Gary Gerould on the ‘ray of hope’ that ended a rough Kings season

The Sacramento Kings’ 2025-26 season will be remembered less for wins and losses — and more for the sheer unpredictability of who was even available to play on a nightly basis.

That’s how longtime radio voice Gary “G-Man” Gerould described it, calling it one of the most unusual seasons of his four-decade career with the Sacramento Kings.

Gerould, who just finished his historic 40th season of broadcasting Kings basketball, joined Sactown Sports’ The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross to reflect on a tough year, one that saw Sacramento finish with a record of 22-60.

“It’s very difficult,” Gerould said. “I think the thing that made it difficult was the fact that nobody saw this type of season unfolding for the Sacramento Kings.”

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

What was expected to be a competitive roster quickly became a revolving door of lineups, with injuries reshaping the team game to game.

Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and De’Andre Hunter all missed over half of the regular season due to injuries, while Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk also missed time during the final stretch of the season.

This led the Kings to take the floor with a limited roster, sometimes with just seven or eight healthy players, and all of them being rookies, sophomores, or on two-way contracts.

“You go into a game without your top seven scorers, you’ve got a real steep mountain to climb, and you’ve got no safety harness,” Gerould said.

“I had the total of points that weren’t in uniform each night,” he explained, noting that in one late-season game, the Kings were missing over 115 combined points of production due to injuries.

The lack of continuity ultimately led to a 22-win season, a number Gerould said reflected just how chaotic things became, with the rock-bottom coming in the form of a 16-game skid that lasted from mid-January to late February.

“When you lose 16 consecutive games. You grasp at any little bright spot, any ray of positivity.”

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Despite the struggles, Gerould emphasized that the experience offered unexpected growth opportunities for younger players forced into expanded roles.

“You’re seeing a move, or a decision, you would not have seen six weeks or two months ago,” he said.

Even with the frustration of a lost season, Gerould maintained his signature perspective.

“How extraordinarily blessed am I to be in a position to try to describe what these players are doing.”

As the Sacramento Kings head into an offseason filled with questions about health, depth, and roster construction, Gerould’s words reflect both the challenge and the opportunity ahead.

And while the season was defined by instability, the Kings recently ensured stability of another kind — announcing that the Golden 1 Center media workspace will be named the “Gary ‘G-Man’ Gerould Media Center”, honoring his 40 years as the voice of the franchise.

A fitting, happy ending to a season that needed a glimmer of hope for the future.

Check out the full conversation at the top of the page or by heading over to the Sactown Sports YouTube channel.

Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PDT, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• Russell Westbrook says he’s open to re-signing with the Kings
• NBA Draft Lottery Standings: Pencils Down
• Report: Doug Christie will return as Kings head coach next season
• Christensen: Tanking isn’t in Doug Christie’s DNA
• NBA salary cap expert advises against stretching Zach LaVine’s contract

Upcoming Sacramento Kings & NBA Offseason Schedule

• Tuesday, April 14th – NBA Play-In Tournament begins
• Saturday, April 18th – NBA Playoffs begin
• Sunday, May 10th – NBA Draft Lottery
• Thursday, June 4th– NBA Finals begin
• Thursday, June 25th – NBA Draft (Round 1)
• Friday, June 26th – NBA Draft (Round 2)
• Tuesday, June 30th – NBA Free Agency negotiation period begins (3 PM PT)
• Thursday, July 9th – NBA Las Vegas Summer League begins
• Monday, July 13th – Free Agency moratorium ends / signings can become official

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