Kings season primer: Caron Butler emerging as a leader

Bee Sports Staff

Updated October 25, 2015 3:00 AM

The Sacramento Bee provides a primer for each of the 15 players on the Kings’ roster entering their 2015-16 campaign, which begins Wednesday, Oct. 28, at home against the Los Angeles Clippers. View the rest of the profiles here.

When the Kings signed veteran forward Caron Butler this offseason, it marked the beginning of a trend that would grow to include the additions of point guard Rajon Rondo and shooting guard Marco Belinelli.

All three have won NBA championships. Kings vice president Vlade Divac sought that quality when building this Kings roster, and Butler provided him with someone who not only has the NBA credentials, winning the title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, but he has also risen from adversity outside the game.

His leadership is reportedly already paying dividends in the Kings locker room, and he has spoken in the community about how he overcame a life of drugs, crime and prison to become what he is today. What he is today isn’t what he was in his All-Star form of 2008 and ’08, nor what he was in that championship season in which he averaged 15 points per game. But what he is now may be just the kind of glue the Kings need.

PLAYER BIO: CARON BUTLER

Position/jersey: Forward, No. 31

Height/weight: 6-7, 228

Age: 35

Experience: 13 years

Prior to NBA: Connecticut

Key 2014-15 stat: Averaged a career-low 20.8 minutes with Detroit.　

Comment: Veteran wing player is expected to bring leadership and toughness.

Jason Jones