Kings-Warriors gameday live: Malik Monk’s band-aid reminds Mike Brown of rapper Nelly
Note: Come back to this story throughout the day for the latest news, notes and injury updates on today’s game.
Kings guard Malik Monk and his band-aid are gaining a lot of attention in Sacramento.
Monk started wearing the band-aid on his right cheek after getting scratched in a game against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 31. Three games later, he was still sporting it as the Kings (5-6) prepared to play the Warriors (5-7) again Sunday at Golden 1 Center.
Monk is averaging 11.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Kings this season. Over the last five games, he has averaged 16.0 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 49.1% from the field and 40.7% from 3-point range.
Monk’s band-aids have been a hit with the Sacramento crowd. Former Kentucky teammate De’Aaron Fox’s wife, Recee Caldwell, encouraged fans to wear band-aids to Sunday’s game, tweeting: “Everyone in G1C should wear a bandaid tomorrow.”
When The Sacramento Bee asked Kings coach Mike Brown about Monk’s band-aid before Friday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Brown thought back to Nelly, the Grammy Award-winning rapper from St. Louis, Missouri.
Nelly famously started wearing a band-aid on his left cheek after suffering a basketball injury, just like Monk. He reportedly continued to wear it as a tribute to Lavell Webb, who was serving a 10-year prison sentence after collaborating with Nelly on the song “Ride Wit Me.”
Brown explained that Kings player development coach Deividas Dulkys, who has young twins at home, gave Monk an assortment of colorful band-aids.
“I think (Dulkys) stole them,” Brown said. “He might be in trouble from his wife because she’s probably looking for band-aids. He goes, ‘I’m going to give these to Malik,’ so I was like, ‘Oh, great.’
“I’ve been seeing him with different ones now. It’s not just the regular band-aid. It’s, like, band-aids with good little characters and stuff on them. Hey, Malik is a different dude, but he’s a fun-loving dude. “It fits, for sure.”
Warriors at Kings
When: 6 p.m.
Where: Golden 1 Center
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Warriors -4.0
Over/under: 234
Injury report
Warriors: OUT — Andre Iguodala (hip).
Kings: OUT — Keon Ellis (G League); Chima Moneke (G League); Neemias Queta (G League).
Upcoming schedule
11/13 vs. Golden State Warriors
11/15 vs. Brooklyn Nets
11/17 vs. San Antonio Spurs
11/20 vs. Detroit Pistons
Nov. 22 at Memphis Grizzlies
