Former NBA bench boss George Karl. AP file photo
Former NBA coach George Karl left no stone unturned in terms of criticizing his former Denver Nuggets players in his new memoir “Furious George” set to be out next month.
NBA: Ex-Nuggets coach George Karl lambasts Carmelo Anthony in new book
As it turns out, the feisty mentor also had unflattering remarks about the last NBA team he ever coached, the Sacramento Kings, which did not make the book’s final cut, ESPN reported.
The 65-year-old was unable to publish his sentiments regarding some of the Kings personnel—including volatile superstar DeMarcus Cousins, owner Vivek Ranadive, and general manager Vlade Divac—as he was “not authorized” to slander the California-based franchise.
His tumultuous stay in Sacramento only lasted 14 months, with the team firing him after he clashed with management, and amassing a mediocre 44-68 win-loss record.
In compliance with a settlement agreement, Karl must refrain from critical commentary of the organization upon his departure, the report clarified.
Aside from his unprinted stories concerning the team’s key members, Karl also reportedly detailed a story about how current Kings’ forward Rudy Gay greeted him upon first arriving in Sac-town, who said “Welcome to basketball hell.” The exchange was left out as well from the final manuscript.
Karl’s seemingly out-of-line remarks during his tenure at the Mile High City has sparked outrage from several of his former players who have publicly denounced his views.
His extremely-strained relationship with Cousins was well documented last season, and it’s highly likely that ‘Boogie’ would have responded harshly to Karl’s thoughts about him. Khristian Ibarrola