For the first time this season, the Sacramento Kings have won back-to-back games. The Kings defeated the Houston Rockets 111-98 on Sunday and the Los Angeles Lakers 124-112 on Monday to boost their record to 10-30 in the 2025-26 NBA season.

Sacramento Kings center Dylan Cardwell was particularly excited after the latter victory because the Auburn alumnus got to guard his boyhood hero, LeBron James, the Lakers’ 21-time all-star and four-time NBA MVP.

“Wore six all the way throughout my frigging childhood,” Cardwell said. “I was with the arm sleeve and the headbands, and I was too poor to afford LeBrons (shoes), but if I could afford the LeBrons when I was a kid, I would’ve wore LeBrons, too. But LeBron’s my favorite player my whole life.

“And it was nice out there to finally — you know, I got a block on LeBron, so that’s something I’ll tell my kids. I dunked the ball when he was in the area, and so I’m going to frame it and say, ‘Hey, kids, you know, Pops dunked on LeBron.’

“You know, that’s my GOAT growing up. No offense, Michael Jordan. But it was real fun and real exciting to have the opportunity, and it’s a blessing to go out here and play. Like I said, my dream job every single day.”

After helping Auburn reach the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA basketball tournament, Cardwell signed a two-way contract with Sacramento. That allows the Kings to shuttle the center between the NBA roster and their NBA G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings.

In 16 games with Stockton, Cardwell has averaged 10.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.6 blocked shots.

Cardwell has played in 13 games with Sacramento, including the past four and 10 of the past 14 as the Kings deal with an injury to center Drew Eubanks with all-star power forward Domantas Sabonis and forward Keegan Murray already sidelined.

Sacramento coach Doug Christie called Cardwell “a special young man” after Sunday’s victory whose on-the-court personality is turning him into a fan favorite at the Golden 1 Center. After Monday’s victory over the Lakers, Cardwell was chosen to light the beam – the Kings’ postgame victory ritual at their homecourt – and he brought out some of Sacramento’s other reserves to help him.

“With Dylan, he plays with joy,” Christie said. “So I really enjoy coaching him, but also watching him and experiencing the Dylan Cardwell experience because it is that.

“His willingness to be coached and take in information is really high level. Whether me and him sit and watch film or he just comes up to me and is like, ‘Coach, what you got for me today?’ Like something. And then whether we’re talking about the little things of screening angles, timing in, running out, chesting the ball, rebounding with two hands — I didn’t really have to tell him that. But then the way that he sprints in screens to create space that creates the advantage once the screen is set, and he sets really good screens. His communication on defense and his fearlessness with his level of physicality and not trying to be friends with the opposition.”

Against Houston, Cardwell reached career highs with nine points and 11 rebounds in 19 minutes on the court. He had two points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes against the Lakers.

In his 13 games with the Kings, Cardwell has averaged 4.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots per game. Sacramento has been outscored by two points in Cardwell’s 229 minutes on the court. Among the other Kings players with more than 102 minutes of playing time this season, none has a better differential than minus-99.

“I want to learn,” Cardwell said. “I want to get better. I want to play in the NBA for a long time. And the only way you can do that is by humbling yourself and being a student of the game. And I just try to learn as much as I possibly can, and the best way to do that is through experience.

“And so, you know, you got guys with 20 years of experience on the court across from me, guys that played in the Olympics, guys that are 20-time all-stars, and so just getting thrown into the fire has been fun. But keep in mind this is my 12th NBA game that I’ve played in. And so I’m just excited just to see where I can continue to improve.”

The Kings play the New York Knicks at 9 p.m. CST Wednesday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.