Fox details his relationship with Christie and the Kings’ energy shift originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Kings have flipped a switch for their 2024-25 NBA season, and interim head coach Doug Christie was the energizing light bulb that helped all of this happen.
Christie has an impressive 8-2 record since he took over former coach Mike Brownwho was fired on December 28 after a five-game losing streak and a disappointing start to the season.
Sacramento has now won eight of his last 10 gamesincluding huge wins against the defending champion Celtics in Boston and a home-court victory against one of the best teams in the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets.
While winning could surely solve everything, it’s hard to deny the change in players’ energy with Christie at the helm.
“I think everyone is in a good mood” Kings star point guard De’Aaron Fox said after practice Saturday (h/t “The Deuce & Mo” podcast. “Obviously every time you win, those things go up a little bit. But Doug is that kind of guy. It lights up a room.
“And like I said before, going from the fourth guy on the bench to the first guy on the bench, it breathes even more because you’re the one standing. You’re the guy everyone sees.
While Christie’s role may be new, her connection to the team certainly isn’t. From player to broadcaster to assistant and now interim head coach, Christie will always be considered a Kings legend.
Fox, who was drafted by Sacramento in 2017, has always known Christie. Christie served as a commentator for three of Fox’s first four years in the league before joining the team as an assistant.
“It’s always been good,” Fox shared of his relationship with Christie. “Even when he was broadcasting, he was still there. He was always at the gym. Obviously he didn’t work directly with us, but he was always there. He’s always been a great guy. He always has a smile on his face when he comes here.
“And like I said, he lights up the room every time he walks in there, and you kind of see that in the guys right now.”
The mood is rising, it’s now up to Christie and the Kings to get things going for the second half of the season.
