Sacramento Kings have Hasan Minhaj’s undying fidelity but then what was it that made him the fan of a New York Knicks star? It started with Nike’s campaign for the signature shoe of Carmelo Anthony — the Air Jordan Melo 1.5. The ad campaign also featured In Living Color legend Tommy Davidson and became a hit. The discussion on the campaign emerged in a recent episode of 7 PM in Brooklyn, featuring Minhaj as the guest.

The 39-year-old comedian recalled even he was not untouched by the effect of the campaign when it came out. “It was beautiful. I became a fan… You gotta understand in that era too… the Kings, we were on the tail end of our run… C-Webb was still there, Baby was still there. But I remember looking at him be like I was at the Art and Fair Mall and be like, am I a Melo fan,” he said.

The pain that Minaj mentioned as the Kings fan, is real. The franchise has held a record that no one wants—the longest NBA playoff drought that lasted more than a decade and a half (2006-2022). And yes, the team did win one championship in 1951, but back then it went by the name of Rochester Royals (of New York) and had nothing to do with Sacramento. A major reason that Minhaj supports the Kings is his love for the city.

So much so that he has made his peace with his team’s struggles but won’t stop supporting it. In a video featured on the YouTube channel, Esquire, the 39-year-old comedian, responded to how hard it is to be a Sacramento Kings fan.

“It’s rough… Being a Sacramento Kings fan is like hearing that the United States government has launched a new website… Sounds good in theory, healthcare, dot gov, comma. It’s not gonna work in practice,” he said. And although he understands the value of Kings acquiring DeMar DeRozan, he still hilariously stated his faith in Kings to still ‘f*ck it up’.

How successful are Sacramento Kings likely to be in season 2024-25?

The best teams in the NBA don’t just blow opponents out—they know how to win close games. Last season, the Sacramento Kings were rather good in this department, finishing 12th in clutch-time net rating (+2.7), according to NBA.com. But with their revamped roster, this season could be different—they have a shot to be one of the best late-game teams in the league. A team to look out for in the Western Conference.

If you’re a Kings fan, you already know about De’Aaron Fox’s late-game magic. In 2022-23, he became the first-ever Clutch Player of the Year, and he hasn’t slowed down since. Last season, he scored the fifth-most points in the clutch with 122, continuing his habit of stepping up when it matters most.

But even with Fox’s heroics, the Kings went 20-19 in close games last year. That’s good—but not great. So here’s where things get exciting—now Fox has DeMar DeRozan by his side. DeRozan was second in clutch points last season, right behind Stephen Curry. He’s been in the top four every year since 2019-20, meaning the Kings now have two of the NBA’s top crunch-time performers.

Imagine Fox and DeRozan taking turns closing out games. That’s a recipe for Sacramento becoming a serious threat in the West.

Stay tuned for more updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.