The Sacramento Kings slipped out of the headlines recently which is fine. More often than not, the perennial lottery team is making waves for reasons that defy logic.
The lack of attention doesn’t mean the air has cleared between head coach George Karl and All-Star DeMarcus Cousins. Kings de facto general manager Vlade Divac confirmed reports on Thursday in a interview by CBSSports’ Jim Rome. Asked about Karl and Cousins’ complex relationship and his role as the middle man, Divac responded by beginning to say, “Well I have to be honest with you, I think it’s not pretty right now…”
Three hours later the Sacramento media interviewed Divac at the Kings’ practice facility in conclusion of their summer league mini-camp. The 47-year-old shared insight into his own troubles getting along with peers and explained his standing message to Cousins and Karl.
“Well (they need) to realize what we’re trying to do here,” Divac said. “We try to make the environment fun, like today at practice. And try to win games. You know, just told coach, I had a teammate, we didn’t talk for three years. But we were best teammates. So that’s what I want. Put personal agendas aside and do what they can do best. He needs to be the best coach he can be, because he is one of the best. And DeMarcus, best big guy in the league, because he is. So, I try to work so see how it goes.”
Divac was asked whether he was optimistic the two could patch things up, which he replied, “Why not? You know, I’m going to try to do my best. You know, if it doesn’t work, then I’ll try to make the decision.”
“The thing I want to create here is not about DeMarcus, it’s not about the coach, it’s about the team,” Divac added later. “They should leave their egos and whatever they have on the side, and try to be a true King. And that’s what we’ll ask for both of them.”
Marriage counselor likely wasn’t part of the job description when Divac became Vice President of Basketball and Franchise Relations on March 3, 2015. Yet since before the news leaked of a Cousins-Karl rift days from the draft, the first-year front office lead man has been tasked to healing a partnership along with his team-building responsibilities.
So far Divac has held up. Eventually he’ll need his coach and star player to step up as well, preferably behind the scenes.
(HT to Sactown Royalty’s Tony Xypteras.)
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