The Sacramento Kings have been the laughingstock of the NBA for many years, as they held the longest playoff drought in league history with 16 losing seasons. Many NBA fans still see them as a losing franchise despite coming off a 48-win season.
Three-time NBA champion and infamous Los Angeles Lakers role player Rick Fox is the most recent example of the Kings being mocked. Fox took to X to claim his former teammate Shaquille O'Neal would be the best player in the Kings' franchise history.
I can make a case he should be 4th for the @Celtics @Suns and @cavs as well ~ ok I may be a little bias considering ~ but where would you place him in those organizations ! As a member of the @SacramentoKings organization he would probably be 1st @SHAQ https://t.co/RUQ0PI3x22
— Rick Fox (@RickFox) September 26, 2023
The Kings are a historical franchise with a long history of talented players. Sacramento's limited success in the 21st century should not take away from the previous 50 years of the franchise.
All-time NBA greats and Hall of Famers like Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas, Jack Twyman, Mitch Richmond, Tiny Archibald, Chris Webber, and Vlade Divac would all give O'Neal a run for his money.
O'Neal is certainly an NBA legend and a top 15 player in league history, but the blatant disrespect by Fox toward the Kings organization is uncalled for.
The Lakers and Kings had a harsh rivalry in the early 2000s, where L.A. sent Sacramento home in three straight seasons, capped off by a seven-game battle in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. The controversial Game 6 sparked debates across the NBA world and is still discussed today.
The rivalry must still run deep, as Fox decided to go to social media and bash the Kings for no reason.
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