Georgios Papagiannis

Dan Lovi

Since being drafted by the Kings in late June, Skal Labissiere has made an impact on the court for Sacramento. He was the team’s most consistent player at Summer League, averaging 11 points, 5.8 rebounds and one block in five games.

That being said, it’s the impact he’s making off the court that brings to light the type of person Skal really is.

Along with Kings legend Doug Christie, the rookie traveled over 150 miles to attend the California Endowment's Sons and Brothers Camp in Portola, California. The pair spoke to a group of about 100 kids and took questions from the crowd.

Labissiere delved into his childhood growing up in Haiti and the experience of going through the massive earthquake in 2010 that left him unable to walk for weeks. Skal also told the campers “not to listen to critics” and to always maintain belief in yourself.

After the forum, campers joined Skal and Doug on the basketball court, where the duo displayed several basic basketball drills. He also played 3-on-3 with the campers.

“It was super fun. We had some funny kids here and it was a great experience trying to make an impact in some people’s lives,” said Skal. “I enjoyed the whole experience.”

The day after attending the Sons and Brothers Camp, No. 3 flew to South Dakota to join Kings head coach Dave Joerger at a Jr. NBA Camp at Red Cloud Indian School. He participated in drills alongside his coach and signed autographs for the campers.

Participating in community events and making a mark on other people’s lives has always been important to Skal. He was heavily involved in the Lexington community while attending school at the University of Kentucky. The day after arriving in Sacramento, Skal joined fellow rookies Georgios Papagiannis and Isaiah Cousins in surprising Jr. Kings campers.

Not only is the Haitian big man ready to have a positive effect on the hardwood, but in the local community as well.

skal-gives-back

Skal Gives Back

The Sacramento Kings frontcourt just got even bigger.

The Kings (via the Phoenix Suns), selected 7-foot-2 center Georgios Papagiannis with the No. 13 overall pick.

Papagiannis grew up in Marousi, Greece, debuting for the Greek club team Peristeri in 2012 when he was just 14 years-old. He is the youngest player to ever participate in the Greek Basket League.

After two seasons with Peristeri, Papagiannis attended Westtown School in West Chester, Pennsylvania, where he played his junior season of high school. He then transferred to the American School in Athens, Greece for his senior year of high school.

The 18-year-old signed a multi-year deal with Greek club Panathinaikos in 2014, which included a player option after the first year if he chose to leave in order to attend college in the U.S. Despite receiving 17 scholarship offers from renowned programs, he decided to stay with the club for two more seasons.

Panathinaikos won the 2015 and 2016 Greek Basketball Cup while Papagiannis was a member of the squad. He averaged 6.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and in 11.2 minutes per game during the 2015-2016 season.

Kings fans can expect a tireless worker who is going to do his best to bring help improve the team.

“I’m going to work hard. I’m hungry for the game,” he told Kings.com after being selected. “I want to say that I’m going to do the best I can to bring a championship to town.”

The big man also played for the Greek Under-16 junior national team in 2012 as well as the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, where he was voted to the All-Tournament Team.

As for playing alongside DeMarcus Cousins, Papagiannis is excited to learn from one of the best centers in the game.

“I've been watching him since last year. He has a lot of skill moves in the post," said Papagiannis. "Tough, tough guy to play against. I love his character. He's mean for the game. He's hungry.”

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