April 03, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings small forward Donte Greene (20) shoots the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the third quarter at Power Balance Pavilion. The Phoenix Suns defeated the Sacramento Kings 109-100. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Despite a wrongful perceived notion, playing in Sacramento is a special time for just about any player – especially one as personable as Donte Greene. Yes, around the league Sacramento has a stigma attached to it but almost any player who’s suited up for the Kings franchise will tell you just how wonderful a place it is to play. From a franchise cornerstone like Chris Webber to a reserve big man in Scot Pollard, players are universally loved and held in the highest regard, no matter their role on the team.

Few players felt that more than former Kings forward Donte Greene, who after four seasons in Sacramento said goodbye this offseason. Still currently a free agent, Greene never fully matured into the talent the Kings front office had hoped for when they acquired the 28th pick in the ’08 Draft (along with Bobby Jackson and Omri Casspi) from Houston in exchange for Ron Artest.

A solid sophomore campaign in which Greene had career high’s (still to this day) across the board gave the purple and black faithful reason to believe the former Orangeman was their small forward of the future. In 21 minutes a game, Donte put up 8.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and nearly a block and an assist a night on 44% shooting – not to mention playing semi-respectable defense at a young age. Given annual growth, it was fair to speculate that Greene had a long-term future in Sacramento but it never materialized.

For the following two seasons, Donte struggled – struggled to see floor time and struggled to make an impact when on the court. His numbers dipped and the second year explosion looked more like an anomaly than growth. As much as he was beloved by the King fandom, the writing was slowly being written on the wall.

April 02, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings small forward Donte Greene (20) reacts after being called for a foul against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the fourth quarter at Power Balance Pavilion. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-108. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

In terms of a goodwill ambassador, few could ever rival Greene. His caring and open ways were constantly on display, be it visiting local hospitals to working with children to even putting on charity basketball games from fan requests during last years lockout. It was Greene who, when many felt the Kings had played their final game in Sacramento, stayed in the arena with the distraught King faithful. It was Greene who always made himself available to local media and fans. Greene’s the pro’s pro and his constant happiness was a beacon of light for a franchise that struggled to find their way in the dark.

But in the cutthroat world of wins and losses, the one part Greene couldn’t master was his performance on the court. The Kings had the opportunity to retain Greene this offseason as he was due just under $3 million in a qualifying offer, but Geoff Petrie and company opted to move in a different direction trading for James Johnson to fill Greene’s spot, both on the court and financially.

Donte etched himself into the heart of King fans both old and young and will be missed by many, but it was clear he and the Kings needed a change for each party to get where they want to be.

I know one thing though – there isn’t a King fan not rooting for Donte to find success, wherever that may be. Good luck, Mr. Kane – we’re pulling for you.

Grade: Painful as it might be to say it, it’s an A for both parties – though Donte’s passion and energy will be sorely missed in both the locker room and community.

Sacramento Kings assistant coach Bobby Jackson prepared the players for Summer League competition. Brace Hemmelgarn-US PRESSWIRE

Those who watched the Sacramento Kings play the Los Angeles Lakers in Summer League were surprised by a relative unknown player, Akognon, who led the Kings to their 84-72 win on Saturday with 25 points. This was the second game for the Kings in Las Vegas, this summer.

Akognon’s performance against the Lakers was a surprise because most fans’ eyes were focused on recent draft pick Thomas Robinson, who was selected 5^th in the first round and also Jimmer Fredette who was drafted 10^th in 2011. Some were wondering if Robinson and Fredette would be a dynamic duo in their first outings together. After the defeat to the Bobcats, the question centered around whether Robinson and Fredette would rebound against their rival. Akognon didn’t enter the conversation.

For Robinson, who many hope will pair together with DeMarcus Cousins to form a dynamic frontcourt, Las Vegas was his first opportunity to get his feet wet on NBA turf.  Cousins, who was in Las Vegas, a member of the Select Team practicing with the newly selected Olympic Team, attended the Summer League games to watch his teammates and offer his support.

Although Fredette struggled last season in his rookie year, there were hopes the Summer League would give him a jolt of confidence to help him get a refreshed start for the season. It was obvious in the earlier game against the Bobcats, Fredette was struggling with the ghosts of last season.

So, the table was set for the outing against Los Angeles. The main course of Robinson, lightly roasted, along with the side dish of Fredette, were anticipated with sprinklings of spice. No one expected the fiery dessert, Akognon style!

While Robinson had a good game finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds, helping to ease the loss to the Bobcats, Fredette got it going with 15 points out of 11 attempts. Not too bad, and it helped to erase the bad taste left the day before.

The admiratio for the evening went to Akognon, whose unanticipated performance bewildered many who watched. Who was this relative unknown who stole the show out from under former college star Jimmer Fredette, people pondered.

A former Cal State Fullerton guard, 26-year-old Joshua Emmanuel Akognon, seemed to be making the most of his opportunity to showcase his skills in the Summer League. Last year at this time his dreams were cut short with the NBA lockout. He had an important career decision to make then:

Akognon could continue being a rock star in China.

In April (2011), Akognon finished a 39-game schedule with the DongGuan Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association. He averaged 29.2 points a game, made 55.6 percent of his field goals and had four games over 40 points, one of them 54 points. All those numbers created the following Mick Jagger experience.

Akognon was a hero in China, where basketball reigns; here he is just trying to get noticed.  In the 2011/2012 season he played in the Canton D-League, where the institution of small sample size shows he averaged 25.5 points per 40 minutes.

Josh was also voted the Pac-10′s “Most Underrated Player”back in his college days, in an article that reportedly ran in Sports Illustrated.

Let’s put Akognon’s performance in perspective. This is NBA Summer League, not the NBA Playoffs. It is an opportunity for new draft picks, players looking to get picked up by a team, and other young NBA players, whose coaches  feel will benefit, get some experience before the season begins and display their talents.

Akognon got noticed in Las Vegas.

The Kings have another game today, Monday, July 16, at 3:30 pm, against the Houston Rockets, in Las Vegas. It will be interesting to see how the team plays today, coming off a win. Whether the Kings end up signing Akognon is unknown. A quick look at the twitter threads, show he is in the conversation. He has been given the opportunity – Carpe Diem.