Tag: NBA

The latest edition of NBA 2K will feature a trio of different cover athletes. NBA 2K27 revealed today that NBA star Victor Wembanyama, WNBA star Caitlin Clark and NBA legend Derrick Rose will grace the covers of their various editions that will be available on Sept. 4

Ball Over Everything 💯

Pre-order NBA 2K27 now! ➡️ https://t.co/xIMBzDuP2B pic.twitter.com/RTSpX2Ecox

— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 22, 2026

Wembanyama, who led the San Antonio Spurs to the 2026 NBA Finals, graces the “Standard Edition” cover. The 22-year-old Wembanyama is already considered one of the game’s most dominant players.

He was the Most Valuable Player of the 2026 Western Conference Finals and finished third in Kia MVP voting behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić. He was also the Kia Defensive Player of the Year and posted 25 points and 11.5 rebounds per game as San Antonio went 62-20.

We are not alone 👽

Victor Wembanyama has landed as your NBA 2K27 Standard Edition Cover Athlete

Pre-order NBA 2K27 now! ➡️ https://t.co/wflnyoAd5R pic.twitter.com/Xww8BE9uLK

— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 22, 2026

Clark, a star for the Indiana Fever, will be on the “Deluxe Edition” cover and continues the NBA 2K trend of featuring a WNBA player on one of their covers. She recently made history after recording 45 points and 10 assists to become the first player with 40 or more points and 10 or more assists in a game in WNBA history.

She is a three-time All-Star, was the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2024 and gathered numerous collegiate accolades during her playing days at Iowa.

She’s obsessed with the work 💭🏀

Caitlin Clark is your NBA 2K27 Deluxe Edition Cover Athlete

Pre-order NBA 2K27 now! ➡️ https://t.co/J6pi6mirRH pic.twitter.com/Fk1UG0aLcl

— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 22, 2026

Rose, the Kia NBA MVP in 2010-11, will grace the “Ultra Edition” and is on an NBA 2K cover for the second time in his career. He shared NBA 2K13’s cover with Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin.

In winning MVP in 2011, Rose — the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 Draft — was the youngest MVP winner in league history at 22. Rose averaged 17.4 points and 5.2 assists in 723 regular-season games and was a three-time All-Star, made the All-NBA First Team in 2010-11 and was the Kia Rookie of the Year in 2008-09.

The Rose that grew from concrete 🌹

Pre-order NBA 2K27 now! ➡️ https://t.co/n9sLQP9nqc pic.twitter.com/k17M3BLEzW

— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 22, 2026

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Jamahl Mosley jumped across the gulf, from the Orlando Magic’s coaching job to the New Orleans Pelicans’ job. Sean Sweeney goes from an assistant coach who helped the San Antonio Spurs reach the NBA Finals in 2026 to the new coach of the Magic.

Dusty May left NCAA champion Michigan for the opportunity to coach the Dallas Mavericks and Cooper Flagg. Tiago Splitter takes over the Chicago Bulls’ coaching position, and Micah Nori heads west, leaving an assistant coaching job with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the coaching job with the Portland Trail Blazers. Taylor Jenkins improved the Memphis Grizzlies, and after a season off, he’s back as a coach, this time with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Coaches in their first season have had success recently – Mike Brown led the New York Knicks to a championship in his first season there. Steve Kerr did it with Golden State in 2015.

Tyronn Lue did it with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, and Nick Nurse did it with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Same for Frank Vogel with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. If you don’t count interim years, Joe Mazzulla coached the Boston Celtics to a title in 2024, and Mitch Johnson took San Antonio to the Finals last season.

Success doesn’t have to mean a run to the Finals. Maybe it’s progress in the win column or a playoff series victory.

Here is a look at the six teams with new head coaches entering the 2026-27 NBA season:

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Tiago Splitter, Chicago Bulls

Age: 41

Coaching experience: Brooklyn Nets assistant coach; Houston Rockets assistant coach; Paris Basketball coach; Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach; Trail Blazers interim coach

Last team coached: Trail Blazers in 2025-26 (42-40 in the regular season, lost 4-1 in first round)

What to expect in first season with the Bulls: Splitter was excellent under difficult circumstances in Portland last season. He’s ready for a job without the interim tag. The Bulls are young and appear headed in the right direction under new general manager Bryson Graham. The Bulls have Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis and drafted Caleb Wilson at No. 4 and Dailyn Swain at No. 15 in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft. They acquired Nic Claxton in a trade and signed Norman Powell in free agency. The East is tough, and the Central Division is loaded with Detroit, Cleveland and Indiana. But the Bulls made moves that should expedite their progress.

