Mini-Camp

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Summer Training: Kyle Guy

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Summer Training: Justin James

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Jesse Mermuys Media Availability 6.29.19

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The Sacramento Kings today announced the team’s roster for the second annual California Classic Summer League on July 1, 2 and 3 at Golden 1 Center. Sacramento will play three games, beginning with its first contest on Monday, July 1 against the Golden State Warriors at 8 p.m.. The four-team format will include a double-header matchup each day featuring the Kings, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.

NBA TV is scheduled to air five of the six games live, with ESPN2 scheduled to air the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, July 2. NBC Sports California will broadcast the Kings vs. Golden State Warriors on Monday, July 1. Sacramento Kings radio partner, KHTK 1140, will live broadcast the Kings games on July 1 vs. the Golden State Warriors and on July 3 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tuesday, July 2 and Wednesday, July 3 Kings games will be streamed on Kings.com/Live for fans within the greater Sacramento area.

Below is the 2019 California Classic game schedule and 2019 California Classic summer league roster:

For more information, visit Kings.com/CAClassic.

Kings 2019 California Classic Summer League Roster

* Roster as of June 28 (subject to change)

Summer League Head Coach: Jesse Mermuys (College – Arizona)
Summer League Assistant Coaches: Bob Beyer (College – Alfred), Roy Rana (College – York University (Ontario)), Bobby Jackson (College – Minnesota), Will Scott (College – Indiana), Jonah Herscu (College – Lake Forest College), Ty Ellis (College – Southern Nazarene), Isaac Yacob (College – Cal State Northridge), Akachi Okugo (College – Cal State San Marcos), Jimmy Alapag (San Miguel Alab Pilipinas), Jessica Roque (Ryerson University), Anatoli Boisa (BC Kutaisi 2010)

Senior Director of Athlete Health And Performance: Teena Murray (College – Queen’s University (Ontario))
Head of Prevention And Reconditioning: Mike Roncarati (College – Northeastern)
Head Athletic Trainer: Joe Resendez (College – Texas Pan-Am)
Assistant Athletic Trainer: Joel Noland (College – Weber State)
Head Performance &amp; Strength Coach: Ramsey Nijem (College – UC Santa Barbara)
Assistant Strength &amp; Conditioning Coach: Anthony Darmiento (College – Cal State Northridge)
Stockton Kings Head Athletic Trainer: Katherine Luhring (College – UC Davis)
Stockton Kings Strength &amp; Conditioning Coach: Ernie DeLosAngeles (College – University of the Pacific)

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE: Anatoli Boisa (Boy-e-sah), Semaj Christon (Sa-MAH-jay Chris-tian), Wenyen Gabriel (When-yen Gay-Bree-el), Jonah Herscu (Her-skew), Jesse Mermuys (mer-MISS), Eric Mika (MEE-ka), Isaiah Pineiro (pihn-YEHR-oh), Amjyot Singh (Ahm-gee-yaat Sing)

KINGS CALIFORNIA CLASSIC MINI CAMP SCHEDULE

The Kings will conduct mini-camp from June 28 – June 30 at the team’s practice facility at Golden 1 Center.

kings-announce-california-classic-summer-league-roster-and-mini-camp-schedule-2

Kings Announce California Classic Summer League Roster and Mini-Camp Schedule

Alex Kramers

As he waited, the hours ticking away and pick after pick sliding off the board in the NBA Draft, Justin James anxiously fidgeted on a couch inside his South Florida home, his mind racing and his enthusiasm slowly waning.

And then, shortly past 11:30 p.m. on the East Coast, James finally heard the words he’d long envisioned in his head, before being wrapped in joyous embraces from family members who saw his name, adjacent to a Kings logo, flash across the screen.

By the time he looked down at his phone and exhaled, the realization of being an NBA player still sinking in, the Sacramento draftee had a missed call from his agent and countless Twitter notifications from fans welcoming him to the team.

“It’s just a surreal feeling,” James said. “Me and my family, we were jumping and screaming at the TV, just thanking God for this opportunity. The excitement level was through the roof. We couldn’t even get to sleep that night!”

