Doug Christie isn’t hiding from what happened last season. The Kings’ 22-60 finish in his first full year on the bench gave him a harsh look at how quickly an NBA season can slip away when injuries start piling up.
Sacramento spent much of the year trying to patch together lineups after losing key pieces, with Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray and De’Andre Hunter all missing significant time. Christie said that kind of disruption forced him to rethink how he approaches the job.
“When you start out, as Mike Tyson says, everyone starts with a good plan until you get punched in the mouth,” Christie told Sactown Sports’ The Drive Guys. “Right away you start losing guys, and now you’re scrambling trying to figure things out.”
That experience, Christie said, sharpened him as a coach. He pointed to the need to adjust on the fly in a league that doesn’t give anyone much breathing room.
“You learn how to adapt. You learn how to adjust in a long NBA season that is unforgiving,” Christie said.
“For me, like organization, accountability, practice time, all those things. You just understand that I’m at a really, really high level after you’ve gone through it.”
Those themes are already showing up in the offseason. The Kings have held voluntary workouts ahead of training camp, and Christie said the attendance has mattered to him.
“For them to be willing to come in and do the things that they did, I just, I love them. I respect them for it,” Christie said. “We need as many hours and time and moments on the court as we can get.”
Christie also singled out seventh overall pick Darius Acuff Jr. as a rookie who has already made an impression. The coach said Acuff’s ability to function both as a primary ball handler and away from the ball stood out right away.
“I’ve seen him be a primary ball handler and just dominate the game,” Christie said. “He comes in early, comes back late.
Like, that is the type of work ethic. He wants to be great.”
Sacramento should also get a major boost from a healthy Sabonis, whose absence last season left a hole in both leadership and production. Christie said he was impressed by Sabonis’ commitment to his rehab and is eager to have him back.
Murray is another important returner after being limited by injury, and Christie made clear how much he values what the forward brings.
“I’m excited just to have a healthy Keegan Murray,” Christie said, pointing to Murray’s defense, rebounding and effort in addition to his shooting.
For Christie, though, the bigger picture goes beyond wins and losses. He wants Sacramento to become a team that looks unmistakably like Sacramento.
“When fans come to the arena and if they close their eyes and they open them and they look and they say, ‘That’s Sacramento Kings basketball,’” Christie said, “I’m proud of that team. I love that team.
Win, lose, or draw. I’m with that team.”
In Other News...
Kings Media Day Took An Awkward Turn The Team Can't Ignore
Media day is supposed to be the cleanest, most controlled day on the NBA calendar, the kind of event where teams set the tone and everyone moves on with their notebooks full. For the Kings, it instead became another reminder that the space around the team can be just as messy as the season ahead, after reporters were caught on a hot mic making unprofessional comments about Ben Simmons and Zach LaVine.
It was an awkward moment for a group that is trying to introduce Simmons after signing him to a one-year deal and continue integrating LaVine, who arrived in February 2025. The incident also lands in the shadow of a similar hot-mic episode involving Raptors reporters, a comparison Sacramento would rather avoid as it tries to keep the focus on basketball instead of the noise around it. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Training Camp Just Added A Surprise To The Roster Battle
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Sacramento still has two open spots, so camp is doing more than just getting the legs under the group - it is shaping the final decisions. Blacks path is especially tricky because the Kings already have depth on the wing, which means every practice and scrimmage matters as the team weighs fit, upside and versatility. The situation could remain fluid for a while, with roster movement expected over the next few months as the Kings continue sorting out who sticks. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Media Day Controversy Has Fans Waiting For Fallout
Media day is usually one of the calmer stops on the NBA calendar, a chance for teams to set the tone before the season begins. For the Kings, it turned into something else entirely when a leaked audio recording reportedly caught reporter Sara Hodges making disparaging remarks about Ben Simmons and Zach LaVine, a clip that quickly spread across social media and turned a routine event into a talking point far beyond the room.
The reaction has been immediate, with fans piling on and former NBA player Royce White also weighing in as the audio circulated. What has kept the story simmering, though, is the silence from both the Kings and Hodges, leaving plenty of questions about whether the episode will fade as another online flare-up or lead to something more concrete from the organization. [Read more 🡒]