Fun fact: Splitter had a lengthy pro basketball career, including six-plus seasons in the NBA – five with the San Antonio Spurs where he won a title in 2014.

Notable quotable: “We want to create a culture of high standards, great habits every day, get better, grow. It’s going to be a lot of work. It’s going to take some time. I know what it takes, and I know the responsibility that I have and the expectations that it comes with being the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. So I’m ready and I can’t wait to start and work and be more and more involved with this community.

“Bulls fans, you guys are awesome. I’m actually a Bulls fan myself growing up in Brazil. I watched many games late at night hidden from my parents at 1 a.m. watching MJ (Michael Jordan) games and rooting for the Bulls. So super excited to be here and help to lead the team with the front office and ownership. …

“The first thing you do is connect. I actually already started doing that. That’s the foundation of everything you do, especially at this level. If you don’t have that, it’s really hard to demand and make them respect you. But the foundation is connect with the players in different ways. Generations, they change and you’ve just got to adapt, but this is the first thing you’ve got to do. One of the pillars of the things you do in basketball is the togetherness. You’ve got to start there.”

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Dusty May, Dallas Mavericks

Age: 49

Coaching experience: Eastern Michigan assistant coach; Murray State assistant coach; UAB assistant coach; Louisiana Tech assistant coach; Florida assistant coach; Florida Atlantic coach; Michigan coach

Last team coached: Michigan in 2025-26 (37-3 in regular season, won NCAA championship)

What to expect in first season with the Mavericks: The Mavs have a new front office with president Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz shaping the roster led by reigning Kia Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg. Dallas drafted Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr., who played for May at Michigan, with the No. 9 pick and got Sergio De Larrea with the 25th pick in the first round. This is the beginning of a new chapter for the franchise as it builds for the future. They also acquired 2024 No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher from Atlanta in a three-team trade. Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Max Christie and P.J. Washington are on the roster, but don’t be surprised to see more personnel changes as 2026-27 progresses.

Fun fact: Like LA Clippers executive and former NBA coach Lawrence Frank, May was a student-manager for Bob Knight at Indiana.

Notable quotable: “We have two goals. One, to be enjoyable to watch for our fans and everyone to be proud of how we play the game. And the other is to make sure that we’re equipped to win any type of game – a regular-season shootout, a knockdown slugfest or a playoff wrestling match, whatever the case. We need to be equipped to be able to win that type of game. And with that, you need lineup versatility, you need a deep roster, and you need guys that really care about playing off of each other and doing it that way. So yes, there will be times we use it bigger than most lineup.

“If you rewind back to our FAU days, we played with one of the smallest teams. We played four small guards with one center. So we’re going to really evaluate what our players do well and do mold everything around that.”

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Taylor Jenkins, Milwaukee Bucks

Age: 41

Coaching experience: Austin Toros G League assistant coach; Auston Toros coach; Atlanta Hawks assistant coach; Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach; Memphis Grizzlies coach

Last team coached: Grizzlies in 2024-25 season (44-29 record, fired nine games before 2025 playoffs began)

What to expect in first season with the Bucks: The Bucks era without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster has begun, and instead of trying to add players around a proven star and win another championship, the Bucks will feature a young roster with a handful of veterans. The Bucks drafted two players in the first round (Brayden Burries at No. 10 and Nate Ament at No. 13), and in the Antetokounmpo trade with the Miami Heat, they acquired Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakučionis  and two first-round picks in 2031 and 2033. Also on the roster: Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, Gary Trent Jr., Caris LeVert, Ryan Rollins, AJ Green and Kevin Porter Jr.

Fun fact: Jenkins’ grandmother knew former San Antonio Spurs governor Peter Holt and brokered an introduction which led Jenkins from Penn’s Wharton School to an internship with the Spurs.

