The NBA has always been a league of high stakes and higher drama, but what unfolded in a recent Sacramento Kings game crossed a line that left me shaking my head in disbelief. Let’s be clear: tanking isn’t new. Teams have been strategically losing games to secure better draft picks for decades. But what the Kings did against the Golden State Warriors was something else entirely—a masterclass in shamelessness that raises uncomfortable questions about the league’s integrity.
The Art of Losing, Perfected
With just over three minutes left in the game, the Kings found themselves in a position no one expected: leading the Warriors. For most teams, this would be a moment to rally, to fight for a win. For the Kings, it was a crisis. Their solution? A series of moves so blatantly self-sabotaging that it felt like watching a car crash in slow motion.
Doug McDermott, a veteran player who should know better, became the face of this farce. His foul on Seth Curry wasn’t just unnecessary—it was comically obvious. Standing miles away from the play, he committed a foul that served no purpose other than to hand the game to the Warriors. But he didn’t stop there. A turnover, two rushed three-point attempts—each move more disastrous than the last. It wasn’t basketball; it was performance art, a spectacle of losing.
What makes this particularly fascinating is the sheer audacity of it all. Tanking is usually subtle, a game of small decisions and strategic rest days. This was anything but. It was a middle finger to the fans, to the league, and to the very idea of competition. Personally, I think this is where the NBA’s tanking problem reaches its breaking point. When players and teams are this blatant, it stops being a strategy and starts being a scandal.
The Stakes Behind the Shame
The Kings’ desperation isn’t hard to understand. The 2026 NBA Draft is shaping up to be a once-in-a-generation class, with prospects like Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and AJ Dybantsa headlining the talent pool. For a franchise that’s been mired in mediocrity for years, missing out on this draft could mean another decade of irrelevance.
But here’s the thing: tanking at this level isn’t just about securing a top pick. It’s about a culture of losing that becomes self-perpetuating. The Kings aren’t just losing games; they’re losing respect, credibility, and the trust of their fanbase. If you take a step back and think about it, this isn’t just a basketball problem—it’s a psychological one. What does it say about a team when winning becomes the enemy?
The Broader Implications
This incident isn’t just a Kings problem; it’s an NBA problem. Commissioner Adam Silver has long been aware of the tanking issue, but his hands-off approach has allowed it to fester. The league’s draft lottery system, designed to reward the worst teams, inadvertently incentivizes losing. But when teams start throwing games this blatantly, it’s no longer a loophole—it’s a crisis.
One thing that immediately stands out is how this reflects on the league’s competitive integrity. Fans pay money to watch games, not scripted losses. Players risk their careers every night, yet here we are, watching veterans like McDermott actively undermine their own team. What this really suggests is that the NBA needs to rethink its approach to tanking. Fines? Draft penalties? Something has to change before the league’s credibility is irreparably damaged.
A Detail That I Find Especially Interesting
A detail that I find especially interesting is how this game exposed the disconnect between the league’s goals and its reality. The NBA wants parity, but the draft system creates an arms race to the bottom. Teams like the Kings aren’t just losing games; they’re losing their identity. What many people don’t realize is that tanking isn’t just about one season—it’s about a mindset that can cripple a franchise for years.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The Kings’ tanking attempt was shameful, but it’s also a wake-up call. The NBA can’t ignore this problem any longer. Personally, I think the league needs to introduce stricter penalties for blatant tanking, whether it’s fines, draft pick adjustments, or even suspensions. But more than that, it needs to address the root cause: a system that rewards failure.
If there’s one takeaway from this debacle, it’s that the NBA is at a crossroads. Will it continue to allow teams to undermine the spirit of competition, or will it take a stand for integrity? From my perspective, the choice is clear. The league owes it to its fans, its players, and itself to fix this before it’s too late.
Because if not, we might as well start calling it the National Tanking Association.
