Cincinnati Reds star first baseman Joey Votto sees similarities between his team’s breakthrough 2023 MLB season and the Kings’ magical ride through the 2022-23 NBA campaign.
“I watched that Kings-Warriors series this year. The youth on the Kings’ side, they’re just so tenacious,” Votto said to ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt on “SportsCenter” Monday night. “And that’s kind of what we have here.
“These guys don’t care. They’re not impressed, and they’re coming for you every single day because they’re so young and so full of energy. I’m just grateful to be a part of it.”
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The Reds, coming off a 100-loss season in 2022, are the best story in baseball this season. They currently are riding a nine-game winning streak and have emerged from the NL Central cellar into first place.
Cincinnati is bursting with young talent, as highly touted prospects Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain and Spencer Steer are making a huge impact every night.
Their energy can be compared to the Kings, who greatly outperformed expectations last season by winning 48 games and earning the No. 3 Western Conference playoff seed behind their young core of De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Kevin Huerter and rookie Keegan Murray.
Cincinnati doesn’t have a 17-year playoff drought to snap like Sacramento did, but the Reds haven’t won a playoff game since 2012.
NBA
The one thing missing? A beam atop Great American Ball Park.