With the Sacramento Kings 2025-2026 season done and done, many expected head coach Doug Christie to be on the unemployment line. Instead, the Kings have decided to double down, though a different, surprising change has taken place as Jimmy Alapag is leaving the team.
Sacramento Kings assistant coach Jimmy Alapag announces his departure from the Kings.
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) April 15, 2026
Jimmy has always been kind to the media, making the effort to come and speak with us before games and just chop it up about anything from basketball to life.
He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/BLcrU2dGWT
Many fans might not know the name Alapag, but he is a basketball legend in the Philippines. He played for 14 years in the Philippine Basketball Association, where he won six championships and was named the MVP. After that, he moved to the US to become a coach in the NBA.
Most recently, Alapag has been serving as a player development coach with the Kings for three years. He also worked with Sacramento's G League affiliate in Stockton as the assistant coach. While his name isn't familiar to everyone, he was a beloved member of the overall Kings organization.
Well, he was until a few days ago. Alapag recently announced his decision to leave the Kings after six years to pursue new coaching opportunities elsewhere. What that means isn't clear at this point, as he hasn't announced what's next for him, either in the NBA or somewhere else.
Is this the first of more coaching changes in Sacramento?
As a general rule, he was considered to be a well-respected member of the Kings' coaching staff. There have been no indications that anyone in the organization was unhappy with him or his work, which supports the idea that this move is completely voluntary.
At the same time, the Kings are going through a rebuild process. That will be focused on the players, of course, but it will also impact the coaching staff. There are likely more coaching changes coming, some by the choice of the individual and others by the choice of the organization.
All Alapag indicated was that it was time for him to move on. That doesn't mean anything secret or negative, just that he was ready for something new. Now being the right time to find the next evolution could be a result of other changes happening on the Kings due to the rebuild.
No one is suggesting that the Kings asked him to leave or didn't want Alapag to stay. But he may have reached a point where he didn't feel comfortable in the organization anymore and wanted to find a better fit. Regardless, the Kings won't be the same without his presence.
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