Why Rockets guard Iman Shumpert says it’s ‘always love’ when it comes to Sacramento

His former teammates have greeted him with handshakes, hugs, smiles and more.

For the second time in less than a week, the Kings were reunited with Iman Shumpert. The veteran guard is now with the Houston Rockets, who ran away with a 130-105 victory Tuesday night at Golden 1 Center.

The game was Shumpert’s first in Sacramento since being traded Feb. 6 in a three-team deal which was followed by another trade that brought Harrison Barnes to the Kings.

When Shumpert entered the game with 6:36 left in the opening period, he received a hearty ovation. He said he appreciated the gesture.

“Always love, always purple talk,” he said.

Kings coach Dave Joerger discussed Shumpert’s influence on the team before Saturday’s game in Houston.

“He helped us on the court, but off the court we’re a pretty quiet group: young, good guys,” Joerger said. “He really gave us an identity as far as our locker room and he’s – what’s the right word – bubbly, charismatic, and so he would give our young guys a place to fall in line and get behind.

“To be able to hear from a veteran like that is just terrific for them. He was great for us, and we wish him the best of luck. We really got to like him.”

Shumpert is widely credited for #PurpleTalk, a social media hashtag connected to the Kings. He’s also behind the Scores, a nickname introduced because most anyone on the roster can have a big scoring night.

“That’s who we are,” he said in November. “We’re trying to score fast, we’re trying to score it at a high rate. ... I think it’s cool to be on a team where you don’t know who’s going to score.”

Even though it’s been nearly two months since he left, the culture remains.

“I thought it was something good for us,” Shumpert said. “Sometimes, people feel like they need to be part of a big market for things to feel fun and feel like it’s something to be a part of, but sometimes, you have to create your own identity. I think we did a good job of taking it amongst ourselves as a team.”

The 6-foot-5 Shumpert has played 18 games for the Rockets, mostly as a reserve. He’s averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds, down from the 8.9 and 3.1 he put up for the Kings in 42 games – 40 of them starts at small forward.

He enjoyed being back at Golden 1 Center – especially with the result. In nearly 22 minutes, he had eight points and four rebounds Tuesday and hit two of Houston’s 26 3-pointers, which tied an NBA single-game record for one team.

“It was fun, as long as we get the win,” Shumpert said. “We’re 2-0 against them since I got traded here. Got to keep the win column up.”

This story was originally published April 3, 2019 at 2:22 AM.