Doug Christie on Kings struggles: ‘You have to keep going’

Dec 31, 2024, 10:06 AM | Updated: 10:13 am

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

Doug Christie isn’t new to Sacramento Kings drama.

When the stunning news broke last week that Sacramento was moving on from 2023 NBA Coach of the Year award winner Mike Brown, a shockwave was sent through the league. Was Brown really the problem behind a 13-18 start for the Kings?

Everyone has their own opinion on the matter, but the fact is that Sacramento has problems that are more deeply rooted than Brown. While the move was polarizing and shocking, a larger question emerged in the moments following the report that Brown was out:

Who will take his place as head coach for the final 51 games?

Christie, a beloved former Kings guard-turned-broadcaster-turned-coach, was called on by the organization to fill in for the rest of the 2024-25 regular season. The role is somewhat of an audition for Christie, who has had aspirations of becoming a head coach in the NBA since joining former Sacramento head coach Luke Walton’s staff in 2021.

“It’s still weird to hear ‘hey coach,’ even though I’ve been a coach already,” Christie said with a grin during his pre-game press conference on Monday before the Kings took the floor against the Dallas Mavericks.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 28: Interim Head Coach Doug Christie of the Sacramento Kings coaches during the first half of a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on December 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

The 54-year-old’s smile is tattooed into the brains of Sacramento fans due to his significant impact on the early 2000s Kings teams that secured NBA Playoff berths in eight consecutive seasons, with Christie acting as the defensive anchor in a lineup that included fellow franchise greats Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby, and Vlade Divac.

Just over one year ago, it appeared as if Sacramento was on the way to forming a similar group of talent that includes star guard De’Aaron Fox, All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis, explosive guard Malik Monk, and young forward Keegan Murray.

The Kings followed up back-to-back postseason appearances–a first-round Playoff berth in 2023 and a Play-In trip in 2024–by acquiring six-time All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan, setting the stage for a big 2024-25 season that had many believing Sacramento could be one of the premier teams in the Western Conference.

Just over two months into the season, the Kings have fallen well short of those expectations, turning a dream of a two-year stretch into somewhat of a familiar nightmare.

It didn’t take long for whispers regarding Brown’s future to reverberate through the grapevine. A lengthy losing streak capped off by a devastating meltdown against the Detroit Pistons on December 26th, a game in which Sacramento held a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter–and a three-point lead with less than ten seconds remaining–was the final straw.

Kings general manager Monte McNair informed Brown of his dismissal following a practice session last Friday, with Brown in his car on his way to meet the team at the airport for a flight to Los Angeles to face the Lakers. Members of the team waited on the plane as Sacramento established Christie as the choice to take the reigns, and just like that, the Doug Christie era began for the Kings.

A shell-shocked team took the floor against the LeBron James-less Lakers on Saturday, and similar issues plagued Sacramento. Three-pointers didn’t fall (27%). Three-point defense acted as an Achilles heel, as Los Angeles converted 14 of its 26 attempts (53%) en route to dropping 132 points on the Kings–the sixth time Sacramento has allowed 130 or more points this season (second-most in the NBA).

For Christie, the message to his players echoed the encouraging sentiments of the late reggae musician Bob Marley: Keep going.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 30: De'Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings celebrates getting fouled with Domantas Sabonis #11 against the Dallas Mavericks in the second quarter at Golden 1 Center on December 30, 2024 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

(Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

A return to Golden 1 Center on Monday night to face a severely shorthanded Dallas Mavericks team looked like the perfect get-right opportunity for the Kings, especially on their home floor, where they held a disdaining record of 6-12 to start the year.

Sacramento’s six-game losing streak appeared well on its way to a seventh game early against the Mavs, as Dallas mounted an 18-point lead during the opening period. Three-point struggles continued, and the Kings once again appeared to buckle at the sign of pressure.

Keep going.

A 20-7 run in the second quarter put Sacramento back in the game, and the Kings locked in on both ends of the floor to halt the Mavericks’ run. Dallas hit back again, taking a nine-point lead in the third quarter as the game inched closer to crunch time.

Keep going.

De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Trey Lyles led a 17-2 run to end the third and put Sacramento in the lead for good. The losing streak was over, and while it might not have been the prettiest of wins, all beams shine the same, no matter how a victory unfolds.

For Christie, this opportunity is a 50-game audition that the former All-Defensive guard will not take lightly in the coming months. At 14-19, the book is far from closed on the Kings’ season, even with the severe noise surrounding the franchise in the wake of Brown’s firing and Fox’s uncertain future.

Players who have been in Sacramento since the start of the 2022-23 season, the inaugural ‘Beam Team’ season that resulted in the Kings’ first playoff appearance in 17 years, are very familiar with Christie and the passion that he brings into the gym.

“He’s a fiery guy. You guys remember him as a player. That’s kind of how he is as a coach. Us in this locker room against the world, and he truly believes that, he truly means that,” guard Kevin Huerter said of Christie following Monday’s win. “He’s fiery. He loves the Kings, and he hates everybody else. Hopefully, we can take a little bit of that on our own, too.”

Domantas Sabonis is very familiar with the new interim head coach after spending the past couple of offseasons working out with Christie, and the big man shared his excitement about the interim head coach’s opportunity.

“Really cool. Really cool,” Sabonis said of Christie securing his first NBA win. “I mean, I spent two, three summers with him, and he works his butt off. Just to see him instilling what he believes in the guys, and the guys reacting that quickly to it, it’s awesome.”

In this current state of the NBA, several former players have traded in their gym shoes for whistles and clipboards in recent years. JJ Redick, Ime Udoka, Chauncey Billups, Tyronn Lue, Jason Kidd, Willie Green, Doc Rivers, Rick Carlisle, Billy Donovan, Steve Kerr, and now Christie make up the list of former players-turned-coaches.

Some of the names on that list have benefited from playing in the NBA, which allows them to view the game directly through the players’ eyes. Will that make a difference for Sacramento following reports that there was some disconnect with former head coach Mike Brown? That remains to be seen.

Christie is well-liked in the Kings locker room, and winning solves most problems in sports. As rough as the start to this season has been for Sacramento, they are one winning streak away from planting itself back in the thick of the postseason race. It all starts with one, and the Kings will look to build off of Monday’s win behind a motivated Christie.

If one thing is certain, Christie will not lack passion in his new role. He wants success not just for himself, but for his players–and, first and foremost, a fanbase that deserves a winning product following nearly two decades of misery.

“When it’s business, we are getting after it, and that’s what I want our fans to feel,” Christie said of his approach to each game. “When they come to our arena, I want them to feel a sense of pride that we can deliver a product that they can be proud of.”

When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

Sacramento will continue a three-game homestand on Wednesday night, ringing in the new year with a matchup against Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Last season, the King snapped a ten-game head-to-head losing streak against Philadelphia with a 108-96 win at Golden 1 Center on March 25th.

Be sure to catch all of the Kings vs. 76ers drama right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage starting at 5:30 PM PT on Game Night before action tips off at 7:00 PM PT from downtown Sacramento.