Darius Acuff Jr. makes history, joins NBA royalty in 5th pro game

Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr. makes history, joins NBA royalty in 5th pro game

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Oct 30, 2026 7:46 AM ET

The Sacramento Kings may have found an absolute star in the form of No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr.

Sacramento dropped to 0-5 Thursday with a 132-120 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, but Acuff was the lone bright spot of the game.

Darius Acuff Jr. had a stellar performance in Thursday's loss

Despite the loss, Acuff gave Kings fans plenty of reasons to want to tune into more games this season.

In 41 minutes, the 19-year-old posted 34 points, six rebounds and 14 assists. Acuff joined LeBron James and Luka Doncic as the only two teenagers to have a game with 30-plus points, five-plus rebounds and 10-plus assists.

The only teenagers in NBA history to record 30+ points, 10+ assists, and 5+ rebounds in a game:

LeBron James⁰Luka Dončić⁰Darius Acuff https://t.co/FpCNUc6RxB pic.twitter.com/blVnzoAQWb
— ENJY (@EnjoyBBall) October 30, 2026

Additionally, Acuff became just the third rookie in franchise history to finish a game with more than 30 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. It was a stellar night that highlighted just how spectacular and exciting Acuff will be to watch on a nightly basis.

From Kings:

Tonight at NOP, Darius Acuff Jr. has become the third Kings rookie in franchise history to record at least 30 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in a game, joining Kenny Smith (3/26/88 vs. LAL) and Oscar Robertson (24x).
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) October 30, 2026

Darius Acuff Jr. is making history on a nightly basis

It seems that with every game that the Kings play, Acuff is making or coming close to making some sort of NBA history. Thursday, he became just the second rookie ever to attempt 20-plus shots in each of his first five games, joining Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain.

Acuff also surpassed 100 points in his young career on Thursday, becoming the second-fastest point guard in NBA history to reach that mark, trailing only Oscar Robertson in 1960.

Players with 20+ FGA in each of their first 5 games:

— Darius Acuff
— Wilt Chamberlain pic.twitter.com/OXkSXfG5HQ
— Real App (@realapp) October 30, 2026

Darius Acuff is the 2nd fastest point guard in NBA history to reach 100+ career points.

Only Oscar Robertson (1960) was faster. pic.twitter.com/0D7JKwXCZG
— Real App (@realapp) October 30, 2026

With better shot selection, Darius Acuff Jr. will be an elite scorer

It's clear that Sacramento is perfectly content with Acuff taking the bulk of its shots, but he'll have to be more efficient in doing so.

Through five games, Acuff is shooting just 37.8% from the field and 22.2% from three-point range. Those numbers are a bit too low for the number of shots he is taking and will need to improve.

If he can clean up some of the poor shots and become a touch more efficient, the Kings will have their first real star in quite some time.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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