The Sacramento Kings have a 17-season playoff drought, with their last playoff appearance in 2006 and suffering a first-round defeat. The last time they won a playoff series was in 2004, beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games. The Sacramento Kings have shocked longtime NBA fans this year with them being in third place in the Western Conference and primed to make a deep playoff run. The Kings had the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft and selected De’Aaron Fox, who would become one of the King’s current franchise players. The Kings traded Buddy Hield, Tyrese Haliburton, and Tristian Thompson for Domantas Sabonis on February 8, 2022, who has been instrumental in making this year’s Kings as dominant as they are.
Harrison Barnes was born and raised in Ames, Iowa, and Scout.com rated him as the number 1 player in the class of 2010 and finished his high school career at Ames High School as the all-time leading scorer with 1,787 points. He was also selected to play in the 2010 McDonald’s All-American Game, where he led the West team to a 107–104 victory. On November 13, 2009, Barnes skyped coach Roy Williams of North Carolina to announce his decision to join the Tar Heels. At North Carolina, he was a 2010 and 2011 Preseason All-American, 2011 Second Team All-ACC, 2011 All-ACC Freshman Team, 2011 ACC Rookie of the Year, 2012 Second Team All-American, and 2012 First Team All-ACC. Harrison Barnes, former North Carolina Tar Heel, has been an integral part of the Kings since he arrived, and it’s showing this year. No matter what, the University of North Carolina will be instrumental to basketball’s success, and Harrison Barnes’s play for the Sacramento Kings is evidence of that.
