Kings' Darius Acuff Jr. honors father with jersey number choice
· Yahoo Sports
After wearing the same jersey number for his basketball career, Darius Acuff Jr. will continue that trend when he takes the court next season with the Sacramento Kings.
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Acuff wore No. 5 throughout high school at Cass Tech in Detroit and at the IMG Academy in Florida. He also wore it as a freshman last season at Arkansas, helping lead the Razorbacks to their second straight appearance in the Sweet 16.
The No. 7 overall pick has worn No. 5 because his father, Darius Sr., wore it at Eastern Kentucky during the 1998-99 season. He began training with him at a young age, and he has vowed to continue to honor him each time he takes the court.
"I always wore it my whole life," Acuff said last month, via the NBA on X. "Pops wore it, so ever since I was little, I've been wearing it because of him. That's my dad. He has been there my whole life. Every step of the way, he taught me everything I know about the game, so why not try to pay tribute to him?"
Acuff was a consensus first-team All-American last season, averaging 23.5 points, 6.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 44% from 3-point range. He ranked third in the country in points (845) and seventh in assists (232), both of which were single-season program records.
The 19-year-old debuted with the Kings in summer league, averaging 20.8 points, 4.6 assists, 1.6 rebounds, one steal and one block while shooting 35% from the field in five games. He scored 20 or more points three times, including a 26-point performance on July 14.
Acuff had the opportunity to get acquainted with several teammates last month, including Dylan Cardwell, Nique Clifford and Alex Karaban. He is expected to play a significant role for the team and enters with the fifth-best odds for Rookie of the Year.
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Kings' Darius Acuff Jr. honors father with jersey number choice