The 2024-25 NBA regular season tips off Tuesday, Oct. 22, with two games. The Sacramento Kings, who broke a 16-season playoff drought in 2022-23 and barely missed the playoffs again last season, play their first game Thursday, Oct. 24, hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As the curtain rises, The OBSERVER thought about some of the best Sacramento-area high school players to make it to the league. The following is our starting five – a couple of whom had an association with the Kings.
One of the top point guards of his era, Johnson was a three-time NBA All-Star as well as a four-time second-team All-NBA selection during his 12-year playing career. After spending most of his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who drafted him No. 7 overall in 1987, he set numerous records for the Phoenix Suns and, with teammate Charles Barkley, led them to the 1992-93 NBA Finals, losing to the Chicago Bulls. For his career Johnson averaged 17.9 points and 9.1 assists. Johnson played with the U.S. national team, dubbed Dream Team II, in the 1994 FIBA World Championship, reuniting with old teammate and point guard rival Mark Price to win gold. At California, Johnson was a two-time All-Pac-10 Conference player.
Perhaps the most dominant high school big man in Sacramento-area history, Cartwright also loomed large on three NBA championship teams for the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls from 1991-1993. At 7-feet-1, Cartwright, out of the University of San Francisco, was drafted No. 3 overall by the New York Knicks in 1979. He was an All-Star and first-team All-Rookie in 1980. He averaged 13.2 points and 6.3 rebounds over his 15-year career. His best year statistically was his first, when he averaged 21.7 points and 8.9 rebounds.
In another life, Barnes might have been an NFL star had he pursued football after high school. At 6-7, he was nearly unstoppable as a wide receiver, burning future pros from powerhouses Grant and Nevada Union high schools. But he chose basketball at UCLA and was drafted in the second round in 2002 by the Memphis Grizzlies, who traded him to Cleveland that night. Barnes wasn’t a star, but he starred in his role – a tough-as-nails defender who finished in the top 20 for 2009-10 Defensive Player of the Year and part-time starter who played 14 years. In his final season, he helped the Warriors win the 2017 championship. Barnes had two stints apiece with the Kings and Warriors. He averaged 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds for his career.
At 6-feet-9, Hillman – known as “Dr. Dunk” – attended San Jose State and was a first-round draft choice in 1971 by the Golden State Warriors, but opted instead to play for the Indiana Pacers in the old American Basketball Association. He won two ABA championships with the Pacers and was the NBA Slam Dunk champion in 1977. Hillman played 10 years in the ABA and NBA with five teams, including the Kansas City Kings during the 1978-79 season. He had career averages of 9.8 points and 7.6 rebounds.
After a stellar freshman season at the University of Washington, the 6-foot-9 Chriss was drafted eighth overall by the Kings in 2016, but was traded that same evening to Phoenix. After a promising rookie season when he averaged 9.1 points., his playing time became increasingly spotty over a six-year NBA career. He played for five NBA teams, including the Golden State Warriors. In August, Chriss reportedly signed with Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin of the Chinese Basketball Association.