‘Something you dream of’: Kings rookie makes NBA debut with his father on opposing bench
A storybook moment unfolded when Kings rookie first-round draft pick Devin Carter made his highly anticipated NBA debut against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night in Sacramento.
Carter missed the first 34 games of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery after coming out of Providence as the 13th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. When he stepped on the floor for the first time to a huge ovation at Golden 1 Center, his father, former NBA player and one-time Kings assistant coach Anthony Carter, was sitting on the visitor’s bench as an assistant with the Grizzlies.
“It’s just a blessing, especially to play my first NBA game in front of him,” Devin Carter said before the game. “It’s something you dream of as a kid, and the moment is here, so I’m not going to shy away from the moment. I’m just ready to hopefully get the win, play the right way no matter what, and live with the results at the end of the day.”
Carter made his presence felt in a 138-133 victory over the Grizzlies, helping the Kings win their third game in a row under interim coach Doug Christie.
Fans greeted Carter with thunderous applause when he checked in for the first time with 3:53 to play in the opening period, many climbing to their feet to give him a standing ovation. It was a proud moment for Carter’s father, who played 13 NBA seasons and later served as an assistant on George Karl’s coaching staff in Sacramento in 2015-16.
“I used to live here, so it’s special,” Carter said. “It’s a full-circle moment.”
Carter went scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting, but he had five rebounds, two assists and an unmistakable impact on defense in 11 minutes off the Sacramento bench.
Christie had high praise for Carter before and after the game.
“He gets at people,” Christie said during his pregame news conference.
When asked about his expectations for Carter, Christie said: “I guess my expectation is greatness. I want him to be as great as he thinks he can be and put him in a position to do that, but no expectations like pressure. Just go and play your game and do what you do because he’s special at what he does.”
Christie’s opinion had not changed after the game.
“Super positive and excited for what I saw from him, flying in, getting rebounds,” Christie said. “That’s like a wide receiver who’s super rangy and has a crazy catch radius. He’s going to get it, and that starts a break. ... Super excited. 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.’”
