Jonathan Santiago

Today, the Sacramento Kings and Quick Quack Car Wash announced a newly established community impact program designed to amplify the work of five local nonprofits, leveraging both organizations platforms to increase exposure and charitable donations. “Sacramento Kings Community Starting 5 Presented by Quick Quack Car Wash” will launch during the Kings 2021-22 Season Home Opener on October 22 when the team takes on the Utah Jazz.

“Our local nonprofits provide tremendous support and meaningful resources to our community, and we are proud to partner with Quick Quack Car Wash to not only recognize them but bring awareness to their work and mission,” said Sacramento Kings Chief Operating Officer Matina Kolokotronis. “The dynamic organizations that make up the Sacramento Kings Community Starting 5 have shown an unwavering commitment to the betterment of our region.”

“Our partnership with the Sacramento Kings fosters the efforts of our mission and helps us give back to our communities,” said Quick Quack Car Wash Northern California Marketing Leader Courtney Hardy-Wagner. “We are honored to be part of a program that will support the contributions of these nonprofits.”

The nonprofits were selected based on established criteria representing the Kings and Quick Quack’s core values. The criteria included attendance to the annual Kings Do Good Summit, holding a 501(c)3 status with good standing and commitment to at least one of the Kings Foundation focus areas, education, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and health.

The 2021-22 Sacramento Kings Community Starting 5 are as follows:

Sacramento Kings Community Starting 5 nonprofits will receive direct donations from the Kings Foundation, in-game video content, fan kiosks on the concourse, and exposure via the team’s social channels.

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Kings and Quick Quack Car Wash Launch Community Impact Program to  Amplify Local Nonprofits

The Sacramento Kings announced today that Vlade Divac has stepped down as General Manager. In the interim, Joe Dumars has been named Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and will immediately assume General Manager duties.

“This was a difficult decision, but we believe it is the best path ahead as we work to build a winning team that our loyal fans deserve,” said Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “We are thankful for Vlade’s leadership, commitment and hard work both on and off the court. He will always be a part of our Kings family.”

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the General Manager for the Kings,” said Vlade Divac. “I want to thank Vivek for the opportunity and recognize all of the incredible colleagues who I had the great pleasure of working with during my tenure. Sacramento and the Kings will always hold a special place in my heart and I wish them all the best moving forward.”

The team will work with Dumars to develop a long-term strategy for the organization’s basketball operations structure, to include a search for a permanent General Manager. No further personnel decisions will be made until a new General Manager is in place.

“Joe has become a trusted and valued advisor since joining the team last year, and I am grateful to have him take on this role at an important time for the franchise,” said Ranadivé.

In June 2019, Dumars was named Special Advisor to the General Manager and has over 30 years of NBA experience both as a player and front office executive in addition to an extensive executive business background.

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Vlade Divac Steps Down as Kings GM

The Sacramento Kings will host the “In This Together” Graduation Party presented by Accenture, a virtual celebration for high school and college graduates, their families and friends. The graduation party will take place live on Thursday, May 21, from 8 to 9 p.m. via Sacramento Kings YouTube channel.

“Over the coming months, thousands of local college and high school seniors will not have the opportunity to walk across a stage and be recognized for their hard work, countless hours of studying and dedication to their futures,” said Sacramento Kings President of Business Operations John Rinehart.  “As a father of a graduating senior, I couldn’t be prouder of the class of 2020, and the entire organization wanted to help both students and their families celebrate and reflect on this tremendous achievement.”

The “In This Together” Graduation Party will feature appearances by Kings forward Harry Giles, Head Coach Luke Walton, Assistant Coaches Bobby Jackson and Lindsey Harding, Player Development Coach Rico Hines and team executives along with shout outs from special celebrity guests, greetings from local leaders, music from Kings in-house DJ, Eddie Z, and photomontages submitted by graduates and their families. The event will be emceed by Kings in-game host Scott “Fresh” Freshour and comedian Lance Woods and will feature messages from the following individuals and more to come (in alphabetical order):

Graduates, their families and friends can submit photos, shout out videos and TikToks for the opportunity to be showcased throughout the program. Registered participants and attendees of the virtual graduation party will also be eligible for special giveaways, including Kings tickets, unique prizes from Golden 1 Credit Union, Raley’s and Sharif Jewelers, along with special grad packs featuring items from Mattress Firm, Sprint and more. Interested participants can register for this free event here and there is no limit to the number of attendees.

