During Sacramento’s busy draft night, one of their picks came from a trade with the Phoenix Suns. With pick No. 28 in the draft, the team selected forward Skal Labissiere from the University of Kentucky.
While it is no surprise Sacramento went with another Wildcat, the fact that Labissiere fell so far down is a bit of a shock. Out of high school, the big man was seen as the number one recruit and was predicted to go number one in this year’s draft.
// However, Labissiere had a down year at Kentucky where he wound up going from a starter to a bench role. This pick was solid on the Kings’ part in terms of a value pick, although a bit questionable given that the team’s frontcourt appeared set but the front office thought otherwise.
With that said, the possibility of this being DeMarcus Cousins’ last season with the Kings, depending on the team’s results, has swayed me to believe that it was the right move. The Haitian born rookie appears to be ready to overcome any adversity or naysayers in his way.
The young man already has experience in getting through tough times due to a terrifying experience in his youth. At the age of 13, Labissiere was living in Haiti during the devastating earthquake that hit in 2010.
“I was at my house with my mom [and] my little brother and I had just got back from school. My dad dropped me off at the house, he stayed on the outside. When I went in there I said ‘Hi’ to my mom, with my little brother I did the same thing,” Labissiere said. “And that’s when the house started to shake. I ran to my mom; my little brother did the same thing. Right when we got there, that’s when everything collapsed on top of us.”
The death toll of the earthquake ranged from 220,000 to 316,000 casualties and 300,000 more people sustained injuries. Luckily, Labissiere turned out to be fine after his father rescued his family from beneath the debris.
“And we didn’t know what happened to my dad because he just stayed out,” Labissiere said. “When he came, it took him about a couple hours, he found some help and he took us out.”
A man named Gerald Hamilton called Labissiere’s father prior to the earthquake in hopes to bring Skal to the states through his non-profit organization, the Reach Your Dream foundation. At first, his father was hesitant, but after this tragic event, he knew it was the best thing for his son who left Haiti for Memphis, TN.
“When the earthquake happened, we were kind of in a hard situation and that’s when he reconsidered sending me to the states with Gerald and his family,” Labissiere said. “I’m very thankful for them, they did a really good job raising me and I’m looking forward to the future now.”
After coming to the states, Labissiere dominated on the hardwood and even played Varsity basketball as an eighth grader. The earthquake and the move for the big man opened his eyes and has made him truly grateful for the opportunities he was given. The one he looks forward to the most is being a part of the Association.
“[The earthquake] showed me that everything can be taken away from you in a second or two seconds. It happens fast,” Labissiere said. “That’s why I’m very thankful for life, I enjoy it [and] try to make the most out of it every single day.”
The Kings’ new draft pick should be enjoying his life as he went from a near death experience to having his greatest dream come true. Although he did not live up to expectations in his only year at Kentucky, Labissiere has a lot of untapped potential.
He has offensive and defensive skills that are unique to someone of his size and if he can put on a bit more weight, and add a post game, his game can become something special at the NBA level.
And with the plethora of big men the Kings have, he has no reason to feel pressure to be a huge contributor right away. He could play a role similar to what Willie Cauley-Stein played last season.
This pick could be a home run and a total steal down the road.
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