interim Kings trainer Doug Christie stressed the need for unity when addressing the team following Friday’s surprise firing Mike Brownwrites ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Christie, who served as Brown’s assistant, will be responsible for salvaging a season that was spiraling out of control after an 0-5 home run. Sacramento is 13-18 and sits in 12th place in the West and needs a quick turnaround to get back into the playoff race.

According to McMenamin, Christie spoke with his players before their departure Friday for tonight’s game against the Lakers and again at this morning’s shootout.

“Come out and stick together, fight and just be who we are and turn this thing around.” Domantas Sabonis he said as he shared his new head coach’s message.

Malik Monk said at the shootout, “Spirits were high,” as the team felt renewed energy from the sudden coaching change. Sabonis demonstrated this by arranging his own trip to Los Angeles. His participation was considered questionable due to an illness that forced him to miss Thursday’s game, but he wanted to be there to show his commitment to Christie.

“I came here and went straight to the square” Sabonis said. “We are all focused on winning the game. But of course we know that we didn’t perform at our best. And we have to do a better job. As one of the leaders of the team, I have to make sure that happens. We have to win all the games we can.”

Brown appeared to have a long future in Sacramento after leading the team to the playoffs in 2023 and narrowly missing out on another playoff appearance in last season’s play-in tournament. He was rewarded with an offseason extension that runs through 2026-27 and gives him an additional $20 million in guaranteed money, but management quickly lost patience with the slow start. The off-season addition of DeMar DeRozan didn’t work out as planned and there was skepticism that the Kings could climb the table with Brown at the helm.

Sabonis and Monk expressed shock at the sudden move De’Aaron Fox McMenamin said he was notified “a minute before anyone else.” Fox also reflected on the players’ role in the coaching change when asked if he felt “pressure or guilt” over Brown’s fate.

“Any pressure or guilt? I mean, obviously we all know the job we have.” Fox replied. “They can be traded at any time. Released. Cut. Fired. Whatever it may be. I mean, I wouldn’t use the word “guilt.” But that’s the nature of the job we have. But I mean, when he signed his contract extension this summer, of course we felt like we would be together for a lot longer, but that’s the decision they made. But in the end he gets paid. A big part of being an NBA player or an NBA coach is that these things can happen, but these contracts are guaranteed.”

Although Brown’s firing seemed to come out of nowhere, there were already rumors of “waning confidence” from owners even before he was granted the extension, explains Jake Fischer in his latest Substack story. Sources tell Fischer that there were “internal disagreements” over the team’s starting lineup and the compromise on playing time in between Keon Ellis And Kevin Huerter.

Fischer reported this in 2022 Mark Jackson was the owner’s preferred candidate Vivek Ranadive before Brown was hired. Jackson was head coach of the Warriors when Ranadive became a minority owner of that team, and multiple NBA sources have told Fischer that Ranadive appears to prefer having a former player in that role. That could explain why Christie was chosen to lead the team, although it is not clear whether there is any commitment to him beyond the end of the season.