On the first day of NBA training camp Tuesday, Kings guard Zach LaVine couldn’t help but poke fun at two very different teammates — the always-outspoken Malik Monk and the usually quiet Keegan Murray — for the way they communicate on the court.
Asked who was the most vocal on Day 1, LaVine brushed off the idea that leadership could be pinned to just one player.
“I know you guys always want to pick out somebody, like who has the best voice and who’s the leader,” told reporters at Golden 1 Center. “You know, unless you have somebody that’s a big talker on the team, everyone has used their voice individually.”
LaVine explained that different players step up in different moments, whether it is veterans setting the tone or role players chiming in to keep the energy high.
“I speak up when I need to, obviously, and then DeMar [DeRozan] speaks to the group,” LaVine added. “You know, Doug [McDermott] talks, Dennis [Schröder] says some stuff, Malik [Monk] doesn’t stop talking.”
Monk, now in his fourth season with Sacramento since signing in 2022, is coming off a career-best campaign, averaging 17.2 points and 5.6 assists, and already has built a reputation as one of the most talkative personalities on the roster.
For LaVine, it was not surprising to hear from Monk, who never has been shy about making his presence felt. What was surprising? Hearing from soft-spoken Murray.
“Even Keegan said something today, so I think it was good,” LaVine joked.
Murray, the Kings’ No. 4 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, has posted career averages of 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds. But for LaVine, hearing him speak up carried just as much weight as his production on the floor.
If Day 1 of training camp was any indication, Sacramento’s leadership will not rest on just one voice — it will be shared across the roster.
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