Nique Clifford shows respect to a pair of Kings' veterans

The impact of the Sacramento Kings' terrible season has not been lost on anyone, particularly the rookies. Nique Clifford made it clear that the team needs to do better for their legendary veterans, DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook. It was good to hear him talking like that.

Some of the biggest names in the history of the NBA are reaching their final seasons. Stephen Curry is in season 17, Kevin Durant is in his 19th, and LeBron James is setting the standard with his 23rd season. It's honestly quite remarkable to see them still playing and at an elite level.

With players like that still in the league, it can be easy to forget the other long-time legends still on the court with them. On the Sacramento Kings, DeMar DeRozan is in season 17 while Russell Westbrook is in season 18. These are incredible runs that have to come to an end at some point.

Unfortunately for DeRozan and Westbrook, the end of their respective careers may be without an NBA Championship. Neither superstar has ever won one, and they're not likely to pick up one with the Kings. That's something that is weighing heavily on their teammates, particularly the rookies.

Nique Clifford wants better for his veterans

After the Kings' most recent loss, Clifford took the podium to address the media. One of the topics he covered was the team's issues, and what that means to the veterans. He made it clear that he wants to do better for DeRozan and Westbrook because they deserve better from him and his teammates.

Watching DeRozan and Westbrook win their first titles would be great, just not likely with the Kings. This is a franchise that hasn't won a conference title since moving to Sacramento, let alone ever competing for an NBA Championship. And that's not changing any time soon.

Even if the rebuild goes well and relatively quickly, it will take five years for it to pan out into anything remotely successful. DeRozan and Westbrook will be either retired or on different teams by then. That's what makes Clifford's remarks so important and highly appreciated.

At the very least, these two living legends deserve to play on a roster that is at least competitive and keeps fighting. The Kings have been doing better at that in the last few games in those regards, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. They need to do it for their veterans.