Sacramento Kings coach Doug Christie did not mince his words when calling out his players in the aftermath of a recent matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. The Kings have been relatively active this offseason, acquiring stars such as Russell Westbrook and Dennis Schröder to improve their roster.
Unfortunately, the Kings have started the 2025-2026 season poorly, with a 3-9 record. Given that the Western Conference is filled with talented, competitive teams, it already appears the Kings will not qualify for the postseason.
While the team should be better than its record suggests, its recent loss to the Hawks prompted its head coach to criticize his own stars and express his frustration publicly.
Doug Christie Demands That His Stars Represent the Sacramento Kings With Pride
Until the end of last season, Mike Brown was the Kings’ head coach, and Christie remained an assistant coach after joining the Kings in 2021. When Brown was fired, Christie replaced him as the interim head coach and assumed the position permanently to start this season.
Despite making changes to both their roster and coaching staff, the Kings suffered a brutal loss to the Hawks, a result that is noteworthy given that Trae Young did not play. After witnessing a disappointing 100-133 loss, Christie was unable to hold back his emotions.
“You are not going to represent the Sacramento Kings that way. Not while I’m here … Put on a jersey, represent it properly … I’m f*****g embarrased…At 55 (years old) I could have done better than that.”
Kings coach Christie after 33-point loss tonight:
“You are not going to represent the Sacramento Kings that way. Not while I’m here … Put on a jersey, represent it properly … I’m f—ing embarrassed.”
“At 55 (years old), I could have done better than that.”
On if he’ll… pic.twitter.com/2WI2DR1twR
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) November 13, 2025
When asked about the starters on the roster, such as DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, Christie did not defend them and said changing the starting lineup was essential.
While claiming that he could do better than the players on the Kings roster is undoubtedly an exaggeration, veteran fans will remember that Christie spent five years of his career with the Kings. His defensive skill and ability to get steals are qualities few might even remember today.
Perhaps a prime Christie would have prevented an injured opponent from defeating his team by 33 points. The very fact that he spent a decent chunk of his career with the Kings and is now the coach may have added to his frustration.
The Kings already have an uphill battle ahead of them. Their next few games will be against the Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder, all Western Conference contenders considered much better than the Kings. Fans are left wondering whether the team has a chance to steal a win and improve its record.