Golden 1 Center will also be recognizing the graduating class of 2020 with congratulatory messages on digital screens at the Grand Entrance and near the corner of L and 5th Streets from May 19 to June 30.

To learn more about “In This Together” and the team’s efforts to give back, visit Kings.com/Together.

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Sacramento Kings Host “In This Together” Virtual Graduation Party

The Basketball Federation of Serbia today announced that Igor Kokoskov has been named Head Coach of the Serbian National Team ahead of the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

Kokoskov, 47, is currently an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings after most recently serving as the head coach of the Phoenix Suns during the 2018-19 season and brings 19 seasons of experience in the NBA. He holds the distinction of becoming the first non-American born head coach in the NBA (2018), the first non-American assistant to serve on an NBA All-Star Game coaching staff (2006), and the first full-time, non-American assistant coach in league history (2000).

“Igor brings tremendous experience to our team and I know this opportunity to represent his country is a source of great pride for him,” said Kings Head Coach Luke Walton. “While his accomplishments internationally and throughout the NBA are impressive, more importantly he is an incredible human being who serves as an invaluable mentor for his players and key member of my coaching staff. On behalf of our entire team, it is my pleasure to congratulate Igor on this immense honor.”

Kokoskov has served as an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz (2015-18), Orlando Magic (2014-15), Cleveland Cavaliers (2013-14), Phoenix Suns (2008-13), Detroit Pistons (2003-08), and Los Angeles Clippers (2000-03). Kokoskov also worked with the Suns as an assistant coach from 2008-2013 and was on the bench for the team’s 2010 Western Conference Finals run. Kokoskov has been on the coaching staff of seven teams to reach the Conference Finals, two teams to reach the NBA Finals and won an NBA title as an assistant coach with the Pistons in 2004, becoming the first non-American assistant to be an NBA Champion.

A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Kokoskov is an accomplished international coach on top of his extensive NBA experience. As head coach of the Slovenian national team from 2016-2017, Kokoskov guided the nation to a gold-medal finish and perfect 9-0 record at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 as Slovenia captured its first-ever European Championship. He also was head coach of the Georgian national team from 2008-2015, qualifying for EuroBasket three times which Georgia had never accomplished previously. In 1999, Kokoskov became the first European coach to hold a full-time position with an NCAA Division I basketball program as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri under Quin Snyder. Kokoskov and Snyder reunited in the NBA on the Utah Jazz coaching staff.

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Igor Kokoskov Named Serbian National Team Coach

The Sacramento Kings announced today additions and promotions within the team’s basketball operations department.

The new additions include Teena Murray as Senior Director of Athlete Health and Performance, where she will lead the Kings sports medicine, athletic training and strength and conditioning disciplines. Additional hires to the Athlete Performance staff include Mike Roncarati as Head of Prevention and Reconditioning, Joe Resendez as Head Athletic Trainer and Jesse Green as Performance Analyst.

Recent hires and promotions in the scouting department include Elizabeth Ramsey, who joined the organization in May as Director of Basketball Operations and Intelligence. Gene Cross has been promoted to Director of Amateur Scouting, Chris Alpert and Acie Law join the team as regional scouts and Robbie Lemons was promoted to Scouting Coordinator.

Staffing updates to the team’s Athletic Performance and Scouting departments are accompanied by additions to the organization’s Player Development group, including Bobby Jackson as Sacramento Kings Player Development Coach and several key roles filled for the NBA G League Stockton Kings: Tyrone Ellis as Head Coach, Rico Hines as Assistant Coach and Drake U’u as Assistant General Manager.   

