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Who is Doug Christie? All you need to know about Sacramento Kings’ head coach
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

After snapping their playoff drought, the Sacramento Kings are seemingly back to square one.

During the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the Sacramento Kings‘ fanbase erupted with joy as they finally snapped their 16-year postseason drought.

It was none other than head coach Mike Brown who led the franchise to this historic feat. But less than two years post that, the Kings moved on from coach Brown.

Following Brown’s abrupt firing during the 2024-25 season, the Kings named Doug Christie as his successor.

Photo by Tyler McFarland/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images

Doug Christie’s NBA coaching experience

Taking on head coaching responsibilities in the middle of the season is never an easy task, but that’s what Christie had to do last season.

Keeping the De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio Spurs trade in mind, Christie must have found himself in a tough spot during his first season as the Kings’ head coach.

Despite that, Christie led the team to a 27-24 record in 51 games during the 2024-25 season. While the Kings missed the playoffs, they were still the ninth seed in the Western Conference.

Prior to becoming the head coach, he spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the organization.

It will be interesting to see what Christie will bring to the table in his first full season as the franchise’s head coach.

Doug Christie’s NBA playing career

Before becoming an assistant coach, Christie had a pretty extensive NBA career, but as a player. He was selected as the No. 17 overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.

However, he never played for the SuperSonics. Instead, Christie began his NBA career as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Christie’s most notable spells were with the Kings and the Toronto Raptors, as he spent five seasons with each team.

After averaging 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game over 15 years, Christie retired from the NBA in 2007.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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