Even though he didn’t walk across the Barclays Center stage to shake hands with the commissioner on Draft night, the No. 40 pick wore a special Kings cap to commemorate the milestone – thanks to his father’s intuition.

Unbeknownst to Justin, John James purchased hats of the three teams he thought might draft the Wyoming senior; the investment proved fortuitous.

“Thankfully, when the Kings called my name, he surprised me and brought the hat out,” Justin said. “I was super stoked.”

Reaching the NBA seemed improbable five years ago, when James, a native of Port St. Lucie, Fla., was lightly recruited by Division I programs despite flourishing in the prep ranks. His public high school wasn’t a basketball powerhouse, and were it not for a Facebook message to then-Wyoming Assistant Coach Allen Edwards through a mutual friend, James may have faced an even more uphill climb to the pros.

An impressive highlight reel brought Edwards, a Miami native, to St. Lucie West Centennial High to get an in-person look at “J.J.” – who averaged 21.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists as a junior. After observing multiple open-gym scrimmages, Edwards consulted with Head Coach Larry Shyatt, and offered the lanky standout a full scholarship.

“Coach Edwards came into my gym many times. He was at my grandmama’s house for Thanksgiving,” James said. “He just showed that he was really interested in me, and he really wanted me to be the best player I can be, on and off the court. I (felt) a lot of loyalty to him for that.”

When James transferred to Oldsmar Christian School for his senior campaign and earned Player of the Year honors against higher-level competition, another half-dozen offers from high- and mid-majors stuffed his mailbox, including letters from Mississippi State, Georgia Southern and Murray State.

Playing in the SEC was tempting, but by then, he’d verbally committed to Wyoming and wouldn’t renege on his promise. For the three-star recruit, early interest from the Edwards, who prioritized signing him before any other school sent scouts to his games, made a lasting impression.

“Coach Edwards, that’s my role model right there,” James said. “I owe him the world.”

Within the next three years, the 6-foot-7 guard rose from an under-the-radar backup (5.1 points in 16.6 minutes as a freshman) to a scoring threat from anywhere on the court (18.9 points on 47.2 percent from the field) and a legitimate NBA prospect. He tested the Draft waters in 2018 and worked out with the Celtics, Rockets and Spurs, but withdrew his name after listening to feedback from coaches and executives.

As Wyoming’s do-everything senior, James elevated his Draft stock by setting career-highs in nearly every offensive category, becoming the first NCAA player since Penny Hardaway in 1992-93 to average over 22 points (22.1), eight rebounds (8.5), four assists (4.4) and one steal (1.5) per game.

The Second-Team All-Conference selection increased his scoring average for the fourth straight season and finished his career with the fourth-most points (2,061) in conference history.

James concluded his stay in Laramie on a high note, with seven straight games of 20-plus points, including 31 points against New Mexico in the MW Tournament on March 13. Earlier in the year, he scored a career-high 36 points on 10-of-14 from the field and 11-of-12 from the free throw line, to go along with seven assists and six rebounds, in a win against the Cowboys’ main rival, Colorado State.

That all-around production and evident improvement, in addition to his maturity and hunger to get better, factored heavily in the Kings decision to select the 22-year-old early in the second round.

“We followed his college career, and that’s the reason why we were so high on him and brought him here to Sacramento,” said Kings General Manager Vlade Divac. “We talked to everybody about his professionalism and his love for the game. We were so excited when we spent time with him in Sacramento.”

Divac and the Kings staff, who hosted James for a pre-Draft workout and then accompanied him to dinner, view him as a “combo guard” who’ll see playing time at both backcourt spots, as well as slide to small forward to help spread the floor.

“He’s very strong and (has) a very smart basketball IQ,” Divac said. “He can definitely keep up with the way we want to play. I think he’s a ready NBA player.”

With opposing coaches game-planning to keep the ball out of his hands last season, James was consumed by incessant double-teams, which contributed to a decline in his field goal percentage (40.9) and uptick in turnovers (4.1 per game).

James isn’t using that as an excuse – “I just need to get in the gym and keep shooting my shot,” he said – but in Sacramento, where De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic will serve as the primary playmakers, he expects to operate more off the ball and see the kinds of open perimeter looks he could only dream of in college.