Notable quotable: “We’re all striving for consistency on a day-to-day basis. My three pillars are going to be pretty easy. I think these guys may have already heard it. I’m going to regurgitate. I already told them they’re going to probably roll their eyes at some point, but it’s compete together, get better. I don’t want to overcomplicate this.

“From day one, it’s how are we going to be the most competitive team in all areas of what we do, not just on the court, but also off the court? How together are we going to be on the court? That’s going to be our style – the unselfishness you guys are going to have to have offensively and defensively, but also what we’re going to do in our lives beyond basketball to develop that togetherness. In my time in Memphis, my mentality was always, we’re building something.

“We are trying to daily get better. And that’s me. If I’m going to lead the charge here with these guys up here, I got to look in the mirror first and figure out how I’m going to get better every single day because I want them to feel that from me. We can talk about partnership and relationships as much as we want, but it’s the day in and day out working and living together that I’m going to make top priority No. 1 and that’s what we’re doing right now. And it’s exciting.”

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Jamahl Mosley, New Orleans Pelicans

Age: 47

Coaching experience: Denver Nuggets player development coach; Nuggets assistant coach; Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach; Dallas Mavericks assistant coach; Orlando Magic coach

Last team coached: Magic in 2025-26 (45-37 in regular season, lost 4-3 in first round)

What to expect in first season with the Pelicans: The Pelicans were 26-56 last season, and the West remains an ultra-competitive conference. But they have players to work with: Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole, Herbert Jones, Jeremiah Fears, Yves Messi and Derik Queen. With Orlando, Mosley went from 22 victories in his first season in 2021-22 to 47 victories two seasons later. That’s the improvement the Pelicans are looking for under his guidance.

Fun Fact: In his junior season at Colorado, Mosley averaged 14 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 62.6% overall en route to All-Big 12 third-team honors.

Notable quotable: “I’ve told the guys when we have the Zoom call individually. I said there’s four things that we’re standing on as non-negotiables. One, respect your teammates by being on time. You’re on time in this building, you’re on time on the court, you’re on time on passing, you’re on time on rotations. That’s part of being on time. Second piece, outwork. We’re not just coming to the gym to get shots up.

“We’re going to outwork every team that plays and that steps on this court. We’re not going to be outworked. Third thing, how you present yourself to your teammates every day is important – your body language and your attitude. We all have things going on off the court, but when we step on this floor, how we present and the energy that we bring to the table is important. And the fourth, to your point about accountability, it starts with communication.”

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Sean Sweeney, Orlando Magic

Age: 42

Coaching experience: New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets video coordinator; Nets assistant coach; Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach; Detroit Pistons assistant coach; Dallas Mavericks assistant coach; San Antonio Spurs associate coach

Last team coached: Spurs in 2025-26 as associate coach, helping them reach the NBA Finals

What to expect in first season with the Magic: Sweeney moves into a position with a playoff-ready roster — that doesn’t happen often for first-time coaches. The Magic feature All-Star Paolo Banchero as well as Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Jevon Carter and Jonathan Isaac (plus, Nikola Vučević returned via free agency). The East’s Southeast Division is competitive, especially with the Charlotte Hornets’ rise, Antetokounmpo going to Miami, the Atlanta Hawks making moves and the Washington Wizards ready to improve. Sweeney brings a stellar defensive mind to Orlando, but he has also been the offensive coordinator for Dallas teams that put up points with Luka Dončić. The last two teams where Sweeney was an assistant – Dallas and San Antonio – both reached the Finals during his time there.

Fun fact: Sweeney is huge fan of Notre Dame and has Irish football season tickets.

Notable quotable: “For me, coaching is not a profession. It’s a vocation. And I’m going to work to my highest level to do the best job I can for this franchise and for the guys sitting here in front of us. It’s been 21 years of preparation, and it has brought me here and I’m ready for it and I’m excited to begin. A couple of things about our team.

“Our team is going to be built on our values. We’re going to value character. We’re going to value competition. We’re going to value connection, and we are going to value the game. I love the game. I’m a competitor. I want to do things with integrity, and I want to make sure that we are connected in how we play. That’s going to shape how we act every day. Our behaviors are going to be shaped upon our values. We’re going to be prepared. We’re going to be attentive and that’s going to be active attention.”

