Kings' Devin Carter shares special moment with father after NBA debut

Kings’ Devin Carter shares special moment with father after NBA debut

Posted by author January 4, 2025 NBA

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After missing the first 34 games of the season, Sacramento Kings rookie guard Devin Carter finally had the opportunity to make his NBA debut at the Golden 1 Center.

He even had the chance to share the moment with his father, Anthony.

Carter logged two appearances in the G League as a final tune-up before receiving the green light to play with the Kings, totaling 46 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists and five steals. He suffered no setbacks during those two outings and looked to show little rust after last playing competitively in March.

The 13th pick went scoreless in nearly 11 minutes of work on Friday, but he hauled in five rebounds and dished out two assists in the 138-133 win against his father, an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies. They had the opportunity to catch up before and after the game.

Carter missed the start of the season with the Kings after undergoing left shoulder surgery in July. He was cleared for unrestricted basketball activity on Dec. 26, clearing the way to take the court for the first time this season in the G League two days later.

The 22-year-old said after his first game in the G League that he hadn’t played 5-on-5 basketball since the Big East Tournament with Providence. He said he was still working to be back in complete game shape but was excited to see where his body was after missing the past six months.

The Kings will likely continue to ramp up his minutes on the court as interim coach Doug Christie looks to fit him into the rotation. The team is excited to have him back in the lineup and eager to see him develop this year now that he is fully healthy and ready to play.

“(I’m) super excited for what I see out of him,” Christie said. “I just love his compete level. His compete level is super high. When he walked by me, I just looked him in the eyes and said: ‘Go have fun, kid!’ That’s really what it’s about.”