A Royal Pain
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Sacramento Kings: Ranking All 33 International Players In Team History

By Anthony Cardenas

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 15: Beno Udrih #19 of the Sacramento Kings looks to pass against Derek Fisher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 15: Beno Udrih #19 of the Sacramento Kings looks to pass against Derek Fisher #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images) /
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Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings Olden Polynice (Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport) /

14. Skal Labissiere – Haiti

We had high hopes for Skal Labissiere. The Kings drafted the six foot ten inch big man out of Kentucky with the 28th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and he showed very occassional flashes of why he was the top rated recruit coming out of high school in 2015.

Labissiere had a handful of 25+ point games, and even dropped a 32 and 11 in one contest during his rookie season. He hit a memorable game-winning shot against the Knicks in 2018. But his inconsistency ultimately led to his departure from Sacramento, and he has found a home in the Portland Trail Blazers’ front court.

Stats with Kings: 106 games, 18.5 minutes, 8 points, 4.5 rebounds

13. Cory Joseph – Canada

The first of the four current Sacramento Kings players to be on this list is Cory Joseph. Some may argue that this is too high of a ranking, but the book on Joseph is not yet complete.

While he is certainly not going to fill any stat sheets, Joseph brings a prowess on the defensive end as well as leadership capabilities that were on full display while De’Aaron Fox healed from injuries in 2019-’20. He plays an important role for the Kings given the unreal guard depth in the Western Conference. His contract may seem a bit inflated, but a team like Sacramento is willing to shell out a few extra bucks for a stopper of Joseph’s caliber.

Stats with Kings (thus far): 64 games, 24 minutes, 6.3 points, 3.4 assists

Related Story. Top 5 One Year Wonders In Kings History. light

12. Sarunas Marciulionis – Soviet Union

Our next entry is one of the most unfairly forgotten players in NBA history. Sarunas Marciulionis is widely credited as the man who brought the euro step to the league, and was one of the greatest international players of all-time.

In his third season in the NBA while playing for the Golden State Warriors, Marciulionis averaged 19 points per game. But a leg injury caused him to miss a year and a half and he was never the same player again. He eventually ended up on the Kings roster for the 1995-’96 season and was the 5th leading scorer on the team.

He would last just one season in Sacramento before being traded to the Nuggets for Mahmoud Adbul-Rauf.

Stats with Kings: 53 games, 19.6 minutes, 10.8 points, 2.2 assists

11. Olden Polynice – Haiti

Olden Polynice had a long NBA career that spanned over 15 seasons, and he spent some of his prime years as a member of the Sacramento Kings.

He was traded to Sacramento in 1994, and would be a mainstay as the Kings starting center over the next four seasons. He played in 345 of a possible 359 games and was a solid scoring option behind Mitch Richmond. His best season came during the 1996-’97 campaign when he averaged 12.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. After his Kings contract expired, Polynice went on to sign with the Seattle SuperSonics.

Polynice was originally drafted by the Chicago Bulls, but was traded immediately to Seattle in exchange for Scottie Pippen.

Stats with Kings: 345 games, 30.1 minutes, 10.8 points, 8.8 rebounds

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