All that can be said about Notre Dame’s NBA representation is that it’s had far better weeks. It probably is best for Irish fans to forget about this past week completely.
[autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] played in only game for the Milwaukee Bucks out of a possible four. That came Dec. 4 against the Atlanta Hawks, and his five minutes were the fewest in any game he’s played this season. The only meaningful stats he registered were one assist and one block.
[autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] saw action in two of the four games the San Antonio Spurs played but didn’t fare much better. He made a single free throw Dec. 5 against the Chicago Bulls before collecting an assist the next night against the Sacramento Kings.
It’s hard to know what if anything will allow the two former Irish players to have more playing time this season. What isn’t hard to know is that it can’t get much more blah if not worse than this past week.
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De’Aaron Fox has started the season strong, leading the Sacramento Kings with improved stats across the board. He’s betting on himself after forgoing an extension to aim for a ‘supermax’ contract, positioning the Kings as a potential playoff threat …
De’Aaron Fox has started the season strong, leading the Sacramento Kings with improved stats across the board. He’s betting on himself after forgoing an extension to aim for a ‘supermax’ contract, positioning the Kings as a potential playoff threat in the Western Conference.
Off the court, Fox is launching his signature shoe, the Fox 1, in collaboration with Curry Brand. Designed for speed and agility, the sneaker reflects Fox’s style with unique elements like “fur” on the tongue and lightning-inspired accents.
Despite last season’s playoff appearance via the Play-In tournament, which some might view as a step back from the prior year, he remains focused on building team chemistry, especially on defense, to compete in a challenging Western Conference.
Last week, before Fox scored 109 points over a two-game span, he sat down with HoopsHype. Fox discussed his start to the 2024-25 NBA season, what it’s been like teaming up with DeMar DeRozan, having Malik Monk re-sign, the Kings’ potential as a competitive force in the West, and more, as we near the release of his Fox 1 with Under Armour’s Curry Brand.
Sabonis talks about how terrifying it was to film a show for Netflix.
Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis stars in the new Netflix series Starting5, offering a behind-the-scenes look at his life.
The show is the NBA’s version of Drive to Survive (Formula 1 racing) or Break Point (tennis) and it provides a fascinating look at players around the league.
Sabonis stars alongside LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Edwards. He recently attended the Netflix premiere of the show in Los Angeles and spoke to us about the screening.
“It was a great experience,” Sabonis told USA TODAY’s For The Win. “I’m honored to be a part of it. I’m excited for the fans to really get a deep look. I feel like the fans know what we do on our personal Instagram stories but this is stuff like you wake up and there is a camera in your face. You’re not doing that on social media.”
These included private moments like dressing up for Halloween as Big Bird from Sesame Street as his son, Tiger Sabonis, was Cookie Monster.
Fans will also see him in his beautiful home picking tomatoes with his wife and spending quality time with his family as he reckons with what it was like to have his father Arvydas Sabonis play in the NBA.
On the court, the show captures him while he is mic’d up and actively calling out plays on both ends of the floor, setting hard screens and establishing real leadership traits.
Here is more from his conversation with USA TODAY’s For The Win. The show will premiere via Netflix on October 9.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
What were your impressions of the screening and watching yourself?
(Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Sabonis: It’s scary, you know? I’ve never done that. So I was trying to melt into my seat while we were watching. But it’s really cool. People are going to see another side of me that they do not know. They probably know me as the guy they hate on the Kings when I play against their team. They think I’m just a bruiser who plays hard every game. Now they’re going to see this husband and family side of me and it’s going to give it a different light. I think it went well. The feedback from the theater: Everyone was cheering and laughing, you know? It felt really good and it was my first experience on a red carpet and seeing a screening. It felt real and the hype was there.
What inspired you to participate in Starting 5?
Sabonis: When they asked me to participate, it was kind of a no-brainer and it was an honor to be a part of that list. I feel like a lot of people in the NBA do not know about me as much as they should. I’ve been in the league for a while now. I wanted to shine a light on Sacramento as an organization and see what’s really going on there, we’ve got a good thing going with the culture. We’ve changed the franchise the last couple of years. It’s for people to see and dive into my life and the Kings and all of that. It’s a behind the scenes look. It shows every player’s personality on and off the court and the way they play. They really talk about your body and how you take care of it. I use my body a lot so I have to take care of it more. They really show all those little details behind the scenes.
