Despite the 2025 NBA All-Star Game being down the road from Sacramento's Golden 1 Center, no Kings players will suit up to represent the Western Conference next month in San Francisco.
Kings star center Domantas Sabonis was snubbed as a Western Conference reserve for the league's annual event, set for Feb. 16 at Chase Center.
The seven reserves for both the Western and Eastern Conferences were announced during TNT's "NBA Tip-Off" on Thursday, and the crew discussed Sabonis being left off the list.
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"I think [the Kings] started too slow," Kenny Smith said. "That might've hurt his chances."
Sacramento began the season 13-18 before firing Mike Brown and promoting Doug Christie as interim head coach, a change that has helped them turn things around and salvage their season before it was fully lost.
But if there's been one constant throughout the campaign, it has been Sabonis.
The Lithuanian big man is putting up Wilt Chamberlain-like numbers on a nightly basis this season, averaging 20.9 points on 61.0-percent shooting from the field and 48.1 percent from 3-point range, with 14.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 36.3 minutes through 44 games.
NBA
He recently joined Chamberlain as the only other player in NBA history to finish with at least 20 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 80 percent from the field in Sacramento's 110-96 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
Sabonis leads the league in both rebounds and double-doubles.
"That's an All-Star right there," Shaquille O'Neal said.
San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb, a Rocklin native and diehard Kings fan, was in disbelief that Sabonis was left off the Western Conference All-Star roster.
How tf did Sabonis not make the All Star team?? What a joke @NBA
— Logan Webb (@LoganWebb1053) January 30, 2025
Sabonis is a three-time All-Star, twice with the Indiana Pacers and once with the Kings.
He is just one of two players to average 20-plus points, 10-plus rebounds and five-plus assists per game and not be named an All-Star, per Underdog NBA. The only other player was Russell Westbrook in 2021.
Players in NBA history to average 20+ PPG, 10+ RPG, 5+ APG and not be an All-Star:
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) January 30, 2025
Domantas Sabonis (this season)
Russell Westbrook (2021)
End of list.
Meanwhile, De'Aaron Fox, who is averaging 25.1 points on 46.8-percent shooting with 5.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 37.1 minutes in 44 games, also was left off the Western Conference's All-Star roster.
Fox, who made his only NBA All-Star Game appearance two seasons ago, has played with a finger issue in his left shooting hand all season and, more recently, a thumb sprain in his right hand.
The rest of the Western Conference reserves include: The Minnesota Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards, Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Clippers' James Harden, Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr., Houston Rockets' Alperen Şengün, Oklahoma City Thunder's Jalen Williams, San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama.
The five Western Conference All-Star starters were announced last week: Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Phoenix Suns' Kevin Durant, Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Denver Nuggets' Nikoka Jokić.
2025 WEST ALL-STAR STARTERS:
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 24, 2025
⭐️ Stephen Curry
⭐️ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
⭐️ Kevin Durant
⭐️ LeBron James
⭐️ Nikola Jokić pic.twitter.com/wnvGXA3H46
The Kings turned things around under Christie following an underwhelming start to the 2024-25 NBA season, but they still have some digging to do to continue climbing the wobbly West standings.
As of Thursday afternoon, Sacramento (24-23) sits in 10th place and 3.5 games behind the No. 6 playoff seed.