Why playing for the Kings is ‘a dream come true’ for Jordan Ford

It’s probably safe to say that growing up, most kids with serious NBA aspirations have dreams of playing for their hometown team. But how often does that actually happen? Some players might not want that outcome, while others embrace that challenge. For Sacramento Kings guard Jordan Ford, this is the ultimate dream.

Ford grew up in Northern California and was a star at Folsom High School. He was a two-time Sacramento Bee Player of the Year and one of the area’s top recruits. In college, he played at nearby St. Mary’s for four years and now he’s come full circle with his hometown Kings as a rookie in the NBA.

“It means everything. As a kid, your goal is to make it to the NBA, but you never think you’re going to be playing for your hometown team,” Ford told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “It’s been awesome, it’s just a dream come true. I’m just trying to stay in the moment the best I can.”

Jordan Ford signed with the Kings as a free agent before the start of training camp. He played for the Kings during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and in Sacramento. He was among the Kings top standouts at Summer League averaging 14.2 points per game, 2.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three-point range.

Ford originally signed an Exhibit 10 contract but that was almost immediately converted to a two-way contract. It was the first time in his professional career that he made an NBA opening night roster. After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft, Ford appeared in training camp with the Los Angeles Clippers a couple of times but never was able to secure a roster spot.

Since 2020, he’s played in the G League for the then Agua Caliente Clippers and the Stockton Kings, and even had a stint overseas in Greece. Although Ford has finally reached the NBA, he admits that he still carries a bit of motivation from being initially overlooked.

“Everybody’s journey is different. Mine is through the G League, it took a couple more years but that’s all part of the fun and all part of the process. That’s the best part to me,” Ford said. “There’s definitely still some motivation, the job is not finished. My goal is trying to be a contributor for a championship team. That’s my goal and I’m just going to keep working towards that.”

Playing on a two-way contract, Jordan Ford hasn’t seen much playing time this season for the Kings. He’s appeared in only six games averaging 2.0 points and 0.3 assists, but he has shot 57.1 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the three-point line.

Two-way contract players are limited to only 50 NBA games and they aren’t eligible to play in the postseason. They spend most of their time playing in the G League for their NBA team affiliate. But things in the NBA are always fluid. Two-way contract players can go from playing the G League to suiting up in an NBA game in the blink of an eye.

The G League helps keep them sharp and focused rather than just sitting on the bench in the NBA. For Ford, the main focus for him this season has been to find that balance in terms of being prepared to be shuffled back and forth at a moment’s notice.

“I just feel like the G League helps me get prepared for up top, and the reps here really helped me be prepared for the opportunity with the Kings,” Ford said. “I’m just trying to make the most of every opportunity whether I play a minute or whether I play a couple of minutes. I’m just trying to do the most I can with what I got.”

As a point guard, Jordan Ford is tasked with running the offense in an efficient manner whether he’s with the Kings or with Stockton. It’s a role that he’s kind of developed throughout his basketball career. He’s always been a talented scorer. During his senior year at St. Mary’s, he led the West Coast Conference in scoring at 21.9 points per game.

But in order to see consistent NBA minutes, he’s going to need to be a capable playmaker as well. He showed that during NBA Summer League and during his G League time as well. While at St. Mary’s, Ford never averaged more than 2.5 assists in a single season. Going back to 2020, he’s never averaged less than 3.1 assists in the G League including his career-best 4.6 last season.

The floor leader role is still something he’s getting used to, but it’s a challenge he’s ready to meet head on.

“It’s just trying to get everybody in the right spots and making sure everybody knows what play we’re running. My teammates make it easy,” Ford said. “It’s just trying to be as vocal as I can. That’s something that throughout my career I’m still trying to improve on. I feel like I’m doing a good job there.”

Last season, the Kings surprised many by not only making the NBA playoffs but finishing with a top-three record in the Western Conference and securing homecourt advantage in the first round. Although they were eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in Game 7, they came into this season looking to build off that momentum.

It’s been a little more uneven this season though. They are 42-30 and in eighth place in the West. They’re only one game back of the Dallas Mavericks for the sixth seed and avoiding the play-in. As a more veteran team trying to make a playoff run, regular minutes don’t appear to be readily available for Ford.

He knows this, and he’s content with just soaking up everything he can as a rookie. He’s looking forward to learning from the vets on the roster and applying that knowledge to his own game.

“Just continuing to learn the NBA game and the players in the NBA and just get used to how things are done up top and just how things are different from up top to down here,” Ford said. “Just trying to get adjusted, it’s definitely a lot more talent and a lot more physical. I’m just trying to get used to that as well and just trying to improve the best I can. That’s my goal every year.”