The Sacramento Kings have fired Luke Walton, ESPN reported on Sunday. The team promoted associate head coach Alvin Gentry to interim status to finish out the season. Rico Himes was also promoted after being a player development coach for the last two seasons.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the breaking news.
Sources: Alvin Gentry will become the Kings’ interim coach. Gentry is already under contract through 2022-2023, gets a raise to take interim job and agreement on some benchmarks of success rest of this season with team to try and keep job longer.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2021
Rumors of a coaching change gained momentum with the team having lost seven of their eight games with a 6-11 record. The Kings currently are in 12th place in the West.
General Manager Monte McNair talked to reporters about the coaching change via ESPN.
“We all know all of us have to be better, especially over the last two weeks,” McNair said. “We’re not meeting expectations. That’s not just on Luke. That’s on me, the rest of our coaches and players. Everyone acknowledges that.”
“I think we have the talent…We’ve shown that we can do that. We’re going to get back to that and Alvin will be the guy to lead us there.”
The Kings have not made the postseason since 2006, which is tied for the longest playoff drought in NBA history. Alvin Gentry will be the 11th head coach Sacramento has hired since Rick Adelman.
