The 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend festivities are less than a week away, and there will be Sacramento Kings in three events.
In recent years, NBA All-Star Weekend has not been overly friendly to the Sacramento Kings. That is starting to change, as De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and rookie Marvin Bagley III will represent the team in three different events this year.
Three players participating in All-Star Weekend events is the most the Kings have had in one year in over 15 years. In the 2001-02 season, Sacramento had Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic in the All-Star Game, Gerald Wallace in the Slam Dunk Contest, Peja Stojakovic in the 3-Point Contest, and Hedo Turkoglu in the Rising Stars Challenge.
This season, the Kings don’t have any All-Stars, nor any Slam Dunk Contest participants, which isn’t anything out of the ordinary in recent times.
The only All-Star they’ve had since 2004 was DeMarcus Cousins in 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17. It wouldn’t be surprising if Fox or Hield end the drought in the coming years, as both have All-Star potential.
The Slam Dunk Contest has never involved many Sacramento Kings. The only four players to participate have been Terry Tyler (1985-86), Kenny Smith (1989-90), Gerald Wallace (2001-02), and Ben McLemore (2013-14). Look for De’Aaron Fox to make an appearance in a Slam Dunk Contest in the near future, as he is the Kings’ best high-flyer.
In 2019 though, Fox will represent the team in the Skills Challenge, Hield will show out for the Kings in the 3-Point Contest, and Fox will make a reappearance along with Marvin Bagley in the Rising Stars Challenge.
De’Aaron Fox — Skills Challenge
The Taco Bell Skills Challenge is where players that can do it all face off. Fox will be only the third King to appear in the Skills Challenge in four different years. DeMarcus Cousins participated in 2015-16 and in 2016-17, but to no avail. Later, Buddy Hield played in 2017-18, but also came up short.
This year’s bracket has big men on one side and guards on the others, just like in recent years. On the guards side, Fox will face off against Mike Conley, Trae Young and Luka Doncic. The big man side of the bracket consists of Kyle Kuzma, Nikola Vucevic, Nikola Jokic, and Jayson Tatum.
The guards have historically been the dominant side in this contest, and De’Aaron Fox will be looking to be the next winner.
Buddy Hield — 3-Point Contest
The Mountain Dew 3-Point Contest is where the most accurate marksmen of the league shoot it out until one sharpshooter remains. The 3-Point Contest has contained multiple Sacramento Kings over the years, dating back to Mitch Richmond and Jim Les in 1991-92. Richmond returned later in 1993-94, but left yet again without the victory. Peja Stojakovic represented the Kings each year from 2001-04, winning the event in 2002 and 2003.
In this season’s contest, Hield will be pitted against the following deadeyes: defending champion Devin Booker, Seth Curry, Stephen Curry, Danny Green, Joe Harris, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Dirk Nowitzki and Kemba Walker.
De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III — Rising Stars Challenge
The Mountain Dew Ice Rising Stars Challenge (also known as the Rookie-Sophomore game or the U.S.-World game) is where the best young talent in the association faces off. Since this game always incorporates rookies, and Sacramento has had several lottery picks in the past 15 years, the list of Kings who’ve played in the game is rather lengthy.
Since 1994-95, Michael Smith, Brian Grant, Tyus Edney, Michael Stewart, Jason Williams, Hedo Turkoglu, Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, Buddy Hield, De’Aaron Fox, and Bogdan Bogdanovic have all participated. Since the game adopted the theme of Team U.S. vs. Team World in 2015, the foreign hoopers have come out on top three of the four times.
This year, Kings rookie Marvin Bagley will be aligned with teammate De’Aaron Fox and other young players such as Donovan Mitchell and Jaren Jackson Jr. They will face fellow King, Bogdan Bogdanovic, as well as Ben Simmons and Deandre Ayton.