Kings forward Marvin Bagley III doesn’t understand why fans got so upset when he liked a tweet saying “we gotta get @MB3FIVE outta Sac” and removed any mention of the Kings from his social media bios.
Bagley addressed his latest social media controversy on an episode of the “Halfway Decent Pod,” saying he can do whatever he wants on his personal Twitter profile.
“First of all, it’s my Twitter, bro,” Bagley said. “It’s my Twitter. It has my name on it. I can like whatever I choose and please, and whatever I feel like liking.”
Bagley went on to explain he liked the tweet after watching Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young score 48 points in a playoff victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Young, who came out of Oklahoma as the No. 5 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, led the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals in his third season.
Bagley, who came out of Duke as the No. 2 pick in 2018, hasn’t enjoyed the same kind of success in Sacramento, appearing in only 108 of a possible 226 games due to various injuries. Bagley, 22, was an All-Rookie First Team selection after averaging 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds in 2018-19, but he was limited to 13 games in his second season and 43 games in his third season.
“That just came from frustration,” Bagley said, elaborating on his reasons for liking a tweet that disparaged his team. “I wouldn’t even say frustration, just that built-up fire. I think I did it after watching Trae go for 50 in the playoffs and they’re winning. As a competitor, that just makes me want to get to that and I need to be there. I want to be there bad. I think, doing that, it was just one of those things where the competitor came out in me, like I’ve got to be there. I’ve got to do whatever I’ve got to do to be in this position.
“… For me, personally, my personal goals and where I’m trying to get to in my career, I’ve got to make it happen. I’ve got to do everything I’ve got to do to make it happen. I think liking that tweet, that’s where that came from and it is what it is. People (are) going to take it and run with it. It is what it is. I did it. It’s my Twitter. I can like and do whatever I want on my account. I’m not hurting nobody. I’m not harming nobody, but you already know how the fans take stuff and want to run with something.”
This is not the first Twitter controversy involving Bagley and his family. It follows a similar pattern of social media behavior from family members, including his father, who took to Twitter in January urging the Kings to “PLEASE trade Marvin Bagley III ASAP!”
The Kings explored their options leading up to the trade deadline in March, but they were unable to find an equitable deal. One league source recently referred to Bagley as “unappreciative” of the opportunities the Kings have given him despite the injury setbacks and his struggle to grasp team concepts at both ends of the floor.
