The whole NBA world was blown away by the style of play that Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors brought to the game. It was a new and exciting way to compete — a strategy that had never been attempted before.
However, Doug Christie said Curry and the Dubs’ approach to the game looked very familiar. According to Christie, he sees some significant similarities between the Warriors and the early 2000s Sacramento Kings, except for one glaring difference.
“We played like today’s Warriors, only we didn’t shoot the same volume of 3s,” Christie once declared via Slam.
The early 2000s Kings were loaded
Taking a quick trip down memory lane, it appears that there was some truth to Christie’s take. In the early 2000s, a new and improved Kings squad took the NBA by storm, which is somewhat similar to how Curry and the Warriors did.
Except for the fact that the Kings didn’t jack up a lot of 3-pointers back then, their chemistry and synergy resembled that of the Warriors. Like Curry and Golden State, Sacramento was a fan favorite during their time as well.
The Kings also didn’t have “Splash Brothers” on their squad at the time, but they had a lethal 3-point marksman in Peja Stojakovic and a reliable wing player in Hedo Turkoglu. Sac-Town’s starting point guard, Mike Bibby, was no Chef Curry, but he possessed almost the same energy and competitive spirit as Steph.
The Kings’ All-Star power forward Chris Webber, meanwhile, was like the equivalent of Draymond Green. Their skills and tendencies were different, but they were both the hearts of their respective teams. For his part, Christie was more like Andre Iguodala, a consistent, seasoned veteran who could score and defend well.
More importantly, the Kings were also dominating the league. In the 2001-02 season, Sacramento logged its best regular-season record in franchise history, 61-21, with a winning percentage of .744.
That same year, the Kings were favorites to win the NBA championship. Unfortunately, they suffered a controversial Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
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Christie aims to take what’s theirs
On the other hand, many would surely disagree with Christie, too, as the early 2000s Kings never won a single NBA title. However, Doug has been planning to change that.
In 2021, Christie reunited with the Kings and became part of the team’s coaching staff. He joined his former team with the goal of taking back what was stolen from them. Dough aims to avenge Sac’s defeat to the Purple & Gold in 2002.
“I always say that I have unfinished business ever since I’ve come back to Sacramento,” Christie said via the Kings’ Instagram. “When you get as close as we got to [winning the NBA Championship], it leaves a hole in you. Those things are difficult to live with, and you have to live with them. So for me, to coach this team is everything.”
Christie took over as the Kings’ head coach this past May. With Doug at the helm, they have the opportunity to create a new identity for his beloved team.