Keith Smart grabs the loose ball, saves a young fan from being beaned with an errant pass (Video)

Attending a live sports event as a child can act as a pretty evocative event. Some 25 years on, I can still recall first seeing the green of Wrigley Field’s grass and Notre Dame Stadium in the gloaming to nearly pitch-perfect detail. Even the bright-green Astroturf at Rosemont Horizon for a Chicago Sting game still sticks. My kids are still buzzing from their first NBA game from a few weeks ago, and every live interaction – whether you’re plunking down three bucks to go see the local high school’s baseball game or handing your youngster the Jack Nicholson seats at a Golden State Warriors game – is worth it.

Unless, of course, Stephen Curry overreacts to the swarming of a pick and roll and fires a pass all the way across the court at your kid’s face. In this instance, you need to have Sacramento Kings coach Keith Smart on your family’s side. Watch (via The Basketball Jones):

On court? Wednesday night was as good as it got for the Kings. The team took down its local and division rival, a combatant that for years (spanning back to when Kings fans just about took over the Warriors’ home arena in the early parts of the 2000s) has produced some of the stranger games to behold late on the NBA League Pass dial. Or, as our own Eric Freeman put it:

Smart may be out as Kings coach following this season. In fact, the Kings may be out as the Kings following this season, if the NBA gilds the lily that could send the team to Seattle this summer. Right now – basking in the glory of the 26th anniversary of his NCAA Tournament winning shot from 1987, and saving young children from imminent doom – he’s enjoying his March.

Good. Keith Smart deserves it.