Three Kings Draft Picks Touch Down in Sacramento to a Hero's Welcome

Sacramento just got a taste of the future, and the fans showed up to say hello.

The Sacramento Kings’newest stars landed at Sacramento International Airport Sunday, and the welcome they received was nothing short of electric. Darius Acuff Jr., the team’s No. 7 overall pick and the franchise player tasked with steering this rebuild, walked out of baggage claim to find Kings General Manager Scott Perry and Assistant General Manager B.J. Armstrong waiting alongside a crowd of eager fans. After a freshman season that earned him SEC Player of the Year honors—averaging 23.5 points and 6.6 assists per game—Acuff Jr. is arriving with sky-high expectations. But Sunday wasn’t about the pressure. It was about connection. He shook hands with every Kings fan who greeted him, setting a tone of humility and accessibility that’s rare for a prospect of his caliber.

The excitement didn’t stop with Acuff Jr. Emanuel Sharp, a guard from the University of Houston selected in the second round, landed first and rode the escalator down to cheers. Then came Alex Karaban, a forward from UConn who’s already a two-time national champion—a resume that speaks for itself. Both players expressed genuine surprise at the warmth of the reception. Karaban, making his first visit to Sacramento, called it an extremely warm welcome and admitted he wasn’t quite ready for the outpouring of fan support. Sharp? He was simply stoked: It’s begun.

This is what a fresh start looks like in real time. The Kings are assembling their summer league roster and will host California Classics starting Saturday at the Golden 1 Center, with three games before heading to Las Vegas. All three draft picks met with the media Monday morning, and the city is already buzzing. In a league where patience is often rewarded with disappointment, Sacramento’s fans seem to have found something worth believing in again. Whether Acuff Jr. and company can deliver on that belief remains the question—but right now, in this moment before the real work begins, everybody’s riding the wave.