Sacramento Kings: Legends Cross Paths During The Offseason
By Rafe Wong
The Sacramento Kings’ 2018-19 season is over. But that does not mean that former and current legends from the franchise cannot meet up with each other.
The Sacramento Kings legends that I am speaking of are Harry Giles and Pete Youngman. Obviously, Giles is a current member of the Kings that has won the hearts of the team’s fans with his charisma and positive energy. As for Youngman, he was the former Director of Sports Medicine with the Kings as he worked for the franchise from 1993-2018.
Both people have been revered by the Kings community during their times with the franchise, and not too long ago, a reunion between the two happened unexpectedly.
Based on both Giles and Youngman’s Twitter accounts, the two reunited at an airport where Youngman attempted to scare Giles. The two then took a selfie together and posted it on the internet where it immediately warmed the hearts of Kings fans.
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Prior to joining the Kings, Giles had to face major obstacles as he suffered multiple ACL injuries going back to his high school days. This led to him losing his label as the best high-school prospect in his class and to endure physical struggles during his lone season at Duke.
Even with the health concerns that surrounded Giles, the Kings took a chance on him as they selected him with the 20th pick in the 2017 draft. The purple and white remained patient with him as they believed Giles could become an on-court benefit for them if he could return back to full health.
Now, Giles has become a reliable asset for the Kings’ rotation and potentially a star player in his near future. And a person who made a big impact in Giles’ endeavor was Pete Youngman.
Even though a lot of people played a part in Giles’ road to recovery, Harry obviously is extremely grateful for the support and time Youngman invested in him. Their time together in Sacramento was short-lived, but at the same time, was strong as both guys now have mutual respect for one another and a friendship that will last a lifetime.