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  6. article_body => "<p>SACRAMENTO -- Part Hollywood. Part New York. Part crazy. Iman Shumpert is one of those people who lives his life with a song playing in his head. Sometimes it stays on the inside and other times he can be heard belting out tunes.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s a live wire and when he first joined the Sacramento Kings there was some reservation as to how he might fit in with the young group.<\/p>\n<p>A quarter of the way through the 2018-19 season, Shumpert isn\u2019t just a valuable member of the rotation, he is a voice in the locker room, on the court and even on the big screen in the stadium during timeouts.<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Shump narrating a nature documentary is must-see TV \ud83d\ude02<br><br>[via <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SacramentoKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SacramentoKings<\/a>] <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zV9uD9gktj\">pic.twitter.com\/zV9uD9gktj<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBCSKings\/status\/1069680692932399104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 3, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p>Following the win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday evening, Shumpert was in rare form. He had the locker room in stitches after a tough stretch that saw the team lose three in a row.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s crazy, he\u2019s a fun guy to be around,\u201d Buddy Hield said. \u201cHis personality, it rubs off on everybody. We\u2019re glad to have a veteran like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There is a something different about Shumpert. He has an odd habit of telling everyone happy birthday, regardless of whether it is their birthday or not. He likes to talk and make noise, but his teammates have embraced his quirkiness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s positive crazy, that\u2019s how I like to say it,\u201d Bogdan Bogdanovic said. \u201cFor sure we needed him last year and he\u2019s one of the toughest guys I\u2019ve played with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>[<strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/bayarea\/kings\/iman-shumpert-bestows-scores-nickname-upon-kings-explains-why\" target=\"_blank\">Shumpert bestows nickname on young Kings core<\/a>]<\/p>\n<p>The eight-year NBA vet brings a positive energy and a playfulness to the team, which is needed in a long 82-game schedule. After missing all but 14 games last year due to injury, Shumpert seems to appreciate the delicate nature of an NBA career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a purehearted joy of playing basketball,\u201d coach Dave Joerger said. \u201cI don\u2019t know what his career path and where he\u2019s been as far as playing time and having a role that\u2019s really meaningful. He\u2019s playing minutes. He\u2019s got a position where he\u2019s got a younger team and he says, \u2018I\u2019m happy, I\u2019m having fun.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a locker room filled with kids, Shumpert is a big brother. He\u2019s played in the Big Apple, he\u2019s played for winners and he has a championship ring from his time in Cleveland. His opinion and advice matters to his teammates.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re glad to have a veteran like that,\u201d Hield said. \u201cHe\u2019s been to the Finals a couple of times and he brings experience. He\u2019s all about winning too. He brings the culture of winning. He\u2019s always preaching that\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was a time when Shumpert began to doubt whether he would be able to still make an impact on an NBA court. Injuries began to pile up, which affect each player differently.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you have those moments and you have those types of thoughts where you\u2019re saying, \u2018Is my body going to hold up, am I ever going to feel like felt when I came in?,\u2019 you\u2019ve just got a different appreciation,\u201d Shumpert said last week following practice. \u201cWhen you can wake up and say, \u2018Man, I can do it, I don\u2019t have this nagging injury bothering me this morning. My mental\u2019s not on that, my mental\u2019s on coming in here to play basketball.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing free of that feeling when it first hit in the summer, my smile came back,\u201d Shumpert added.<\/p>\n<p>[<strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/bayarea\/kings\/healthy-iman-shumpert-ready-help-kings-i-am-very-happy-be-here\" target=\"_blank\">Shumpert 'happy to be here'<\/a>]<\/p>\n<p>At 28-years-old, the former Georgia Tech star is one of the few veterans receiving playing time in Sacramento. He\u2019s the only player with more than four years of experience in the league in the rotation and he\u2019s clearly the team\u2019s best perimeter defender.<\/p>\n<p>A shooting guard for most of his career, Shumpert has found a home as the team\u2019s starting small forward and he\u2019s giving the team a spark or both ends of the court.<\/p>\n<p>More importantly, he\u2019s providing leadership and a some levity. He\u2019s helping to build the culture of the Kings with one smile and one song at a time. He\u2019s enjoying himself and his teammates have appreciate his presence.<\/p>\n<p>An unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, nothing is guaranteed moving forward. But Shumpert is making the most of his opportunity to play the game he loves and he\u2019s more than happy to act as a mentor to his young teammates. He lives in the moment and for now, the moment has him in Sacramento.<\/p>\n"
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Kings

