Skal Labissiere’s mother was a school principal, and his father served as a carpenter.
With Domantas Sabonis set to miss at least a week of action, the Sacramento Kings signed Skal Labissiere to a 10-day contract for additional depth at the center position.
Highlights
- Skal Labissiere signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings.
- Labissiere was born to his father, Lesly, and his mother, Ema Labissiere. His mother served as an educator for over 30 years.
- He grew up playing football and basketball with his little brother, Elliott, and his sister, Mallya Labissiere.
Labissiere was selected 28th in the 2016 draft by the Kings and spent two and a half seasons in Sacramento before being traded to Portland.
He hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2019-20 season but has spent the last two seasons with the Stockton Kings, Scarmaneto’s G-League affiliate.
In 20 games with the Stockton Kings this season, Labissiere averaged 16 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 28.2 minutes per game, shooting 58.8% from the field and 34.0% from beyond the arc.
Skal has had a journeyman’s career throughout the NBA and G-League. This is his third 10-day contract with the Kings since 2023.
With Jonas Valančiūnas filling in as the starting center while Sabonis is out, Trey Lyles will likely get the backup center minutes, making it unlikely for Labissiere to get on the court.
However, he provides another option for Doug Christie and the Kings if four troubles or injuries wreak havoc on the Kings.
Skal would allow the Kings to go bigger at the backup center if they so choose, compared to Lyles as the small-ball center option.
Skal Labissiere’s Parents Urged Him To Focus On Basketball
Skal Labissiere, 36, was born on March 18, 1996, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to his father, Lesly, and his mother, Skal Labissiere.
At just 12, Skal realized he might be too tall for the sport, but his parents supported and urged him to focus on basketball.
Labissiere’s father served as a college professor and carpenter in Haiti. He has stayed out of the media spotlight, so only limited information about his personal life is available.
His mother is a former school principal who taught for 30 years. She has also served as the marketing director for Haitian National Radio broadcasting.
While in Haiti, where she originally comes from, she helped St. Vincent and the Little Brothers and Sisters with their missions to serve the disabled.
As Ema and her family are survivors of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, she is dedicated to helping the victims of natural catastrophes and reconstructing the damaged areas of Haiti.
During the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Skal’s family’s home collapsed with him, his mother, and his brother inside. All three survived but remained trapped under the debris for three hours.
His legs were pinned, causing them to go numb, and Labissiere was unable to walk for a few weeks afterward.
A few months after the earthquake, Labissiere moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to live with Gerald Hamilton.
In addition, he has one little brother, Elliott, and one sister, Mallya Labissiere. They have also managed to avoid the media spotlight.
Growing up, Skal and his brother had a Nintendo GameCube and loved playing NBA Live.
Additional Information
- On September 1, 2020, Skal Labissiere married his wife, whose identity has not been revealed. He shared a glimpse of his wedding on his Instagram handle.
- Skal attended an Evangelical Christian School in Memphis and started to play varsity basketball as an eighth-grader.
- Labissiere played for Hamilton’s Reach Your Dream Prep Academy team, averaging 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game.
