http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13775001p-14617015c.htmlBy Sam Amick
They called him "Baby Shaq," not only because Kings forward Kenny Thomas was carrying an extra 35 pounds back then but because the young man was ferocious.
Just like the original big fella, only more versatile.
The day Thomas signed with the University of New Mexico, he rivaled Michael Cooper as the biggest name in the program's history. The love already had been there when he dominated the high school basketball scene in Albuquerque, and it only grew when Thomas led the Lobos to four straight first-round victories in the NCAA Tournament after they hadn't won at that level since 1974.
The love? Still there.
The Kings faced Phoenix in a preseason matchup at Thomas' old house Wednesday night, when a raucous crowd of 11,888 at "The Pit" exploded with ear-ringing affection when Thomas' name was announced.
Thomas responded in kind, scoring nine points in the first six minutes to offer an early highlight to a lowlight of a game for his pro squad. For the second time in four days, the Suns ran wild on the Kings, winning 112-102.
Thomas finished with 13 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes, numbers that couldn't match the 80 tickets he provided for family and friends.
But while reunions are nice, there still is no time like the past, when Thomas reached heights even higher than the 5,314 feet of elevation in which he played at New Mexico. There were fewer questions then, and no doubt about what role he would play or what he could do. It never has been quite the same since.
"With my career, there's always been something," said Thomas, who was picked 22nd overall by Houston in the 1999 draft and later was traded to Philadelphia and, finally, Sacramento late last season. "There's always been something where I've started, then had to go through different situations to where it was messed up. That's been the story of my career.
"It starts out good, then something happens, and it goes bad, and then it ends up good. We've just got to see how it (this one) goes."
Roster revamping be darned, Thomas knows he still matters on the Kings. Whether or not he starts during the regular season as he did against the Suns, he can do too much, help in too many ways to not be utilized. The minutes should be there, meaning his head must be, too.
"I know I'm going to play," said Thomas, who played at the University of New Mexico in 2001 while with Houston. "It's just a matter of how many minutes. And that's all up to coach. But I know what I can control, and that's being able to go out and put the ball on the floor and post up. I can play the 4 (power forward) and the 3 (small forward), so that's to my advantage. ... I've got a lot of advantages."
And, truth be told, he said he believes Sacramento offers a few of its own. Thomas feels at home with the Kings, whose fans are passionate, just like those who are loony for the Lobos. Both teams play in so-called one-horse towns, where the players are treated like royalty and the love always flows. "It's a great situation being in an environment like this, where the only thing they depend on is basketball, and they love basketball," Thomas said of Sacramento. "Especially being able to walk around town, and people give you the respect like you play hard and all that. That's a good feeling."
They called him "Baby Shaq," not only because Kings forward Kenny Thomas was carrying an extra 35 pounds back then but because the young man was ferocious.
Just like the original big fella, only more versatile.
The day Thomas signed with the University of New Mexico, he rivaled Michael Cooper as the biggest name in the program's history. The love already had been there when he dominated the high school basketball scene in Albuquerque, and it only grew when Thomas led the Lobos to four straight first-round victories in the NCAA Tournament after they hadn't won at that level since 1974.
The love? Still there.
The Kings faced Phoenix in a preseason matchup at Thomas' old house Wednesday night, when a raucous crowd of 11,888 at "The Pit" exploded with ear-ringing affection when Thomas' name was announced.
Thomas responded in kind, scoring nine points in the first six minutes to offer an early highlight to a lowlight of a game for his pro squad. For the second time in four days, the Suns ran wild on the Kings, winning 112-102.
Thomas finished with 13 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes, numbers that couldn't match the 80 tickets he provided for family and friends.
But while reunions are nice, there still is no time like the past, when Thomas reached heights even higher than the 5,314 feet of elevation in which he played at New Mexico. There were fewer questions then, and no doubt about what role he would play or what he could do. It never has been quite the same since.
"With my career, there's always been something," said Thomas, who was picked 22nd overall by Houston in the 1999 draft and later was traded to Philadelphia and, finally, Sacramento late last season. "There's always been something where I've started, then had to go through different situations to where it was messed up. That's been the story of my career.
"It starts out good, then something happens, and it goes bad, and then it ends up good. We've just got to see how it (this one) goes."
Roster revamping be darned, Thomas knows he still matters on the Kings. Whether or not he starts during the regular season as he did against the Suns, he can do too much, help in too many ways to not be utilized. The minutes should be there, meaning his head must be, too.
"I know I'm going to play," said Thomas, who played at the University of New Mexico in 2001 while with Houston. "It's just a matter of how many minutes. And that's all up to coach. But I know what I can control, and that's being able to go out and put the ball on the floor and post up. I can play the 4 (power forward) and the 3 (small forward), so that's to my advantage. ... I've got a lot of advantages."
And, truth be told, he said he believes Sacramento offers a few of its own. Thomas feels at home with the Kings, whose fans are passionate, just like those who are loony for the Lobos. Both teams play in so-called one-horse towns, where the players are treated like royalty and the love always flows. "It's a great situation being in an environment like this, where the only thing they depend on is basketball, and they love basketball," Thomas said of Sacramento. "Especially being able to walk around town, and people give you the respect like you play hard and all that. That's a good feeling."