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Micah Nori, Portland Trail Blazers

Age: 52

Coaching experience: Toronto Raptors assistant coach; Sacramento Kings assistant coach; Denver Nuggets assistant coach; Detroit Pistons assistant coach; Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach

Last team coached: Timberwolves in 2025-26 as assistant coach

What to expect in first season with the Trail Blazers: The Blazers were 42-40 and made the playoffs last season, and they return several players from that roster. Plus, they get Damian Lillard back from an injury, and they acquired All-Star guard Ja Morant in a trade with Memphis. They have a deep backcourt with Lillard, Morant, Jrue Holiday and Shaedon Sharpe. Deni Avdija was an All-Star in 2025-26, and the Blazers also bring back defensive-minded wing Toumani Camara as well as big men Robert Williams III and Donovan Clingan. The West is once again deep, but Portland will be competitive and in the playoff conversation.

Fun fact: Nori played baseball at Indiana – as did his dad, Fred – and hit .305 with 20 home runs, including .365 and 12 homers in his final season. He was also an assistant baseball coach at Indiana. His son, Dante, was a first-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Notable quotable: “Not to be cliché-ish and those type of things about playing hard and playing smart, but there’s some things that we can clean up. We’re not going to lead the league in turnovers. We can clean those things up. We’re going to be very good at what we define as being important and what we pay attention to and the execution of those things and also at the end of the games.

“This team last year was 21-22 in two-possession games with five minutes to go. What I hope is – we can’t guarantee makes and misses and stops – but I tell you this, they’re going to have to make shots and we’re going to force them to make tough shots. We’re not going to hope they miss. I can promise you that, and we will get good looks. Our group is looking to put them in positions to be successful on a nightly basis. And that is how I believe that we can help.”

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Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at jzillgitt@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.

LAS VEGAS — Cameron Boozer watched a lot of the New York Knicks during their run to their first NBA championship in more than 50 years.

He watched how they moved offensively. He observed how they shared the basketball and how they seemed to know where each other would be at all times. He eyed how they moved as a team defensively, consistently covering for each other. Most importantly, he took notice in how every player on their team possessed multiple skills.

Boozer, the Memphis Grizzlies’ rookie forward, spoke at length about the Knicks being a leader for positionless basketball. It’s part of what he wants to achieve as a professional. Boozer then went out and turned in one of the best summer-league performances from the 2026 draft class. Over a 10-day period, he averaged 18.5 points, eight rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He also averaged 1.8 steals, helping the Grizzlies reach the Las Vegas Summer League championship game, where they lost a narrow one to the Golden State Warriors.

Boozer gave everyone a glimpse into why he’s been a dominant figure in American basketball since early in his high-school days.

“Versatility is the name of the game. That’s what teams are looking for,” Boozer told The Athletic. “Teams want five guys who can make plays. Look at the Knicks this year. Everyone on that team was capable of doing more than one thing. Everyone was capable of playing on or off the basketball. That’s what I feel like I can do best. I can screen. I can handle it. You can put me in a lot of different scenarios.”

Boozer, after a much-discussed pre-draft, ended up being the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, after AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, who went to the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz, respectively. When asked if he should have gone No. 1, he calmly made eye contact and admitted that he felt like he should have at least been in that conversation. But he’s happy to make the matriculation to Memphis.

He will likely be a day-one starter in Memphis, which may not have happened in Washington or Utah. He and Cedric Coward, an NBA All-Rookie First Team player last season, will immediately take the reins of what will be a young roster. And the Grizzlies have talent. That run to the Las Vegas Summer League title game was not a fluke. Boozer’s ability to affect basketball games, combined with the talent Memphis had on its roster, unsurprisingly led to a dominant run through both the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas summer leagues.

If Boozer’s game has shown anything, it’s the ability to translate every time he moves up a level. He was one of the most dominant high schoolers of this era, and he played at a level so high for so long that it became almost boring. He then led Duke to the Elite Eight in his lone year of college. He was named The Associated Press men’s college basketball national player of the year, and he displayed a level of dominance rarely seen from a freshman at the collegiate level.

His maturation to the pro game, and to Memphis, will likely hold a key to where the Grizzlies go as a franchise. If Memphis is to return to prominence, Boozer’s development would be a big reason why.

