https://youtu.be/utPqVsDQipM
Louis King just dropped 27 points, over doubling his previous career total of 25 points, which he had accumulated in 10 games for the Pistons last year and 4 games for the Kings this year. Just an incredible display of scoring for a player who had not shown much real-life NBA scoring ability. Sometimes all a player needs is a real opportunity, and that’s what the Kings are giving him now. Who knows if this partership will extend into next season, but it’s seemingly a match made in heaven: how could you withhold the opportunity to play as a Sacramento King from a guy named King? Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time that a player’s name has matched his team’s name: journey with me into the history of the NBA as we examine other incidences of this unique situation.
-Henry Redskin (PF, Sheboygan Red Skins, 1949)
Henry’s given name wasn’t actually “Redskin”, but “Reinhardt”, inherited from his father. His mother, however, was from the Oneida Indian reservation in nearby Green Bay, Wisconsin, and as was typical of the time and area, all Native American persons were assigned the last name “Redskin”, in order to easier identify them for census purposes. A local basketball hero, Henry signed on with the local professional team, the Sheboygan Red Skins, but failed to make much of an impact, scoring only 6 points per game on 23 percent shooting over the season. 23 percent shooting sounds bad these days, but in the early days of the NBA, it was nothing notable; Henry’s teammate, Elmer Oimoen, shot 13 percent that season while scoring 13 points per game. The team folded the next season, ending Henry’s NBA career.
-Nikola Celtić (PG, Boston Celtics, 1971)
Often forgotten when talking about Serbian NBA players, Nikola was one of the very first Euros to make the transition to the NBA game. In retrospect, the signing of him by the Celtics was purely for PR purposes; Nikola had not had a very productive overseas career, and the Celtics were clearly looking to boost popularity among the growing Eastern European diaspora that had begun arriving in Boston in the mid 60’s. Problems were apparent early in training camp, as the diminutive Nikola, standing at a mere 5’6″, had difficulty guarding the larger American players. He also had significant problems on offense, with his unorthodox two-handed over-the-head shooting form proving ineffective against defenses superior to those he had faced in Europe. His potential as an NBA prospect was further called into question by the discovery that the league he had formerly played in did not actually exist, and that he had never seen a basketball before showing up to the first day of training camp. Bureaucratic technicalities prevented the Celtics from waiving him before the season started; they put him in for the final few seconds of the season opener so that fans could throw peanuts at him.
-Magic Johnson (PG, Orlando Magic 1991-1995)
People often think that Magic Johnson, HOF point guard who led the Los Angeles Lakers to many championships, retired after getting diagnosed with HIV during the 1990-1991 season. In reality, he just went to the Orlando Magic instead, and no one noticed while he continued putting up gaudy stats. His averages for the Magic were only slightly reduced due to his condition: 17 PPG and 11 APG over four seasons. His triumphant unretirement for the 1995-1996 season was actually him getting traded back to the Lakers in exchange for Nick Van Exel.
-Down Buck (PG, Milwaukee Bucks, 2009)
Down Buck, usually known by his full name including middle name, Down To Buck, usually truncated to DownToBuck, is now more well known for his YouTube NBA highlights empire, which he runs under his legal name. Certainly, his preeminence in the art of making NBA highlights is acknowledged by all observers. But few know that he got his start in the NBA highlights game by actually playing in the NBA, during the 2009 season for the Milwaukee Bucks. A devastating midrange sniper, Buck impressed Bucks scouts enough for them to pick him as an undrafted player out of Moraine Park Technical College in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. His prodigious scoring ability dominated the technical college leagues, as he averaged 40 PPG. His scoring dipped against superior NBA defenders, but he still managed a handful of scintillating performances, including a 32-point game in the season finale, a game cut short by what would end up being a career-ending ACL injury. Finding no suitable highlight videos of his performance, Buck made his own, setting him on the highlight-making path he continues to trod to this day.