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Jan 21, 2019; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Iman Shumpert (9) reacts in the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-Imagn Images Nicole Sweet-Imagn Images

10-Year NBA Veteran Preferred Kings Tenure to Knicks, Cavaliers

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Will Zimmerle | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 3:51 PM ET

The Sacramento Kings had a lot of down years during their 16-season playoff draught, but even though they missed the postseason all those years, there were still some that were fun for fans and players.

One of the years that stands out from the drought is the 2018-19 season. Sacramento still didn't make the postseason, but they won 39 games under Dave Joerger for the most wins since the 2005-06 season.

During that year, Iman Shumpert was brought in a trade that sent George Hill to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was a move that would jumpstart one of the most fun seasons the Kings had in years, as 'The Scores' were officially born.

The Kings had a young De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanović, Marvin Bagley III, and Willie Cauley-Stein, as well as veteran Nemanja Bjelica and Shumpert. Saying they played fast is an understatement. They finished fifth in the league in pace, but were known around the league for getting out and running on either makes and misses.

Shumpert was a vocal leader on the young team and coined the term 'The Scores' for the team could get shots up with the best of them, and the team and city rallied around the term.

The 10-year veteran recently joined the All In podcast to talk about his career and brought up his time in Sacramento, and how he enjoyed his stop in Sacramento more than his other roles in New York and Cleveland.

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

"People don't understand how bad I hated that three-and-D role, I hated it. I think now I'm out of the league because I wouldn't sign up for that. When I went to Sacramento I was playing combo guard," Shumpert said. "Dave had me able to do my [stuff]. This is where I'm comfortable, and I'm guarding what I need to be guarding, so it's like, I'm effective."

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In his 42 games with the Kings, 40 of which he started, Shumpert averaged 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists on 38.2% shooting from the field and 36.6% from three. The numbers don't jump out at you, but he did have a few big scoring games, including 26 points in the third game of the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

It was part of what made that year so fun for the Kings. Any player could go off for a big night, including Shumpert. In an interview that season, Shumpert stated "We come, we try to score fast, we try to score at a high rate. We have a lot of young bodies. It's cool to be on a team where we don't know who's going to score it."

Unfortunately, Shumpert was traded at that season's deadline to the Houston Rockets for Alec Burks in a move that many say derailed the Kings' season. They lost a vocal leader in the locker room that the young players looked up to, and never recovered down the season's home stretch. Even if they didn't make the playoffs, it was a fun season in Sacramento, and apparently, Shumpert still feels the same way.

This article first appeared on Sacramento Kings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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