DeRozan cherished memorable Kings debut in loss to Timberwolves

DeRozan cherished memorable Kings debut in loss to Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – DeMar DeRozan has played on four different teams and now has been a part of 16 opening-night festivities in the NBA. For the six-time All-Star, it never gets old.

That’s why, even though the Kings lost in their season-opener, DeRozan still walked away from Golden 1 Center with a few heartfelt memories.

DeRozan was greeted with a loud ovation when he was introduced, and those cheers got louder when the newcomer grabbed a microphone to address the crowd in what has become an annual tradition for the Kings for their first and last home games of each season.

To say that the fans made DeRozan feel welcome is an easy understatement.

“To still be playing in this league as long as I’ve been playing and still be appreciated, still wanted by the fans and still be able to perform at a high level, I don’t take (any) of these moments for granted at all, DeRozan said following Thursday’s 117-115 loss to the Timberwolves. “You only get a certain amount of time to play this game and we all want to be loved and appreciated for what we do on the court, so that was great.”

DeRozan easily was the Kings’ biggest offseason acquisition and arguably the best move that the front office has made since swinging a trade for Domantas Sabonis in 2022.

The 35-year-old guard has averaged 21.2 points per game throughout his 15-year NBA career and is coming off a spectacular 2023-24 year when he put up 24.5 points per game – the third-highest mark of DeRozan’s career – and was runner-up to two-time MVP Stephen Curry in the Clutch Player of the Year voting.

DeRozan didn’t waste much time endearing himself to fans.

He made the Kings’ first basket of the season on a driving lay-up 34 seconds into his debut then easily split a pair of Wolves defenders on the way to an easy basket in the fourth quarter when DeRozan scored eight of his team-high 26 points.

DeRozan shot 7 of 18 overall from the floor and repeatedly got to the free-throw line, knocking down 12 of his 14 attempts from the stripe. He also grabbed…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/derozan-cherished-memorable-kings-debut-144448400.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-10-25 14:44:00

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