NBA Kings Partner With Startup To Offer Breast Cancer Testing At Reduced Cost

The NBA Kings and 17 Bay Area companies have “teamed up with a Silicon Valley startup, Color Genomics, that is drastically dropping the cost of testing" for the BRCA gene mutations that indicate a risk for breast cancer, according to Claudia Buck of the SACRAMENTO BEE. The companies have “all pledged to offer the testing at low or no cost to their employees.” The Kings tomorrow night are “bringing BRCA testing to fans at Sleep Train Arena during their preseason home opener, dubbed ‘Pink in the Paint’ in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” Color Genomics co-Founder Othman Laraki said that the reason the company partnered with the Kings and not a Bay Area team is because of the “tech community connection” to Managing Partner Vivek Ranadive. Buck notes the Kings are “offering free BRCA testing to all of the team’s 93 women employees.” During Thursday’s game, players “will be sporting pink shoes, socks and headbands to highlight breast cancer awareness, while coaches will don pink ties and lapel pins.” Breast cancer survivors “will be honored at halftime.” Color Genomics staffers will “sell BRCA testing kits for $175” on the concourse (SACRAMENTO BEE, 10/7).