The son of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer is a franchise-level talent. Most agree to that. If — and when and how fast — the younger Boozer reaches that ceiling will likely tell a tale for Memphis as a whole.

“The NBA is for sure very different than college,” he said. “It’s going to be about growing up and figuring it out. But this has been a great transition for me. I have a great group of people around me, with my mother and my father and my family. There are great people in this (Grizzlies) organization, as well. So, it’s really been a great transition.

“I’ve been around the game for so long that it definitely helps. I feel like God has a plan for me, and I’m in Memphis for a reason. We can talk about the draft, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you start, it’s where you finish. In 10 years, it’s not going to matter where I got drafted. It’s going to matter what I’m doing, and it’s going to be about what I can do to help teams win.”

To prepare for the NBA, Boozer worked on multiple areas. He’s tried to hone his jumper, which will be key in opening up his game inside the 3-point arc. He also lost 10 pounds because he wants to be able to chase defensively on the perimeter.

What became clear, at least at the summer-league level, is that Boozer’s strengths from high school and college will still be strengths going forward. Most talk about the force he plays with, combined with the skill and touch he has away from the basket. His passing, however, has been a real highlight. He dishes the ball like a point guard.

Add the fact that he’s a 6-foot-10 power forward who makes for a difficult matchup, as he can pick a team apart with things other than scoring. Because he can handle the ball like a guard, he consistently shows the ability to grab rebounds and lead transition opportunities on his own.

His weakness is his lack of vertical explosion around the rim. But he’s been able to carve out space on the interior and finish with efficiency in summer league. His ability to process what a defense is throwing at him is first-rate. And the Grizzlies simply were a better team in Las Vegas whenever he was on the floor.

Boozer scored 23 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out four assists in a win over Caleb Wilson and the Chicago Bulls. He had 21 points and eight rebounds in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He scored 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field in a win over the Atlanta Hawks.

He adapted to different roles during the 10 days of Vegas, while playing in every game. When Memphis needed him to be aggressive, he went into the paint and created offense. When the Grizzlies needed him to make plays, he created for his teammates.

In a number of ways, the Knicks provided a blueprint for a championship that doesn’t involve having a heliocentric star. And Boozer projects to be the star who doesn’t need to dominate the ball to be effective. With his pro career in its infancy, he projects to be versatile and unselfish but impactful and dominant at the same time.

It’s why he became a top-three draft pick.

“I feel like you can play me at any of the frontcourt spots. It just depends on who is on the roster,” Boozer said. “But some of that doesn’t really matter. It’s about what teams can do. I saw the Knicks play Josh Hart at center at points during the playoffs, so it’s what you can do on the court that leads to wins. I thought we played solid. I still think I can be a lot better defensively. I just have to sharpen things up going forward.”

***

Tony Jones is a Staff Writer at The Athletic covering the Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA. A native of the East Coast and a journalism brat as a child, he has an addiction to hip-hop music and pickup basketball, and his Twitter page has been used for occasional debates concerning Biggie and Tupac. You can follow Tony on X @Tjonesonthenba.

Editor’s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic here. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams. 

***

Speaking to Darius Acuff Jr., it’s easy to forget he’s 19, based on his interests.

One of his favorite rappers is Jadakiss, whose first album with The Lox was released in 1998 — eight years before Acuff was born. His favorite television show is “Martin,” which debuted in 1992. His two favorite movies are “All About the Benjamins” and “Paid in Full.” Both films were released in 2002.

It’s like talking to a child of the 1980s, not someone born in 2006.

The Detroit native is influenced most by a time before social media dictated discourse. His own social media accounts are sparsely used. He enjoys watching basketball games on YouTube, watching Allen Iverson highlights and enough 1990s basketball to where he reveres Michael Jordan over any modern players.

Acuff said he prefers a simple life — one of basketball, spending time with family and playing games of Uno. His approach to life leans more old-school than young and free. He’s observant and honors that path through for his affinity for culture from previous generations.

“Just the old-school principles people stand by,” Acuff said. “I’m always watching my surroundings, stuff like that. Just simple stuff like doing stuff that older people wouldn’t expect me to do.”

The Kings are hopeful the 6-foot-2 guard with an old soul can put the team’s fortunes in a time machine. They have missed the playoffs in 19 of the last 20 years. The last time they were postseason regulars, Jadakiss was breaking out as a solo artist.