Sabonis: It was definitely the most cameras I had on me. Every day, you wake up, it’s in your face. You go to the bathroom, they’re there. You go on a family vacation during NBA All-Star Weekend, they are on the plane with you. It’s more than any person might ever think. You do not really get a break. But it was definitely a lot of fun. It took some time getting used to and then it happened smoothly. We have kids at home and we are just trying to be the best parents for our kids. Everything was just very natural. I think it was just the first couple of days we filmed, it was definitely strange. They’re there: How do you act? Do you look at the camera? On the court, we are used to having cameras all the time. Off the court, our kid made it so easy because you are basically catering them. They are your one focus and then you basically act normal.
What was something unexpected that made it in the show?
(Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)
Sabonis: Inside my home and what we do daily. I’m kind of a private guy and to be able to show everybody the amount of things I do, they will wonder: How is he doing this before a game? You will see. I’m doing stuff with my kids. It works for me. I put my family first. Every day in my life, I focus on my family. So when they came, my kids were there. My son Tiger loved being in front of the camera. He was trying to be the star of the show. At first, he was a bit worried about the cameras. But then he got comfortable with them. Netflix had the same crew with them for like 90 percent of the time. So we got friendly and he knew everyone by then. Then on the court, you put a lot of time into the game. Before and after a workout, I might have two hours of treatment time. You think you’re going to go shoot for an hour. It is a block of five or six hours just for one workout. You have get your body right, mobility, all that stuff. Everyone gets to see all of the full routines and how much they do to get ready. Everyone knows LeBron comes in five hours early. But that is what he needs to get ready. It’s cool to see people get ready.
How is your story different from the other four stories portrayed in Starting 5?
(Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)
Sabonis: You get to see every player’s perspective and it’s really cool how you see the difference between all five players. When you think about it, you go through all the steps with each story. Like, what Anthony Edwards is doing and having fun: That was me before I met my wife. Spending time with my friends and playing video games, then as you get older in the NBA, you see LeBron’s story. He is focusing on different things and what is important to him. I feel like we are all going through such different stages. There are a lot of funny guys out there. There are a lot of personalities. We obviously know the personalities, but this is behind-the-scenes with the loved ones. Everyone opens up when they are in their own space. If you have your boys behind you or your family by you, you are going to act your true self. The cameras get that.
How was it to have DeMar DeRozan at the premiere and how will he help your team?
(Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)
Sabonis: It was awesome. He hit me up before and he was like: Let’s get some workouts in. Can I come to the premiere and support you? I was like for sure. That’s sick to have him locked in like that already. It already shows how much he cares. He is coming here to take us to the next level. He has a veteran presence. He knows what it takes to win and go far. Our issue was basically us being mentally locked in for a game. We beat all the best teams and lost to the lower seeded teams, which put us in a tough position. He has been around. He is so smart and has a high IQ in basketball. I’ve learned a lot through him just by working out with him a couple weeks in L.A., so he’s going to have that same effect on everyone. We’re all going to grow just by having him around us.
What impact will DeRozan have on the floor spacing in Sacramento?
Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Sabonis: I think it’s going to be great. Teams have their best defender. Who are they going to choose: Fox or DeMar? The other one is going to go off then and he is going to help everyone else get open. Me and Fox work great. We have it great. We are not selfish. You rock. I rock. Whatever you want. We just want to win at the end of the day. Speaking to DeMar, he is just like that. He just wants to win. He is manipulating the game to get the easiest buckets, whatever he can do to help the team. I’m very excited. We worked out a couple weeks and it’s a lot of fun.
Should the NBA consider Team USA vs. Team World in the All-Star Game?
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sabonis: That would be awesome. That would be very cool. I don’t know if we’re still going to play hard or if it will just be the same thing if it were USA versus the World. I can’t control that. I don’t know how to play in an All-Star Game. To me, those games are tough because I just play hard. I don’t know how to be just chilling out there. The fans want to see that. If that happens and it is a real game, that would be cool.
What is future of basketball in Lithuania?
