It’s gotten so bad for the Sacramento Kings that veteran forward DeMar DeRozan took out his frustration on a water bottle on Monday.
During a break in the third quarter of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, La., the six-time NBA All-Star was unable to control his emotions, as he slammed a water bottle to the floor. Court attendants immediately tried to clean up the mess, while DeRozan walked on the sidelines with a towel on his back.
Frustrations are growing for the Kings. DeMar DeRozan just slammed a water bottle to the floor, sending several courtside attendants scurrying into action to mop up the mess. pic.twitter.com/emrtpcnRdu
— Jason Anderson (@JandersonSacBee) February 10, 2026
It was not a good look on DeRozan, but he was clearly bothered by the level of effort shown by his team against the Pels.
“A lot of stuff we do is self-inflicted,” DeRozan said after the Kings’ 120-94 loss to New Orleans, via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.
“Us not being in the right spots, make it a chain reaction, them getting back in transition, getting easy shots, easy buckets, so (the water bottle incident) was just me wanting us to play the right way, win, lose or draw.”
The defeat at the hands of the Pelicans was Sacramento’s 13th loss in a row. With just 12 wins to show through 55 games, it is safe to say that the 2025-26 campaign is another lost season for the Kings.
At 36 years old, DeRozan doesn’t have much time left in the league, as he continues his search for that elusive first NBA title.
Unfortunately for the former USC Trojans star, he is under contract with Sacramento through the 2026–27 season. Unless he’s traded before his deal expires, his chances of playing for an NBA championship will remain slim.
