‘F--- it’ followup: Kings hero Nemanja Bjelica says he knows he shouldn’t cuss
Kings fans went wild on the internet after Nemanja Bjelica buried a clutch 3-point shot and then blurted out a four-letter word following a 119-118 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night.
“F--- it,” Bjelica said on the Kings postgame show. “We deserve this win, man.”
Bjelica’s proclamation sparked a bit of a movement in Sacramento. Fans celebrated his words on social media and started conceptualizing T-shirts emblazoned with the city’s newest rallying cry, but Bjelica issued a bit of an apology before Wednesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I know I am not allowed to curse,” Bjelica told The Sacramento Bee. “So I apologize for that, but in that moment I was so happy for me and my teammates.”
If they were offended, Kings fans have forgiven him.
Bjelica received a huge ovation when he was introduced prior to Sacramento’s dramatic 94-93 victory over Oklahoma City. There was no sign of the T-shirts featuring the slogan, which fans started clamoring for immediately after Bjelica’s postgame interview on NBC Sports California, but Bjelica seemed to approve when shown some of the designs before the game.
“Maybe I will try to find those shirts,” Bjelica said. “I like that. I’m not a guy for that. I don’t like attention so much, but it’s good.”
Kings coach Luke Walton said he had not spoken to Bjelica about his language.
“I have not,” Walton said. “But listen, it’s an emotional game and that was a big shot. It’s part of the beauty of sports. When you’re emotional, things come out.”
Kings forward Marvin Bagley III said teammates teased Bjelica on the flight home following back-to-back wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Rockets.
“It was funny,” Bagley said. “I saw it after the game on the plane. All the guys were clowning him and joking around about it.”
Bjelica rarely uses such language while speaking publicly, but apparently he’s been known to utter a few profanities in the presence of friends and teammates.
“People probably think he’s a quiet guy, but they probably saw a bit of his personality after he made that 3,” Kings guard Yogi Ferrell said. “He’s real comfortable with us. Real comfortable.”
Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic — another Serbian sniper who hit the game-winning 3-pointer against the Thunder on Wednesday — posted video on Instagram of the postgame celebration after Bjelica dropped a 33-foot bomb to beat the Rockets. Ferrell said it was a good team-building exercise for the Kings, who find themselves tied for seventh place in the Western Conference despite their 0-5 start and the prolonged injury absences of Bagley and point guard De’Aaron Fox.
“It was great,” Ferrell said. “We all threw water on Belly. Doing stuff like that is cool, man. It just builds camaraderie.”
Kings center Richaun Holmes agreed, saying Bjelica perfectly captured the team’s mood.
“Everybody was hyped,” Holmes said. “I couldn’t have said it no better myself. We definitely deserved that win and that was a big-time shot by Belly.”
Kings upcoming schedule
Dec. 13 vs. New York Knicks, 7 p.m.
Dec. 15 at Golden State Warriors, 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 17 at Charlotte Hornets, 4 p.m.
Dec. 20 at Indiana Pacers, 4 p.m.
Dec. 21 at Memphis Grizzlies, 5 p.m.
This story was originally published December 12, 2019 at 2:50 AM.
