For the second year in a row, the Sacramento Kings will have three representatives in the Rising Stars Game, giving them four players participating in three different events next month.
The Rising Stars Game roster has been released and the Sacramento Kings are the only team with at least three players participating. The trio of De’Aaron Fox (second appearance), Marvin Bagley III (first appearance) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (second appearance, 2018 RSG MVP) will take part this year. Bogdan, of course, returns after securing the games MVP honors last season with a 26-point, six-assist effort in a win for Team World. Fox, for his part, had four points, two rebounds and two assists in a losing effort for Team USA.
The Kings trio in the Rising Stars Game cements what will be a very well-represented Sacramento Kings team for All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, NC in February. The Sacramento Kings will also have De’Aaron Fox participating in the All-Star Skills Challenge, one year after Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield was defeated by eventual winner Spencer Dinwiddie in last year’s contest.
Speaking of Buddy Hield, the Sacramento Kings resident marksman will be in this year’s Three-Point Contest after not making it last year. Hield, who’s shooting over 45 percent from three on over seven attempts per-game, is in the middle of a historic season from deep and has emerged as one of the games best shooters.
The Sacramento Kings will have players appearing in three of the five events, a year after having players appear in just two. The Sacramento Kings will not have a representative for the NBA’s Dunk Contest, understandably so. And while it remains to be seen if there will be an All-Star selection in the cards for either De’Aaron Fox or Buddy Hield, it’s not likely to happen. Should Fox and Hield be passed over for an All-Star nod, that will make it two consecutive years without an All-Star and nearly two decades since they had an All-Star not names DeMarcus Cousins.
Regardless, there will be plenty for Sacramento Kings fans to watch and cheer for come All-Star Weekend, which takes place from Feb. 15 – Feb. 17.