(Photo by RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images)
Sabonis: I think it is big. We have a lot of good, young prospects. Matas Buzelis is a good rookie for the Bulls. We have a lot of good, young guys in college. Guys are on the top teams in Lithuania and that are most likely going to com9e over to college and do that experience. I feel like everyone is doing that because of NIL. I’m happy they’re going to come out. I personally took the route of going to college basketball. It’s definitely the best decision and now you can get paid to do it. So I think it’s a no-brainer.
Why did you play college basketball?
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Sabonis: I loved the idea of playing college basketball in a full arena and the live environment. But what really sold me is that in Europe, it is really hard to get gym access 24/7. I’m a worker. I like to go in and shoot any time of the night and any time of the day. Being on a college campus, you have access to the main courts around campus with rebounders available. I feel like that is what made me take the next step and get drafted and put me to where I am today. I would tell a European prospect you can always come back to your home team. Whatever you do in college, if you don’t get drafted in the NBA, the same team that wanted you will still want you in Europe. You aren’t losing anything. If anything, you’re getting a degree and learning a new language and you’re getting exposure. There are so many options for you to head over instead of just staying home.
What are your thoughts on Gonzaga in the Pac-12?
Sabonis: I’ve been hearing all of this. I think it’s insane! I grew up when it was Pac-12, WCC. Now, it’s like Big 12 and Big Ten and they’re all mixed together. It’s crazy to me. It’s definitely going to be tougher for Gonzaga. Everyone gets used to what’s comfortable with what they have. It’s definitely going to be more challenging, especially the first years. It’s going to be definitely fun to watch. I was happy, though. The thing with the WCC: You had amazing cities to go visit. So that was a plus side. Now, it’s a bit different.
Is there much of a Gonzaga brotherhood in the NBA?
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Sabonis: Yeah. I’m closer to the guys closer to my age like Kelly Olynyk and Rui Hachimura and Zach Collins. But as the years go on, it’s cool seeing how many more Zags are in the NBA. When I came in the league, it was just me and Kelly. You see all these other conferences, they are all dapping each other up because there are three guys on every team. Gonzaga has finally made its way toward that. I think that just how far the program has gone.
For the past couple of years, the only NBA representatives Notre Dame has had are [autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] and [autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag]. But we now at least have the possibility that a third name will be added to that list for the 2024-25 season.
[autotag]Dane Goodwin[/autotag], who played 14 games last season with the Sacramento Kings’ G-League affiliate in Stockton before playing two games for the Kings in this past Summer League, has signed with the Utah Jazz. This news dropped two days before the Jazz were set to start training camp.
In all likelihood, Goodwin’s signing is to provide the Jazz with enough players to evaluate over the course of camp and possibly during preseason games. Goodwin, for better or worse, hasn’t made a huge impact in his professional career so far. But the Jazz signing him should indicate he’ll at least start the season in the G-League.
Here’s hoping Goodwin does enough that actually playing in the NBA becomes more and more of a possibility.
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Lakers fans shouldn’t fret too much about the competition in the Western Conference.
The narrative around the Los Angeles Lakers these days is that they’ve had a terrible offseason and that they won’t get much accomplished this coming season. While the former is true, the latter may or may not come to pass.
One argument more cynical fans and pundits have made against the Lakers having any real success is that the Western Conference will be much tougher this coming season. In their minds, a bunch of teams will be substantially better, leaving the Lakers to idle in the dust.
But a closer examination puts that claim in some real doubt.
In the 2023-24 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder claimed the top seed in the West with a 57-25 record. The Denver Nuggets were second with 57 wins of their own, and the Minnesota Timberwolves were third at 56-26.
After that, there was a considerable drop-off of sorts. The Los Angeles Clippers, who have been the darlings of the national media for most of the past five seasons and have often been overwhelming favorites to reach the NBA Finals, won a mere 51 games. The Dallas Mavericks, who did reach the finals, finished fifth with a 50-32 record.
Then came the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans, both of whom took home 49 victories. The Lakers, of course, had the seventh-best record in the West at 47-35.
Here’s a look at who should be better, who should be worse and who will roughly stay put. As you will see, there is no one for the Lakers to truly fear in the Western Conference right now.
