A bit more than one week after Scott Perry was introduced as general manager of the Sacramento Kings, Doug Christie was introduced to the media as the organization’s new head coach for the coming years.
Perry started Friday’s press conference by outlining his rationale behind Christie’s hire and why he believes the former Kings’ players will be an ideal fit for the organization.
“Before I bring Doug on, I want to share with you just why I believe so strongly Doug Christie is the right person to lead this franchise moving forward,” he said.
“As I mentioned to you last week, I first met Doug when he was a player with the Toronto Raptors. And, at that moment, I saw a young man who was extremely professional, hard-working, (and) dedicated to his craft. And then I was fortunate enough eight years ago, when I worked here for a short time in Sacramento to get to know Doug Christie, the man, and learn more about his character, which I value deeply.”
“I got the chance to observe Doug Christie take over as the head coach here and, quite frankly, which was a very difficult situation. He did so with class, poise, and a tremendous presence on the court. I watched him connect with this group of players that led to some success on the court. That connectivity was very obvious to me. Doug, in doing so through this turbulent time, posted a winning record while also improving the team’s offensive efficiency. But, above and beyond all of that, Doug Christie embodies the values that we, and I, so deeply treasure and appreciate (and) what we’re going to build this organization on… professionalism, toughness, discipline, a defensive mindset, and a selfless, team-oriented approach on the offensive end of the floor. I’ve given Doug my full support and will continue to do so in helping set the course and the vision for his long-term success and our long-term success.”
Perry echoed a statement he emphasized in his introductory presser multiple times, “diversity of thought with unity of purpose,” saying that Christie fit that motto well. For Christie, it’s about “unfinished business” that dates back to his playing days.
There’s no questioning how much he selflessly wants the Kings to be successful, whether he was the head coach or not, for the sake of the city and organization that has meant so much to him throughout his life.
“I am humbled, honored, and grateful to be sitting beside Scott in this position right now,” Sacramento’s new head coach said Friday.
“I want to thank my family. I want to thank Kings’ leadership, Scott, our players, and an incredible fanbase to trust me with this beautiful jewel because that’s how I envision it. You’ve heard me say it before but we have, I have, unfinished business and that’s my mindset going into what we’re approaching right now. This game will leave a whole in your heart. It will. It’s difficult. It’ll take something from you and the odd thing about that is it’s the only thing that can fill that void. So, with that, I accept the challenge, the opportunity, and I’m truly, truly grateful to be sitting here right now.”
Toughness, a defensive orientation, playing hard and together on the offensive end are the staples Perry wants to build this team upon on the floor. He’s also emphasized the importance of having personalities who are professional, disciplined, and accountable. From his perspective, Christie fits that bill.
“We see the game in a lot of the same ways,” the GM said. “The values and the core and the intangibles of this game of basketball, we both have a deep appreciation for and it was important for me, us, that whoever is sitting in that head coaching seat could carry that out at the very best and Doug obviously fit that bill and that’s why he’s sitting here. I have tremendous confidence in him being able to uplift (and) inspire all those around him so that we can have some sustainable success.”
While acknowledging that some “informal conversations” took place with other candidates, it seemed to be a quick decision to settle on Christie. Now, they’re aiming to build towards sustainable success together, starting by establishing an identity centered around the principles mentioned.
“That’s really, for us, in year one is going to be our north star or true evaluator of where we’re at,” Perry said. “What are we going to be? What are we going to reflect on this court? We have to start building that… that identity has to be established right away and I’m confident that Doug is going to be able to do that.”
“To echo that, a lot of people talk about culture,” Christie added. “And, for me, habits build culture. Culture is a byproduct of habits and we want to establish a very, very high level of those but also the ability for our team to be a physical manifestation of this community. It’s blue-collar. It’s hard working. It’s loyal. It’s so loyal that it kept the team here and we want players that want to represent that.”
Similar sentiments have been heard from previous Kings general managers and head coaches in years prior. But, as Perry pointed out, it’s all about how they can continue to progress from this current moment.
“What transpired in the past, transpired in the past,” he said. “That’s over. It’s in the rearview mirror. Really it’s a waste of time for any of us now to really think about. It’s what do we do today, tomorrow, and the days after that’re going to dictate just how well we do.”
Staying afloat in a highly competitive Western Conference that’s only projected to be even deeper next season will be no easy task for the new duo of Perry and Christie, as the roster could still undergo significant change as well.
Time will tell if they’re able to complete step one in this coming season, establishing what it means to be a member of the Sacramento Kings.
More Kings coverage on Sactown Sports
On Thursday’s edition of The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross, The Athletic‘s Sam Amick joined the show to discuss the Sacramento Kings hiring process that eventually led to Doug Christie being named head coach of the future, how the current rostered players feel about him, the ongoing NBA playoffs, and more.
Amick shared that, based on the conversations he had with agents that represent many of the coaches throughout the NBA, the impression was that the head coach vacancy was not an open position for interviews.
Read More:
Sam Amick on Christie’s hiring process, if players support him
Upcoming schedule for Doug Christie and the Sacramento Kings:
Monday, May 12th – NBA Draft Lottery
Wednesday, June 25th – 2025 NBA Draft
Monday, June 30th – NBA free agent negotiations can begin
Sunday, July 6th – NBA free agents can officially sign with teams
July 10th-20th – Las Vegas NBA Summer League
August TBD – Release of 2025-26 regular season schedule
September TBD – Start of NBA training camps for the 2025-26 season
Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
