Zach LaVine isn’t walking into his 13th NBA season like a veteran just trying to hang around. He says the tank is still full enough to matter.
At Kings Media Day, the Sacramento guard talked through a summer built around frustration, motivation and a bigger responsibility on a roster that is trying to climb back from a 22-60 season. At 31, LaVine is now the oldest player on the team, and with younger talent around him - including seventh overall pick Darius Acuff Jr. - he knows the job description has changed.
“I’m excited,” LaVine said. “I didn’t love the way that the season ended up last year.
I don’t think any of us did. It was bad.”
Last season never really had a chance to settle in for Sacramento. Injuries ripped through the group, with LaVine appearing in only 39 games. Domantas Sabonis played 19, Keegan Murray appeared in 23, and De’Andre Hunter was limited to just two games before being shut down with an eye injury.
Even in a shortened season, LaVine still put up production when he was on the floor, averaging 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 47.9% from the field and 39.0% from three.
Now he sees a different kind of opportunity in front of him: not just scoring, but helping shape what comes next. LaVine made it clear he understands he’ll need to be more vocal and more involved as Sacramento tries to build something new under Doug Christie.
“I think I’m the oldest guy on the team,” LaVine said. “I have the most experience.
And nobody else is in the role. I’m gonna need to actually speak and be a little bit more involved with that.
And I’m looking to take on that role.”
For LaVine, leadership starts with investment, not just talking. He pointed to the veterans he learned from early in his career - Kevin Garnett, Mo Williams and Thaddeus Young - and said that kind of presence is what he wants to offer younger teammates now.
“You have to invest time into people,” LaVine said. “The best thing you can give is people your time because you can’t get that back.”
Sacramento enters the season with modest outside expectations after last year’s collapse, and LaVine said he’s comfortable with that. In his mind, that kind of doubt can be useful fuel.
“I like thriving in these types of situations because you get a chance to shut people up,” LaVine said.
Still, the bigger driving force for him isn’t external noise or a contract year. It’s the game itself. LaVine, who is entering the final season of his contract before becoming a free agent next summer, said the money and longevity have not dulled his competitive edge.
“I didn’t play this game to just, ‘Oh, I’m doing this to make money.’ I love basketball,” LaVine said. “I love competing.”
And he isn’t talking like someone easing toward the finish line. LaVine said he still expects to be the best player on the floor whenever he steps out there.
“I got a lot, lot more left,” LaVine said. “I got enough juice in the tank and enough fuel.”
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Kings Media Day Took An Awkward Turn The Team Can't Ignore
Media day is supposed to be the cleanest, most controlled day on the NBA calendar, the kind of event where teams set the tone and everyone moves on with their notebooks full. For the Kings, it instead became another reminder that the space around the team can be just as messy as the season ahead, after reporters were caught on a hot mic making unprofessional comments about Ben Simmons and Zach LaVine.
It was an awkward moment for a group that is trying to introduce Simmons after signing him to a one-year deal and continue integrating LaVine, who arrived in February 2025. The incident also lands in the shadow of a similar hot-mic episode involving Raptors reporters, a comparison Sacramento would rather avoid as it tries to keep the focus on basketball instead of the noise around it. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Training Camp Just Added A Surprise To The Roster Battle
The Kings training camp roster offered a little more intrigue than usual, thanks to a trio of non-guaranteed names who will get a real look in the weeks ahead. Leaky Black, Elfrid Payton and Tristen Newton are all in camp on training camp contracts, giving Sacramento a chance to take a closer read before the roster settles for the season. Black, a defense-first small forward added by the Stockton Kings earlier in September, is the most notable of the group because he is trying to break through in a crowded part of the roster.
Sacramento still has two open spots, so camp is doing more than just getting the legs under the group - it is shaping the final decisions. Blacks path is especially tricky because the Kings already have depth on the wing, which means every practice and scrimmage matters as the team weighs fit, upside and versatility. The situation could remain fluid for a while, with roster movement expected over the next few months as the Kings continue sorting out who sticks. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Media Day Controversy Has Fans Waiting For Fallout
Media day is usually one of the calmer stops on the NBA calendar, a chance for teams to set the tone before the season begins. For the Kings, it turned into something else entirely when a leaked audio recording reportedly caught reporter Sara Hodges making disparaging remarks about Ben Simmons and Zach LaVine, a clip that quickly spread across social media and turned a routine event into a talking point far beyond the room.
The reaction has been immediate, with fans piling on and former NBA player Royce White also weighing in as the audio circulated. What has kept the story simmering, though, is the silence from both the Kings and Hodges, leaving plenty of questions about whether the episode will fade as another online flare-up or lead to something more concrete from the organization. [Read more 🡒]