Kenny Smith was drafted sixth by Sacramento in 1994 but felt unwanted after a confusing draft call. The Kings made players do their own laundry or pay $100 a month, which Smith saw as disrespect. Bill Russell mentored him on every team plane, a bond they still have today.
Chapters
you become a consensus All-American, go on to be the number 6 pick by the Sacramento Kings. What was your experience like in getting drafted to Sacramento? Because I know for me, like you went from New York to North Carolina, that's a big difference. I got drafted to the Golden State Warriors. I had never been out of the state of Michigan. So I was homesick going to California. And I don't think people, people would ask me like, yo, "what's it like out there?" I would just say, "Different." They'd be like, "What's different?" I don't really know how to explain different to you, but it was just, it's just different. And that was a big thing for me my rookie year that if I'm being honest with you, it almost cost me my career. 'Cause I was so homesick. Like I was just turned off by all of it. What was that experience like for you getting drafted to Sacramento?
See these tears coming down my eye? I was ready to cry. First of all, I didn't even know Sacramento. Like, they don't— they didn't come on TV. They had terrible management and ownership at that time. But the one caveat was Bill Russell had just taken the job over. So Bill— I have the distinction of being the only player that Bill Russell has drafted.
Wow.
He drafted me into the NBA, you know? And so the great thing about that experience was every day, Bill had a rule that I had to sit next to him on all team planes and all team buses. And he said, and I had to hear, I heard every Boston Celtics story. I heard every civil rights story. I heard, 'cause he never slept on any of the planes or the things. So I had, "Rookie, rookie, you didn't sleep last night?" So I heard every story. That was the great caveat of that relationship. I became very close with Bill Russell.
Yeah.
And even to this day, I still speak to his wife. You know, I mean, like really close with him in 6 months. The downfall of that is the team was terrible, and the organization wasn't a championship mix. So meaning, like, North Carolina has a rule, Dean Smith had a rule. If a player calls him in the office, he's gonna pick up the phone. Roy Williams did it, and I'm sure Hubert Davis is doing it now. He's gonna pick up the phone regardless if he's talking to the President of the United States, unless he's talking to another player. That's the only time he won't pick up for you. I get drafted on draft night, Draymond. Hey, you get drafted, they give you, you know how they give you the phone? And you talk to the team?
I was at home, champ, so I don't know all that. But you got a big dog.
But you see, I forgot about that.
I seen it, a 35th pick. I didn't get that experience, champ. I know you got the 35th pick fable list in front of you.
You can remember every, I forgot about that. So you pick up the phone and they go, I'm like, hey, this is Kenny Smith. The secretary goes, one second. I'm on the phone for like 3 minutes. This is on draft night, right after I get— I come off the stage. She gets back, she goes, hi, Sacramento Kings, may I help you? I go, this is Kenny Smith. I just got drafted by the— this is Kenny Smith. I'm here to talk to Bill Russell. I didn't say drafted yet. And so she goes, one second. Another 4 minutes come— will go by. "Hi, this is Sacramento Kings, may I help you? Who's calling?" I said, "This Kenny Smith, I get drafted." So right then I'm turned off. Like I'm turned off.
Why?
I'm like, I just got drafted 6th and I'm going to a place that don't value, they don't value me. They don't even, they don't value what's going on. Now obviously Coach Russell hadn't been there long enough to change the culture. He was new just like me. So the culture was so bad. In Sacramento, we used to do our own laundry. Guys would forget their jerseys, Draymond Green, because they're doing their own laundry at home and they're packing their bags. You know how the team takes care of that?
Yeah.
You think every team, and even in the '90s, man, teams did that. They, you're doing all of that and you're trying to play and concentrate. And they're like, "Oh, you want your laundry done? You gotta pay $100 a month." Which is nothing. But the fact that they would make you pay to have someone do their laundry, to show that they didn't care about you. That's all it does. Because $100 doesn't hurt me. It doesn't hurt the team. It just shows me that you don't care.
That's all.
Absolutely. So I didn't like that experience. Going to Houston was like a godsend.
What's up everybody? It's Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to The Volume's YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward.
