The Sacramento Kings are finalizing a multiyear deal to make interim coach Doug Christie the franchise’s next head coach, according to sources that spoke to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Christie took over as the head coach of the Kings on December 27th, 2024, after former coach Mike Brown was relieved of his duties.
During his tenure as Sacramento’s interim head coach, Christie led the Kings to a 27-24 record, which earned them a spot in the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament. They were eventually eliminated from playoff contention on April 16th, after they lost to the Dallas Mavericks.
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Jackie Christie celebrates
Besides being a basketball coach and former NBA player, Doug Christie is famous for being married to actress, producer, and reality TV show star Jackie Christie.
Jackie Christie took to social media to celebrate her husband’s new contract. Over the last two hours, she has shared three different Instagram stories highlighting Doug Christie’s deal, adding comments like “Won’t he do it” as well as purple heart emojis.
♠️💜 @SacramentoKings https://t.co/deMdwH7O2Z
— Jackie Christie (@JackieChristie) April 29, 2025
Jackie Christie is best known for being a longtime star of the hit VH1 show Basketball Wives. She has appeared in the fourth-most episodes in the program’s history behind only Shaunie O’Neal (Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-wife), Evelyn Lozada (Antoine Walker’s ex-fiancée), and Jennifer Williams (Eric Williams’ ex-wife).
Isaiah Thomas approves
Two-time NBA All-Star and former Sacramento Kings guard Isaiah Thomas also showed his support for Christie’s hiring, writing, “Congrats OG” in a social media post.
A 12-year veteran, Thomas most recently played for the Phoenix Suns during the 2023-24 season, where he averaged 3.2 minutes per game. Thomas’ best seasons came with the Boston Celtics in 2015 and 2016 when he was named to back-to-back All-Star games.
Congrats OG!! https://t.co/EfMbvFc79e
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) April 29, 2025
Over the summer, Thomas was brought in for a workout with the Kings, though he went unsigned. This allowed him to return to the NBA G-League Salt Lake City Stars, where he led the team in points with 29.1 per game during the regular season.
