down, the rest is easy. When guys get along on the court, they get along off the court, and the games become easy, too."

The idea to hold training camp in Colorado Springs came from coach Keith Smart, who wanted the team to be together at all times while preparing for the season to build a sense of unity. Instead of holding camp in Sacramento, where players could go their separate ways after workouts and practices, Smart decided Colorado Springs would be the perfect location.

"Right now, we have to surprise people because we're no one in the NBA," Smart told The Bee. "So we have to pull out all the stops to try to grow as a team."