Kings Rookie Nique Clifford in Awe After LeBron James Matchup

The Sacramento Kings fell to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night in a 128-104 loss, sending them back to the loser's circle after winning two of their previous three games. It was certainly a disappointing game for the Kings, committing 20 turnovers and shooting just 23% from three-point range, but there was one big bright spot.

Kings rookie guard Nique Clifford led the team with 26 points, seven rebounds, and four assists on 11-18 shooting from the field. The 24-year-old put together the second-best performance of his rookie campaign, and did it against a star-studded Lakers team in Crypto.com Arena. After the game, Clifford talked about how "crazy" it was for him to play against guys like Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

"Yeah, it's crazy," Clifford said about playing against the Lakers' stars. "I mean, you grow up watching them. LeBron was in the league before I was born probably. It's crazy to play against him now. And for him to still be doing what he's doing at that age is super impressive. To be on the same floor, I feel like I belong, but it's still pretty dope to be out there with guys of that category."

Clifford is learning from the greats

Clifford is expressing how every player who comes into the league likely feels when they face off against James, as all of them grew up watching the 41-year-old dominate. While Clifford is wrong about James being in the NBA since before he was born, the 23-year veteran may as well have been.

In Sunday's matchup, James finished with 24 points and five assists on 8-15 shooting. Not only did Clifford get to match up with the legendary forward, but he outscored him as well, and that is something he will likely hold on to. Clifford was also asked about what he is able to learn when he faces off against players of that caliber.

"Just the simplicity of their game. Their game is simple. They get to their spots, they make the right plays. ... That's the level I want to get to," Clifford said. "Getting to go against guys like that, you see how consistent they are on a daily basis with their routines and with their play every single night. You're gonna get mostly the same thing every single night. That's something I've got to get to, but going against guys like that has helped me learn and grow."

Nique Clifford played 42 minutes tonight in LA.

26 points
11/18 FG & 1/2 3PT
7 rebounds
4 assists
1 steal
1 block pic.twitter.com/8papdrZnZ4
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) March 2, 2026

While the Kings are just 14-48 and fighting for the top spot in the NBA Draft lottery, they can use these last 20 games to see what their young core can do in expanded roles. Clifford should have the green light to run the offense and get a feel for the game, and he proved exactly what he is capable of in Sunday's loss against the Lakers.

Of course, they do not want to run him into the ground by playing him 42 minutes every game, but this was a promising outing from the rookie guard.