A Royal Pain
Fansided

Sacramento Kings: 30 greatest players in franchise history

By Daniel Lubofsky

SACRAMENTO, CA - MAY 16: Chris Webber #4, Predrag Stojakovic #16, and Mike Bibby #10 of the Sacramento Kings are shown during a break in the action against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of Round 2 of the 2004 NBA Western Conference Playoffs May 16, 2004, at Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly aknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2004 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - MAY 16: Chris Webber #4, Predrag Stojakovic #16, and Mike Bibby #10 of the Sacramento Kings are shown during a break in the action against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 6 of Round 2 of the 2004 NBA Western Conference Playoffs May 16, 2004, at Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly aknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2004 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 31
Next
Sacramento Kings
(Hector Amezcua/Sacramento Bee/MCT via Getty Images) /

28. player. 67. . Point Guard. 2011-14. Isaiah Thomas

The Isaiah Thomas story has been fairly well documented, and for good reason. It’s one of the best in sports and serves as an important reminder for all young athletes that with a strong ethic, anything is possible.

In the NBA, most second-round picks never make it very far in their career. They’re given little opportunity to make an impact, and the margin for error is significantly less than that of, say, first round picks or lottery selections.

Not only was IT taken in the second round, but he was also selected with the 60th and final pick of the 2011 Draft, unlikely to do much of anything with his shot. Oh, and let’s not also forget the dude stands at just 5-foot-9.

Thomas would earn a spot on the Kings roster and immediately began to impact the game on the court, averaging 11.5 points and 4.1 assists per game in just 25.5 minutes as a rookie.

In his third season, Isaiah would go on put up 20.3 points and 6.3 assists per game, an incredible and improbable feat for a guy who was given so little a chance to succeed, and yet there he was, not only making it in the league but thriving in it as well.

For whatever reason, the Kings never seemed to believe Thomas was their point guard of the future, despite the constant improvement he showed from year to year, which is why they let him walk elsewhere in the summer of 2014. This should not, however, take away from the sheer awesomeness of IT’s journey.

The amount of work he’s had to put in to get to this point is something most of us will never even attempt, but he kept focusing on his goal and never seemed complacent, and for that, he will always be respected by the NBA community.

Home/Kings All-Time Lists