Sacramento Kings superstar De’Aaron Fox came to his teammate Domantas Sabonis‘ defense on social media after the Ringer’s Mismatch podcast host Chris Vernon gave a bizarre excuse to not laud the All-Star center’s excellent recent form.
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Sabonis had a spectacular outing in the Kings’ 143-131 win over the Washington Wizards on Monday. He scored 28 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished 12 assists, recording his second triple-double in the last seven games. The Kings star has recorded a double-double in eight straight games, helping the team lodge a 6-2 record over that period. Sabonis’ stellar form has helped the Kings climb to fourth in the Western Conference standings.
In the latest episode of the podcast of the Ringer’s Mismatch podcast, Kevin O’Connor and Chris Vernon discussed a slew of topics, including the Los Angeles Clippers and James Harden’s resurgence, Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markannen’s price tag, and Ja Morant’s upcoming return from his 25-game suspension. However, they did not talk about the Kings’ win over the Wizards. A fan on social media called out the hosts for not discussing Sabonis and the Kings. Vernon responded, “We recorded before that game. P.S. – I love him (Kevin doesn’t haha) but he has almost the exact same numbers he has had for 5 years.”
Fox took offense to Vernon’s criticism of Sabonis’ numbers and responded, “New take guys: consistency is bad.”
Vernon responded to the Kings superstar’s jibe, writing, “Imagine me checking my phone. What?! Of all the players that could come at my neck for no reason.”
Despite Vernon’s seemingly light-hearted comments, De’Aaron Fox certainly seemed to be in a bit more of a confrontational mood. To be fair to him, the Kings do deserve a lot more attention than they currently receive. That said, perhaps a deep breath may not be the worst idea for the Kings star.
How Domantas Sabonis turned the Kings’ fortunes
When Domantas Sabonis arrived in Sacramento during the 2021-22 NBA season, the Kings had lodged a losing record for 15 straight seasons and extended it to 16 by the end of that campaign. They failed to make the playoffs throughout that stretch, making it the longest postseason drought in NBA history. The Kings’ 16-year wait for a playoff appearance was also the longest active drought of any team in all four major American sports leagues.
However, in their first full season since Sabonis’ arrival from the Indiana Pacers, their fortunes flipped. They were consistent throughout the season, with Fox and Sabonis leading the charge, and finished the year with a 48-34 record, finishing first in the Pacific Division standings and third in the Western Conference standings. In their first playoff series since the 2005-06 season, the Kings fell at the first hurdle, losing 4-3 to the Golden State Warriors in an incredible series.
This season, the Kings are proving that their record last season wasn’t a fluke. They are 16-9 and sit fourth in the Western Conference standings, only one game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are the second seed. Sabonis’ short time in Sacramento has already yielded great results for the Kings. They hope the center will push them to new heights in the upcoming years.