“It was definitely a year where I grew a lot, just by the different coverages that I was going up against every night, seeing multiple people guarding me and always having a hand in my face,” he said. “I feel like it helped me in the long run … I’m just super excited to play with some high-level NBA pros who are the best in the world.”

Playing the bulk of his minutes at point guard, James thrived in the pick-and-roll, ranking in the 64th percentile with 0.812 points per possession (PPP) and generating 13.4 points per game when accounting for passes to teammates, according to Synergy Sports. He also ranked in the 71st percentile (1.263 PPP) on cuts and in the 66th percentile (0.986 PPP) on hand-offs.

“I take pride in my versatility, just being able to do multiple things on the floor and doing whatever the coach asks me to do,” he said. “Having my eyes up, seeing the floor and making the right reads are huge parts of (my game). I can play one to three offensively, and I can be a tremendous defender in the League, to potentially guard one through four.”

James, who recorded the fastest times in the three-quarter sprint (3.088 seconds) and lane agility drill (10.095) at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, said he’ll have no problem keeping pace in the Kings accelerated offense and scoring in transition.

“Playing with De’Aaron, you know he loves to run the floor, and Buddy loves to run the floor, too, and get shots up,” he said. “Those players are going to be respected so much, so I know there’s going to be a lot of space on the floor for me to run and make plays for the team.”

His first opportunity to showcase his skill set on the next level will come on July 1, when Sacramento will tip-off the second annual California Classic, a three-day Summer League event. With a Kings hat already tucked away in his closet, James is eager to add a matching purple-and-black uniform.

“I can’t wait to finally put on a Sacramento Kings jersey and put on for the city,” he said. “(The fans) will see a hard-working, passionate player who’s going to do whatever the coach needs me to do to help us win games.”

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Justin James Can’t Wait to Get to Work with Kings

Kyle Ramos

Though he is entering his second NBA season, Harry Giles has not played in an official basketball game since Duke was eliminated in the NCAA Tournament in March of 2017.

After patiently sitting, waiting and working throughout his entire first season in the Association, all of the hard work that Giles put in last year is on the cusp of coming to fruition. No. 20 will be suiting up on Sacramento’s roster for the upcoming California Classic, as well as the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, and he will see live game action for the first time since being selected by Sactown last summer.

“You just have to be patient, take your time, and let things fall into place,” said Giles following the second day of the Kings Mini-Camp leading up to the Classic. “I’m trying to go out there and get a rhythm and find a pace to play with. I think everything else will take care of itself.”

After precise and considerable amounts of training and conditioning to prepare his body, Giles will have a chance to show the rest of the League what made him one of the top high school recruits coming into his college career. The Kings forward knows that the expectations are high, but he’s not shying away from them.

“I can’t take too long of a break. I don’t have time to rest,” Giles said. “I still have a lot to prove. I’m on a mission. I got a job ahead of me.”

Sactown’s faithful have been eagerly awaiting the first glimpse of the Duke product in action since his arrival last June and they will get the first up close look at him next week as the California Classic tips-off at Golden 1 Center.

Several months ago, Harry stated that he "knows [his] time is coming." But on Saturday morning with sweat still dripping down his brow from practice, Giles offered an updated and determined alteration to that sentiment.

“My time is now and I have to go and attack it.”

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Harry Giles is ‘on a mission’ to Prove Himself

awhedbee

The Sacramento Kings today announced the team’s roster for the inaugural California Classic Summer League on July 2, 3 and 5 at Golden 1 Center. Sacramento will play three games, beginning with its first contest on Monday, July 2 against the L.A. Lakers at 8 p.m.. The four-team format will include a double-header matchup each day featuring the Kings, Golden State Warriors, L.A. Lakers and Miami Heat. No games will be played on Wednesday, July 4, Independence Day.

Below is the 2018 California Classic game schedule:

A Fan Zone outside of the arena will feature games, live entertainment and more. Thursday’s afternoon games will feature a family theme following the holiday, with select player autographs, face painting and Kings Kids Club activities.

Last summer, the Sacramento Kings hosted over 10,000 fans for a NBA Summer League watch party at Golden 1 Center, using the NBA’s only 4K UHD video screen, when the team played the Los Angeles Lakers nearly 400 miles away in Las Vegas.

