Sacramento hired Vlade Divac to run the front office but completely bungled it. He deserves plenty of blame for the Kings continuing their malaise – though obviously not all of it. Karl just worsened the situation – alienating Cousins, bothering other players and running flawed schemes. Rudy Gay had been in Sacramento barely a year, but he had the franchised figured out.Īn aside on Gay: He’s quoted in an advance copy of George Karl’s forthcoming book “Furious George,” due to be published in January by Harper-Colins, as telling Karl when he met the new Sacramento coach for the first time in February 2015, “Welcome to basketball hell.” The front office was chaotic, and general manager Pete D’Alessandro and special advisor Chris Mullin would soon depart. Owner Vivek Ranadivé declared he wanted a jazz director. The Kings gave the job to Tyrone Corbin and promised him the rest of the season, though they obviously reneged by hiring Karl.
Sacramento fired coach Michael Malone earlier in the season, because – after a better start than anyone could’ve reasonably expected – the team slumped while its best player was out sick. They hadn’t made the playoffs in eight years. The Kings were 18-34 when they hired George Karl in February 2015.