Kings

SACRAMENTO -- Part Hollywood. Part New York. Part crazy. Iman Shumpert is one of those people who lives his life with a song playing in his head. Sometimes it stays on the inside and other times he can be heard belting out tunes.

He’s a live wire and when he first joined the Sacramento Kings there was some reservation as to how he might fit in with the young group.

A quarter of the way through the 2018-19 season, Shumpert isn’t just a valuable member of the rotation, he is a voice in the locker room, on the court and even on the big screen in the stadium during timeouts.

Following the win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday evening, Shumpert was in rare form. He had the locker room in stitches after a tough stretch that saw the team lose three in a row.

“He’s crazy, he’s a fun guy to be around,” Buddy Hield said. “His personality, it rubs off on everybody. We’re glad to have a veteran like that.”

There is a something different about Shumpert. He has an odd habit of telling everyone happy birthday, regardless of whether it is their birthday or not. He likes to talk and make noise, but his teammates have embraced his quirkiness.

 

“He’s positive crazy, that’s how I like to say it,” Bogdan Bogdanovic said. “For sure we needed him last year and he’s one of the toughest guys I’ve played with.”

[RELATED: Shumpert bestows nickname on young Kings core]

The eight-year NBA vet brings a positive energy and a playfulness to the team, which is needed in a long 82-game schedule. After missing all but 14 games last year due to injury, Shumpert seems to appreciate the delicate nature of an NBA career.

“It’s a purehearted joy of playing basketball,” coach Dave Joerger said. “I don’t know what his career path and where he’s been as far as playing time and having a role that’s really meaningful. He’s playing minutes. He’s got a position where he’s got a younger team and he says, ‘I’m happy, I’m having fun.’”

In a locker room filled with kids, Shumpert is a big brother. He’s played in the Big Apple, he’s played for winners and he has a championship ring from his time in Cleveland. His opinion and advice matters to his teammates.

“We’re glad to have a veteran like that,” Hield said. “He’s been to the Finals a couple of times and he brings experience. He’s all about winning too. He brings the culture of winning. He’s always preaching that”

There was a time when Shumpert began to doubt whether he would be able to still make an impact on an NBA court. Injuries began to pile up, which affect each player differently.

“When you have those moments and you have those types of thoughts where you’re saying, ‘Is my body going to hold up, am I ever going to feel like felt when I came in?,’ you’ve just got a different appreciation,” Shumpert said last week following practice. “When you can wake up and say, ‘Man, I can do it, I don’t have this nagging injury bothering me this morning. My mental’s not on that, my mental’s on coming in here to play basketball.’”

“Being free of that feeling when it first hit in the summer, my smile came back,” Shumpert added.

[RELATED: Shumpert 'happy to be here']

At 28-years-old, the former Georgia Tech star is one of the few veterans receiving playing time in Sacramento. He’s the only player with more than four years of experience in the league in the rotation and he’s clearly the team’s best perimeter defender.

A shooting guard for most of his career, Shumpert has found a home as the team’s starting small forward and he’s giving the team a spark or both ends of the court.

More importantly, he’s providing leadership and a some levity. He’s helping to build the culture of the Kings with one smile and one song at a time. He’s enjoying himself and his teammates have appreciate his presence.

 

An unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, nothing is guaranteed moving forward. But Shumpert is making the most of his opportunity to play the game he loves and he’s more than happy to act as a mentor to his young teammates. He lives in the moment and for now, the moment has him in Sacramento.