Sacramento coveted Acuff, and the fanbase was hopeful teams picking fifth and sixth (LA Clippers, Brooklyn) would bypass the former Arkansas standout, and he’d be available at No. 7. It worked out, and the pairing appears to be a natural fit.

Acuff won the Bob Cousy Award for being the nation’s top point guard — the first freshman to win the award — and also was a consensus All-American. He was the SEC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, and he led the conference in scoring and assists.

Sacramento isn’t one of the NBA’s bigger markets, which is fine with Acuff.

The nightlife isn’t that of Los Angeles or New York. During an off day at Las Vegas Summer League, he said he was happy to rest and that the night scene was of little interest to him.

His biggest disappointment early in Vegas? Missing the opportunity to meet comedian Martin Lawrence, the star of “Martin,” who performed last week in Las Vegas. His father met Lawrence and took a picture with him.

Beyond that, Acuff is fine listening to music and getting in a few games of Uno.

“I always said that my type of cities are just like that,” Acuff said. “There’s nothing to do, so you can’t do nothing but hoop and go home. That’s what you need if you’re trying to be great.

“I don’t like to be in the cities where there’s a lot going on. So, I’ve been blessed every year of my basketball career to just go somewhere where I can do it.”

Being locked in will be important. Acuff is Sacramento’s point guard of the future.

Kings general manager Scott Perry coached Acuff’s father at Eastern Kentucky in the 1990s, and the younger Acuff said Perry is “like family.”

“One thing that stands out about Darius: When he walks into a room, he believes he’s going to be the best player in that gym,” Perry said after drafting Acuff. “He has a very quiet confidence. Not an arrogance, but a very quiet confidence.”

Acuff said the reaction from Kings fans after he was drafted showed him Sacramento was where he’s meant to be. The Kings packed Golden 1 Center for the California Classic, a series of summer-league games before the Las Vegas Summer League. Acuff was amazed at how many fans showed up for a summer-league game.

The city’s mood, coupled with Perry and the connection he already feels with coach Doug Christie, has Acuff excited.

“I feel comfortable there,” Acuff said. “They’re comfortable with me. I’m comfortable with them. So, if you have that dynamic, it’s definitely gonna be great years to come.”

Acuff averaged 17.3 points and 5.3 assists in the Las Vegas Summer League. The Kings chose to rest him for the remainder of the summer after he finished with 26 points and five assists Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets. He shot 36.5 percent and was critical of his own play while praising teammates who he believed contributed more.

Acuff credits his father for helping to instill a mature mindset to the game.

“I’ve always been that way, so I’m never changing that. It helps me to play better,” he said. “I’ve been like that no matter what type of game it is, even if it’s a practice. I’m watching, and I’m missing easy shots that I can make. I’m always gonna be a critic of myself. It helps me each and every game to never feel satisfied.”

The Kings aren’t the only brand Acuff is being asked to help jump-start. He has signed a shoe and apparel deal with Reebok, the brand Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal repped in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Acuff will have his own signature shoe (the Acuff 1) slated to be released during his rookie season.

In a full-circle moment of nostalgia, Jadakiss and Iverson teamed up for a memorable Reebok commercial in 2003.

“One thing that’s actually interesting about him is his influences, culturally and also on the court,” said Reebok’s head of basketball, Jide Osifeso. “He really studies … it makes you forget that he’s so young.”

The reverence for Iverson is obvious. A photo of Iverson and Acuff is one of his five Instagram posts. Meeting Iverson, Acuff said, was an honor.

“He just gave me advice, on basketball, on how to play and stuff,” Acuff said. “But he always showed love, too, for sure.”

Acuff said he’s excited to be a part of Reebok’s plan to re-establish itself as a force in the sneaker world. He’s equally excited about his NBA career.

His old soul should make him easy to work with.

“I can’t wait to get it started in two months with the whole team,” Acuff said. “It’s gonna be great to build a connection with new teammates.”

***

Jason Jones is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Culture. Previously, he spent 16 years at the Sacramento Bee, covering the Sacramento Kings and Oakland Raiders. He’s a proud Southern California native and a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. You can follow Jason on X @mr_jasonjones.