The Sacramento Kings announced they have hired Doug Christie as their full-time head coach following an interim stint that ended with a loss in the play-in tournament.
The Kings announced the hiring on Thursday in the first major decision made since Scott Perry was hired after the season as general manager. Christie will be formally introduced at a news conference on Friday.
“I’ve known Doug a long time and have been impressed with his leadership, presence, and ability to connect deeply with his players," Perry said in a statement. "He embodies the core values we believe in — toughness, discipline, professionalism, a defensive mindset, and a selfless, team-oriented approach on offense. Our goal is to support him fully and help set the stage for his long-term success. We’re excited to move forward with Doug as our leader.”
Christie took over the Kings after Mike Brown was fired in late December and posted a 27-24 record in his interim stint. Sacramento made it into the play-in tournament as the ninth seed but lost its home game to Dallas.
General manager Monte McNair and the team “mutually parted ways” immediately following that game and Perry was hired as his replacement.
Perry said he wanted to come to a quick resolution on the coaching decision, and he did that by keeping Christie in the role. The two will now try to get the Kings back to the postseason after losing in the play-in tournament the past two seasons.
Christie had previously played for the Kings and served as both an assistant coach and announcer.
“I am deeply humbled to be named head coach of the Sacramento Kings,” he said. “This organization and city have been home for over 20 years. I want to thank the Kings organization and Scott for their support during this process. For me, this opportunity is all about service to the team, the organization, and the city of Sacramento. My family and I couldn’t be more excited for this new chapter.”
The Kings have made the playoffs just once in the past 19 seasons, losing in the first round to Golden State in 2023 in Brown’s first season as coach.
Sacramento has the fifth-worst record in the NBA since Vivek Ranadive took over as owner in 2013. The team has had five lead executives and nine head coaches — including interims — in that span.
The Kings hope the new team of Perry and Christie brings needed stability to the franchise. The team has a core in place led by Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk.
The team likely won’t have a first-round draft pick; the Kings have a 3.8% chance of moving into the top four in the lottery. Otherwise the pick will go Atlanta as part of a previous deal made for Kevin Huerter.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Josh Dubow, The Associated Press
