While the Kings aren't always contenders, they are usually at least fun to watch. That was missing last season. There was nothing fun about the Kings' 2024-2025 trainwreck, which is a lot nicer language than what DeMar DeRozan used to describe their failed campaign.
Sure, there were a lot of missing pieces in the organization, both on and off the court. The season didn't start off great, but it really started to fall apart after the franchise fired former head coach Mike Brown. It definitely wasn't fun to watch everything crumble after that.
When people talk about the fun aspects of watching the Kings play, what they are really talking about is the identity of the team. With everything that went down in 2024-2025, it felt like the Kings lost their drive, identity, and focus, which was devastating for the team.
It's hard for a team to have fun in that kind of situation.
Apparently, finding everything the team has lost is a big part of their plans for 2025-2026. It was a message that came through in several interviews with the coaching staff, front office, and players. This year, the Kings are going to try to have a lot more fun.
Zach LaVine is on board
One player who seems to be all in with this direction is Zach LaVine. He joined the team halfway through last season as part of the three-team trade that saw De'Aaron Fox head to San Antonio. This will be his first full season in Sacramento. And he is ready to go.
"We have a singular focus where we are actually looking for an identity. I think that's what we were missing last year... We didn't have a direction. We were just out there playing."
— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) September 30, 2025
Kings guard Zach LaVine with @CarmichaelDave & @JasonRoss1140: pic.twitter.com/0omsORkrqX
It seems like the veteran shooting guard is excited to get on the court and leave everything out there. He reinforced the idea that the Kings were missing their identity last season, and that was a big contributing factor to their ongoing issues. It's necessary to work on it going into this season.
This year, the Kings are starting 2025-2026 with direction. They're looking to get on the court with a stronger focus on defense, playing as a team with purpose, and straight up just having fun. These were all topics covered in other media day interviews, including head coach Doug Christie.
Those are great talking points for media day. Putting them into practice is a completely different issue altogether. As the 2025-2026 season continues, hopefully the Kings can find both fun and success on the court. Their fans would certainly appreciate it.