The Sacramento Kings have languished in NBA obscurity (or hilarity) for nearly a decade and Rudy Gay held nothing back in welcoming George Karl to the fold when the veteran head coach was hired in February 2015. Marc Stein of ESPN, in the midst of reporting on Gay and a trade rumor, unveiled a gem from the talented forward:
An aside on Gay: He’s quoted in an advance copy of George Karl’s forthcoming book “Furious George,” due to be published in January by HarperCollins, as telling Karl when he met the new Sacramento coach for the first time in February 2015, “Welcome to basketball hell.”
In fairness to Gay, this probably would not be the first time that Sacramento has been referred to as “Basketball Hell” in the recent past, but it is not a great look for a player that remains employed by the organization. Gay has reportedly let the Kings know that he will not be returning after the 2016-2017 season, despite holding a player option, and that has widely been assumed to be a pseudo-trade demand given the way that he feels about the organization.
George Karl did not exactly receive rave reviews for his work in Sacramento, including widely publicized clashes with the team’s best player in DeMarcus Cousins. However, it appears that he may not have entered the fray under the best circumstances, and the head coach has Rudy Gay to thank for an ominous welcome.