Royce White scored as many points in the NBA as President Joe Biden.
Royce White, who was selected in the first-round of the 2012 NBA Draft, won the Republican primary for a senate seat in Minnesota.
After a very public battle with anxiety highlighted by his fear of flying, it became difficult for White to ever get on the court during his professional career.
Even hearing your name called in the NBA draft is no easy task, and White did have an impressive collegiate career in the Big 12 for Iowa State. He also had success while playing in Canada, but he never reached anywhere near his full potential in the NBA.
In fact, per Stathead, his career Player Efficiency Rating (PER) ranks as the worst of any first-round pick ever selected in the NBA Draft. He also had the lowest Box Plus-Minus (BPM) of any first-round pick since 2004.
JUST IN: Royce White, a former NBA star and current devotee of ex-President Donald Trump, won the Minnesota Republican Party’s Senate primary on Tuesday. https://t.co/y9682g9Agh
Yet despite the lack of success on the court, White was still recently labeled as a “former NBA star” after his primary win.
The nominee, who lost a Republican primary in an attempt to unseat Rep. Ilhan Omar for congress in 2022, is considered unlikely to win the general election against incumbent Senator Amy Klobuchar.
He has raised some concerns due to many of his recent comments, such as stating that women are “too mouthy” to former media executive and currently imprisoned felon Steve Bannon.
All of this to say, even with politics aside, it was easy for sports fans to wonder about the use of the word “star” when describing White’s NBA career.
Fans didn’t agree with this characterization
Calling Royce White a "former NBA star" is certainly a choice.
For context, Royce White, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden all have the same number of career points in the NBA. https://t.co/qYhAm5vR26
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints recently reported that the Brooklyn Nets are still looking for two first-round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith.
The Brooklyn Nets have done what many had suggested for them to do as they are embracing a full rebuild following trading Mikal Bridges of the New York Knicks in exchange for as many as five first-round picks and three players. As a result, most of the veterans are considered to be on the trade block, including one player that came to the team as a result of the Kyrie Irving trade.
Per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints during his appearance on the “Stiles and Watkins” show on Sactown Sports 1140 on Wednesday, Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith could be had by any opposing team in a trade for two first-round picks. The backdrop for this news is that the Sacramento Kings could be looking for a player like Finney-Smith to improve their team in the hopes of competing in a tough Western Conference.
“I’ve kind of heard rumblings that they’re (the Nets) looking for two first round picks, that’s what they were looking for at the trade deadline,” Siegel said. This report from Siegel is not entirely surprising given that Brian Lewis of the New York Post reported in June that Brooklyn had rejected an offer of two first-round picks before last season’s trade deadline.
“I believe that he’s going to be getable for one (first-round pick) and a a solid young talent there as far as teams that could potentially look at Dorian Finney-Smith,” Siegel opined. At this moment, it seems that the Nets may have missed out on trading Finney-Smith at the height of his value when they refused to trade him for two first-round picks.
Whether the Nets are actually still looking for that kind of return is still left to be seen, but it’s possible that Brooklyn is looking to get the most they kind for some of their veterans remaining on the team. Siegel also reported during the same appearance that he believes that the Nets will be looking for a similar return for forward Cam Johnson.
The Brooklyn Nets are expected to want two first-round picks for forward Cam Johnson, according to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel.
The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of its latest rebuild and as a result, there are a number of veteran players that could be playing for other teams next season. One of the players that Brooklyn has reportedly put on the trade block is expected to cost team two first-round picks to acquire.
On the “Stiles and Watkins” show on Sactown Sports 1140 on Wednesday, ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel made an appearance to discuss various topics, including what the Nets want in exchange for forward Cam Johnson. The Sacramento Kings are one of the teams that Johnson has been linked to since Brooklyn traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks last month.
“Nothing has changed really with Brooklyn. There’s been teams that have talked to the Nets about what they would be wanting for those players (Johnson and forward Dorian Finney-Smith),” Siegel said. “Obviously, the Nets are looking for draft picks at this time and for a player like Cam Johnson, after seeing what they just got for Mikal Bridges, they’re going to be asking for at least two first round picks.”
