No, really. Sam Amick of SI.com has the thrilling story of why Antoine Wright thinks he got cut by the Sacramento Kings last fall. It wasn't his DUI, his outstandingly awful play or a need to get the team's youth more playing time. It was assistant coach Mario Elie's fault.
Antoine Wright Got Cut Because Mario Elie Wouldn’t Take A Photo With His Mom
"I had an issue with one of the coaches and my mother," said Wright. "Mario Elie. I'll say his name because I had a history with him. We had just lost a game. It was over the holiday, Thanksgiving holiday, and my mother was in town and in the [team] family room [at Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento]. She came up to Mario Elie, and said, 'I'm Antoine Wright's mom. Can I have a picture with you?' My mom is a fan of the game, a big fan of Mario Elie, and he said, 'No, I'm with my family.'"
Wright hatches a plan for the next day’s video session.
“So I walk in last, and I come in through the front and Mario is in the back, and I said, ‘Man, you know what? That’s foul what you did to my mom. All she wanted was a picture. Everybody in this room would have took a picture with your mom if she asked, or anybody else’s mom in this room. That’s probably why we don’t have any team chemistry.’”
It went over incredibly well.
"The next day [Kings officials] came in and were like, 'Uh, this is not really working for you. It's not working for us. No hard feelings. We wish you the best.' I said, 'Thanks for the opportunity, and I'm gone.'"
If he really ended the conversation with "I'm gone", he is my new favorite Kings ever, unseating Justin Williams.
There’s much from Wright on what’s wrong with the Kings. A thrilling, likely fictional (or at least delusional) read. Drink it up.
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