Additionally, Melanie Stocking was promoted to Senior Manager, Team Travel and Logistics and Matthew Baron was named Performance Chef’s Assistant. 

Murray arrives in Sacramento after spending the previous 14 years as the Director of Sports Performance at the University of Louisville, where she built a high-performance model spanning 21 sports and served as head performance coach for the women's basketball and softball teams, both perennial NCAA Tournament squads. In addition, she served as an adjunct faculty member in the graduate program of Exercise Science and has published research papers in the areas of functional movement and physiological profiling.

Over the course of two decades in the sports performance industry, Murray has extensive experience with professional, Olympic and collegiate athletes, having worked as a consultant with USA Hockey, the NHL's Florida Panthers and Anaheim Ducks and the AHL's Hartford Wolfpack. Her experience includes roles at Cornell University as Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning and a similar position at the University of Connecticut. As the strength and conditioning coach for the U.S. Women's National and Olympic ice hockey teams from 2006-2010, she shared in two World Championship gold medals and a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

A native of Shawville, Quebec (Canada), she is a Master Coach with the Collegiate Strength &amp; Conditioning Coaches' Association and is one of less than 100 certified strength and conditioning coaches by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Murray received the Guiding Woman in Sport Award for her leadership in the strength and conditioning field from the National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).

Most recently with the Atlanta Hawks for three seasons as Director of Rehabilitation, Roncarati brings a wealth of experience at the NBA and collegiate levels to his new role with Sacramento. Before his tenure in Atlanta, he served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Golden State Warriors from 2013-15, where his stint in Oakland culminated in an NBA championship. Before making the transition to professional basketball, Roncarati served as Physical Therapist and Strength and Conditioning Coach at South County Orthopedics, a sports medicine provider at that time for the University of Rhode Island. A graduate of Northeastern University and a Doctor of Physical Therapy, he worked with the athletic training and strength and conditioning staffs for the school’s basketball and baseball teams and co-authored a published paper regarding off-season medical screening for Division 1 Men’s Basketball players. In addition to his work in team athletics, the native of Cumberland, RI spent three years as a personal rehabilitation expert working with collegiate and professional athletes and members of the general population. Roncarati is a credentialed Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Resendez joins the Kings having spent the previous seven seasons as assistant athletic trainer for the Los Angeles Clippers. Prior to his work at the NBA level, Resendez spent four seasons as the athletic trainer/strength and conditioning coach for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League, where he contributed to a pair of NBA D-League Finals Appearances (2010 &amp; 2011). His tenure with the Vipers commenced before the club’s inaugural season after the Brownsville, Texas native served a two-year stint as head trainer for the Men’s Basketball team at Louisiana Tech, where he earned his Master’s Degree of Science in exercise physiology in 2006. After earning a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Medicine from the University of Texas-Pan American in 2003, Resendez spent one season as the assistant athletic trainer at the University of Texas-San Antonio. A certified athletic trainer through the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) and a licensed athletic trainer (LAT), Resendez specializes in joint and soft tissue manipulation/mobilization and restorative therapies.

Also relocating from the University of Louisville, Green served as an Athletic Performance Fellow and Analyst for the Cardinals after four years with the Brisbane Lions Australian Rules Football Club, where he worked as the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. He holds a Master Degree in Performance Sport from Australian Catholic University and earned a Bachelor of Sports Science at Bond University.    

Hired in May after 11 years with the NCAA, Ramsey most recently served four seasons as Associate Director of Enforcement and Basketball Development managing cases regarding NCAA violations in men’s and women’s basketball while working closely as a liaison between coaches, athletes, conferences and other third-party entities. In her new role, she will assist with the day-to-day functioning of the basketball operations and scouting departments. A graduate of the University of Indianapolis, Ramsey also earned a masters of Sports Administration from Canisius College and law degree from Indiana University McKinney School of Law. As a collegiate athlete, she ranks first Hounds history in points, field goals, scoring average, rebounds, rebounding average and double-doubles—earning induction into the University of Indianapolis Hall of Fame in 2017.