With the Nets heading into a rebuild, it’s possible that a team like the Kings could still be pursuing a player like Johnson given how valuable his skill set as a 3-and-D wing is.
There hasn’t been much reporting pertaining to what Brooklyn is asking for to trade Johnson, but if at least two first-round picks is indeed the price for him, he may have to go into next season as a member of the Nets before teams become desperate enough to trade that much draft capital.
Robert Horry made a unique request regarding his most famous game-winning shot.
While the Los Angeles Lakers won three straight NBA championships in the early 2000s, they weren’t exactly a consistently dominant team. In fact, they danced with defeat multiple times during that run.
In the 2000 Western Conference finals, they trailed the Portland Trail Blazers by 15 points early in the fourth quarter of Game 7. They hadn’t won it all yet at that point, and it looked like they had fallen apart under pressure yet again. It took a historic and thrilling comeback to send them to the NBA Finals, where they finally triumphed.
Two years later, they trailed the Sacramento Kings two games to one in the West finals. They were down by 24 points early in the second quarter of Game 4, and despite another comeback, they found themselves down by six with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter and by two with 11.8 seconds remaining.
Then came Robert Horry’s most famous game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer that won the game and tied the series.
“I’ve made a lot of big shots. That shot is the only shot where you just mention it, I get goosebumps because, to me, making that shot was like the birth of one of my kids. That’s how special it is to me because I grew up a big Laker fan, I grew up a big Magic Johnson fan. To be able to knock down that shot, in Staples and have the fans chant my name, it is the greatest feeling…When I go to meet my maker, I want that video played at my funeral. It’s the best moment of my basketball career.”
After that shot, Los Angeles lost Game 5 in Sacramento, but it responded by winning Game 6 at home and a very memorable and exciting Game 7 up north, allowing it to claim its third straight world title.
The Kings and their fans cried foul, but the franchise never quite recovered, and to this day, the city still isn’t over that series.
Deal with it, Sacramento. Horry’s shot will live on longer than his physical body, or the physical bodies of the rest of us.
Could Harrison Barnes be the missing piece San Antonio needs for a playoff berth?
Though Michael Jordan obviously takes the cake as the greatest NBA player to ever come out of UNC, there’s been several solid stars in MJ’s following.
The list is pretty long, especially considering that trash talkers say North Carolina doesn’t put players in the NBA. Former pro Tar Heels include Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Tyler Hansbrough from the 2009 NCAA Championship-winning team, Rasheed Wallace and Harrison Barnes, the latter of whom is amongst the NBA’s best small forwards.
Barnes, a model of consistency since being chosen seventh overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, won his lone NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors in 2015. Barnes started 913 of the 982 games he’s already appeared in, averaging a regular-season best 19.2 points per game in 2016-2017 (his first with the Dallas Mavericks) and a postseason-best 16.1 per game in 2013 – with Golden State.
The move worked out for both teams, with both Sacramento (DeMar DeRozan) and the Spurs adding much-needed veteran presences. Barnes played a major impact in the Kings’ success of recent, helping them snap a 16-year playoff drought in the 2022-2023 NBA season. He started all 82 regular-season and seven playoff games that campaign, averaging 15 points per game and 4.5 assists per game.
Sacremento’s front office did a great job going out and acquiring Barnes midway through the 2019 season, although rather in a bizarre manner, as the trade occurred while Barnes was halfway through a game. Barnes started all 371 regular-season games and nine postseason games as a King, highlighted by his 2023 postseason, in which Sacramento took Golden State to seven games in the First Round.
Most importantly, Barnes brought the much-needed veteran presence to a young Kings squad, which includes the likes of Domantas Sabonis, Iowa’s Keegan Murray and Kentucky’s DeAaron Fox.
Without Barnes in northern California, though, how will the Kings play in the 2024-2025 NBA campaign?
San Antonio’s oldest player last season was Cedi Osman, the 29-year-old reserve small forward who only started three games last year. Let that sink in – no one was over 30.
Having a young team is good, in the sense that you’ll likely have those players together for years to come, but it also causes some uncharacteristic mistakes veteran teams make less often.
Adding Barnes, who’s 32 and still in his prime, should bring the Spurs back to a more relevant team in the Western Conference. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
