'I can make an impact without needing the ball' - Chima Moneke is ready to bring energy and hustle to Sacramento Kings

Benyam Kidane

'I can make an impact without needing the ball' - Chima Moneke is ready to bring energy and hustle to Sacramento Kings image

The Australian tree of basketball continues to bear fruit, with Chima Moneke being the latest Aussie to join the NBA after signing a two-year deal with the Sacramento Kings.

"It still doesn't even feel real, to be honest. It's incredible, everything's just crazy," Moneke told The Sporting News.

"Life is different now, but I'm just looking forward to putting on a jersey and then going from there."

Moneke's basketball journey has taken him around the world, traveling from Australia to the US for college ball. He's been to France, Spain and now Sacramento, with new Kings head coach Mike Brown making the call to tell him he's earned a contract.

"Probably in like February was when my agent said, 'listen, the NBA interest is real,'" Moneke stated.

"In the Sacramento case, the day of my Champions League final (May 8), I woke up to a missed call from Mike Brown. He told me that unofficially, he's going to be the next head coach of the Kings and when he knew he was going to get that job, I was the first name he thought of."

Brown and Moneke had built a relationship with the former Golden State Warriors assistant, who serves as the head coach of the Nigerian national team. He called Moneke up for the team's qualifiers ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. 

The 26-year-old was one of the last names cut from the final 12-man squad, but after the disappointment of missing out in Tokyo, he went on to have a breakout season in Spain.

Moneke — a fan-favourite who starred for Manresa — averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists as he was named MVP of the Basketball Champions League (BCL). He lead his team to the Final with the man who brought him to Spain, Jordi Fernandez, who is now a part of the Kings coaching staff.

"[Mike Brown] brought over Jordi Fernandez, who was the guy who convinced Manresa to take me last season and we stayed in contact probably every month while I was over there in Spain," Moneke said.

"I became even a bigger fan of him than I was before and when I knew that he was going over to Sacramento, it was just like a no brainer."

Chima Moneke (Nigeria), Kevin Durant (USA)
Getty Images

Moneke ready to energize Kings

From getting cut from French second division team Rouen just four years ago to blossoming into an elite European player, Moneke's globetrotting basketball journey has taught him not to take anything for granted now that he's on basketball's biggest stage. 

"The most important thing is for me to go in there and not be satisfied and earn everything I get and once I do that, I'll be able to play like an energizer role and defensive role or a leader in my own way," Moneke said.

At 6-foot-6, Moneke joins the Kings as a player capable of playing and guarding multiple positions, drawing comparisons to a certain versatile Warriors big man. 

"Obviously, (Brown) just coached Draymond for years. That was a name that he threw out at me, (doing the) things that he does, so I feel like I can do the things that he does in my own way.

"It's going to take time and depending on how well I play in training camp and how easily I'm able to acclimate to the team and the culture that will help me with my role, but nothing is given. Whatever I get this season will be because I earned it and I look forward to doing that," Moneke continued.

"[I'm an] energizer, a dog, someone who's tough, who's fun to play with, someone who's fun to watch, who makes his teammates better, who sacrifices."

Sacramento pushed their chips into the middle of the table last season, trading promising young guard Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis and alongside De'Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell and veteran Harrison Barnes, they look to improve on their 30-52 record last season that had them 3.0 games back of the Play-In Tournament.

Adding Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk and Matthew Dellavedova in the offseason, along with Keegan Murray, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Kings have their sights set on ending their 16-year playoff drought in 2022-23. 

"I'm excited, honestly. I've been letting a lot of people know that are close to me that I feel like we can make the playoffs," Moneke said.

"I'm excited because I'm a guy that doesn't need the ball to make an impact on the game and we got two big-time All-Stars that can dominate the game and get their teammates involved. It's easy for me to play my role and to sacrifice.

"... I'm excited to go in there and prove a lot of people wrong because the Kings haven't made the playoffs in a while and every team that I've ever been on has always been an underdog team at every level, so I just look forward to going in there and just having a fun team out there in Sacramento."

fox-sabonis-kings
NBA Getty

While the NBA season tip-off is still two months away, Moneke is using his time to get himself in the best possible shape ahead of his debut NBA season

"Six days a week of work, two workouts a day, Monday to Friday, whether it's hot yoga and then shooting or shooting and lifting or shooting and then skill work. Just a lot of work," Moneke said.

"Just a lot of work, getting better and feeling comfortable. When I get to training camp, I'm comfortable, I'm ready to go because you know the NBA game is a different game. So just making sure I use this these two months to be ready."

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.