Cross begins his third season with the Kings organization and first as Director of Amateur Scouting. He previously served as a regional scout after spending the 2015-16 season as an assistant coach with the Reno Bighorns. Cross adds more than two decades of basketball experience to his new role, including stops as a head coach for the University of Toledo (2008-10), Erie Bayhawks (2012-14) and Rayos de Hermosillo (Sonora, Mexico). Cross’ tenure in the coaching ranks also features assistant duties at the Universities of Notre Dame, Illinois-Chicago, DePaul and Virginia in addition to stints with D-League franchises Utah Flash, Iowa Energy and Los Angeles Defenders. A Chicago native, he played collegiate basketball at the University of Illinois from 1989 to 1994. 

Alpert joins the Kings scouting department after 20 years working around professional basketball in a variety of capacities. Before serving as COO of Up2Us Sports, he spent 14 seasons in several roles within the NBA Development League, leaving in 2015 as Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel.

Selected No. 11 overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, Law played seven seasons in the league and three internationally, winning Greek (Olympiacos) and EuroLeague Championships before retiring in 2017. Known as “Captain Clutch” during his time at Texas A&amp;M, he earned the 2007 Bob Cousy Award bestowed upon the nation’s top point guard. Most recently, Law was chosen for the NBA Basketball Operations Associate Program, spending last season working across various areas of league operations.

Lemons begins his third season with the organization and first as Scouting Coordinator after serving in a Basketball Operations role during the previous two campaigns. A Sacramento native, the 2015 Stanford graduate earned First-Team PAC-12 All-Academic honors as a member of the Cardinal basketball team (2010-2014). Lemons secured his public policy MA in Palo Alto and MSC in banking and finance from Newcastle University.   

A mainstay in Sacramento on and off the court during his playing tenure, Jackson will join head coach Dave Joerger’s staff this season as a player development coach after spending the previous three seasons as a collegiate scout for the organization. His coaching experience includes two seasons on the Kings bench (2010-12) and another in Minnesota (2013). The Salisbury, North Carolina native played 12 seasons in the NBA, accruing averages of 9.7 points (.417 FG%, .354 3pt%, .793 FT%), 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.98 steals and 22.2 minutes per contest in 755 games (started 143), punctuated by an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2003 as a member of the Kings after registering a career-best 15.2 points (.464 FG%, .379 3pt%, .846 FT%), 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.53 steals and 28.4 minutes per game.   

Ellis arrives in Stockton having spent the previous 20 years involved in basketball as a collegiate and professional player and coach at the NBA G League, USA Basketball and NBA levels. He takes the helm ahead of the Kings 2018-19 debut season in California’s central valley after relocating from Reno, Nevada where the club played for 10 seasons. The opportunity marks Ellis’ second instance as a head coach for an inaugural NBA G League campaign after being tapped to lead the Northern Arizona Suns (Prescott Valley, AZ) in 2016. Following his retirement from the court in 2012, Ellis accepted his first coaching position with the Tulsa 66ers (NBA D-League), where he served as an assistant for one year before taking similar roles with the Reno Bighorns (2013-14), Grand Rapids Drive (2014-15) and Bakersfield Jam (2015-16). He spent last season as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns.

Hines joins the Stockton Kings bench as an assistant coach for Tyrone Ellis after serving the last two seasons in a similar role with the Reno Bighorns. His coaching experience includes five years as an assistant under Steve Lavin at St. John’s University (2010-15) and four seasons in Golden State working under Don Nelson as a player development assistant (2006-10). Hines is a 2002 graduate of UCLA.

U’u enters his fourth season with the organization and first as Assistant General Manager of the Stockton Kings after serving in a variety of roles, most recently as Pro Personnel Scout. Before joining the Kings, U’u played professionally for two seasons in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) for the Perth Wildcats, where he won a championship in 2014. The Sacramento native played collegiately for the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Stocking begins her 13th season with the Kings after being named Senior Manager, Team Travel and Logistics. Prior to her new role, she served as Manager of Basketball Operations and in various other capacities during her tenure with the organization. A native of Winters, California, Stocking is a Sonoma State University graduate.  

