The Kings have flipped a swap on their 2024-25 NBA season, and interim coach Doug Christie has been the energizing gentle bulb serving to all of it occur.
Christie boasts a formidable 8-2 file since taking on for former Kings coach Mike Brown, who was fired on Dec. 28 following a five-game dropping streak and disappointing begin to the season.
Sacramento now has received eight of its final 10 video games, together with large victories over the defending champion Celtics in Boston and a down-to-the-wire win towards the most effective groups within the Western Convention, the Houston Rockets.
Whereas successful absolutely may remedy the whole lot, it is onerous to disclaim the vitality shift from the gamers with Christie on the helm.
“I believe all people’s in good spirits,” Kings star level guard De’Aaron Fox mentioned after apply Saturday (h/t “The Deuce & Mo” podcast). “Clearly, everytime you’re successful, these issues increase a bit. However Doug’s that sort of man. He lights up a room.
“And like I mentioned earlier than, going from the fourth man on the bench to being the primary man on the bench, it exudes much more since you’re the man standing up. You are the man all people sees.”
Whereas Christie’s function could be new, his connection to the workforce definitely is not. From participant to broadcaster to assistant to now interim coach, Christie all the time can be thought to be a Kings legend.
Fox, whom Sacramento drafted in 2017, all the time has been aware of Christie. Christie was a commentator for 3 of Fox’s first 4 years within the league earlier than he joined the workforce as an assistant.
“It is all the time been good,” Fox shared of his relationship with Christie. “Even when he was doing the broadcasting, he was all the time round. He was all the time within the fitness center. Clearly he wasn’t working with us hands-on, however he was all the time round. He is simply all the time been a terrific man. He all the time has a smile on his face when he is available in right here.
“And like I mentioned, he simply lights up the room at any time when he enters it, and also you form of see that inside the guys proper now.”
The vibes are rolling, now it is on Christie and the Kings to maintain issues going for the second half of the season.