Team rosters and additional information will be announced at later dates.

Kings 2018 California Classic Summer League Roster

Summer League Head Coach: Larry Lewis (College – Morehouse)
Summer League Assistant Coaches: Jason March (Florida State), Dan Hartfield (College – Wisconsin-Green Bay), Colin Schneider (College – Wisconsin-Green Bay), Jeff Newton (College – UMass), Phil Ricci (College – Oregon State).

Director of Sports Medicine: Pete Youngman (College - Ithaca)
Head Athletic Trainer: Manny Romero (College - Loyola Marymount)
Head Performance &amp; Strength Coach: Ramsey Nijem (College – UC Santa Barbara)
Assistant Strength &amp; Conditioning Coach: Evan VanBecelaere (College – Kansas)
Manual Therapist &amp; Assistant Athletic Trainer: Aung Aye (College – University of Washington)
Stockton Kings Head Athletic Trainer: Katherine Luhring (College – UC Davis)
Stockton Kings Strength &amp; Conditioning Coach: Ernie DeLosAngeles (College – University of the Pacific)

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE: Wenyen Gabriel (When-yen Gay-Bree-el).

The Kings will conduct mini-camp from June 29 – July 1 at the team’s facility at Golden 1 Center.

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Sacramento’s second-year players were all just getting their feet wet in the NBA around this time last year. 365 days later, they’re being called upon to be leaders for Sacramento’s young core heading into the annual summer tournament in Las Vegas.

Buddy Hield. Georgios Papagiannis, Malachi Richardson and Skal Labissiere all have their rookie season in the rearview as they look to continue refining their games. The NBA Summer League provides a beneficial opportunity for these four to, not only work on themselves, but to mesh with their four rookie teammates as well.

Even before the action unfolds in Las Vegas, however, the team has gathered for a four-day Mini-Camp at Golden 1 Center to help prepare for the upcoming contests.

Following the first day of Mini-Camp on Monday, Labissiere reflected on his experience from last year and how significant of a building block this time is for the season to come.

“Watching [the rookies] a little bit, I remember being there and how fast things were for me and now things have slowed down a little bit for me,” said Skal. “It’s all about team bonding for us and getting comfortable with each other. We have to use this experience for training camp coming up in the fall. That’s really the main focus of this Summer League is working on things as a team and taking it to Training Camp next season.”

With a slew of young talent making up a significant portion of the Kings roster, camaraderie and chemistry will be key to seeing the youth grow simultaneously. The sophomores have a chance to be at the forefront of fostering this togetherness as they will be the first players from Sacramento to have a chance to work with the new faces - including De’Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson, Harry Giles, and Frank Mason III.

Hield also touched on what he hopes to accomplish during his time working with the rookies and the shift in his role for the summer.

“[I’m going to] try to lead these young guys and show how we’re trying to change the culture here in Sac,” said Hield. “We have nine young guys who are trying to learn the game and know each other better, because we’re going to be playing with each other for a long time. That’s my role now...I’m going to try and be the leader that these young guys need me to be.”

Kings assistant coach Jason March will be at the helm as head coach for Sacramento during Summer League and talked about preparing the players for the 2017-18 season starts now.

“We have guys that are going to play significant minutes for us and it’s our job to prepare them for when they get on the floor with [Coach Joerger],” said March. “Their energy has been incredible. We’ve thrown a lot at them and they’ve done a fairly good job of figuring things out...I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen from these guys so far.”

The Summer League tips off on Friday night with Sactown set to square off with Justin Jackson and the Phoenix Suns. For more information on Sacramento’s schedule and roster, please click here.

Mini‑Camp

Summer Training: Kyle Guy

Summer Training: Justin James

Jesse Mermuys Media Availability 6.29.19

Kings Announce California Classic Summer League Roster and Mini-Camp Schedule

Justin James Can’t Wait to Get to Work with Kings

Harry Giles is ‘on a mission’ to Prove Himself

Kings Announce California Classic Summer League Roster and Mini-Camp Schedule

Summer League Presents Important Opportunity for Young Kings