Baron enters his third season with the Kings after being named Performance Chef’s Assistant. Previously, Baron served as the Sports Nutrition Intern after receiving his BA in Nutrition from California State University, Sacramento.

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Kings Announce Basketball Operations Additions and Promotions

Sacramento, Calif. – On Thursday, May 3, Sacramento’s annual Big Day of Giving will encourage residents from throughout the region to support the area’s non-profit community through a mass fundraising call to action. Sacramento Kings Shooting-Guard Garrett Temple will match donations made on this day to the St. HOPE organization, up to $20,000. This offer of matching contributions will provide an additional incentive for community members to donate to St. HOPE, which operates several charter schools in Oak Park including Sacramento Charter High School.

Early in the 2017-18 NBA season, Temple “adopted” Sacramento Charter High School, serving as a mentor while leading discussions on issues such as race, leadership and the importance of academics.

“It has been an incredible experience to work and connect with the students at Sac High this season,” said Garrett Temple. “With our community coming together to support the development and growth of the region, I hope to motivate others to contribute and help shape these bright, young minds and provide the tools needed to create future leaders.”

Temple’s donation will be used to help to transform the outdated library at Sacramento Charter High School by purchasing new academic resources for current and future students to prepare them for college and beyond. The Sacramento Kings Foundation will also contribute to provide additional media and technology resources for students.

Temple has built a unique and strong relationship with the student community at Sacramento Charter High School. He has hosted town hall discussions with additional members of the Sacramento Kings, supported the student community by attending basketball games, treated students to a screening of Marvel’s Black Panther, and maintained ongoing communication by checking-in and sharing messages of encouragement throughout the year.

“Garrett’s generous contribution will provide our students – now and in the years to come – with a space they can be proud of to enhance their studies, continue research and support the next steps of their education on their path to and through college,” said Sacramento Charter High School Athletic Director, Jim Scheible. “Not only is Garrett inspiring our students to do great work with their peers, he is also creating awareness of our school and our extraordinary students through his platform as an athlete to spread the message beyond our community.”

To help St. HOPE and Sacramento Charter High School meet their $50,000 goal this Big Day of Giving, visit https://www.bigdayofgiving.org/sthope.

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Garrett Temple to Match Big Day of Giving Contributions Supporting Sacramento Charter High School

Bogdan Bogdanovic (Sprained Right Ankle) is PROBABLE for Monday's road contest versus the Phoenix Suns

Harry Giles (Bi Lateral Knee Rehabilitation) remains OUT.

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Injury Report: Kings vs Suns

With Playoff implications on the line, the Sacramento Kings entered tonight’s final game in Los Angeles hoping to play the role of spoiler. 

Unfortunately, the hometown team defended their turf as the Clippers toppled the Kings 115-95 in both teams' regular season finale.

Five Kings scored in double figures Wednesday night, led by Willie Cauley-Stein. He flirted with a triple-double, finishing with a well-rounded game. The second-year big man out of Kentucky totaled an impressive 19 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and one block on the night.

Sacramento played neck-and-neck with Los Angeles on their home floor until midway through the third quarter. The Clippers built on a four-point, halftime advantage by closing out the period on a 22-12 run. From there, the Clippers ballooned their lead to an insurmountable difference the Kings couldn’t overcome for the remainder of the game.

At around 50 percent, both teams shot practically even on the night. The difference in the contest, however, were three critical scoring categories. The Clippers topped the Kings in points off turnovers (16-2), points in the paint (48-34) and fast break points (26-5).

In addition to Cauley-Stein, Sacramento saw standout performances from Arron Afflalo, Buddy Hield and Ben McLemore. Afflalo scored 18 on an effective 8-of-11 from the field while Hield chipped in 16 on 2-of-4 shooting from 3-point distance. McLemore came off the bench to contribute a healthy 15 points to go along with seven rebounds, a block and an assist.