Sacramento Kings forward DeMar DeRozan is ‘what a pro is all about’

In his first season with the Sacramento Kings, veteran forward DeMar DeRozan was driving to the airport on Dec. 27, 2024, for a work trip with his then-head coach Mike Brown trailing behind him. It was a journey that DeRozan was looking forward to as he was heading back home to Los Angeles.

Suddenly, Brown wasn’t behind DeRozan anymore. Brown took a different road after being relieved of his duties on a phone call.

“That was the first time I ever dealt with the firing of a coach in the middle of the season,” DeRozan recently told Andscape. “It’s new for a lot of the guys who played for him for multiple years. It’s much different from my standpoint of still being new having to adjust to that.

“It’s hard to process it when you’re still going through it.”

For DeRozan, there has admittedly been adjustment, newness and challenges in his first season with the Kings. Even so, he is still ecstatic about his decision to come to Sacramento and their success in January.

The Kings ended 2024 with a disappointing 14-19 record just days after firing the popular Brown. But so far in 2025, DeRozan, interim head coach Doug Christie and the Kings appear to be heading in the right direction with nine wins in their past 10 games. Tonight, the Kings face their Northern California rival Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center on ESPN (10 p.m. ET).

“When you make a decision, it’s part of our job,” DeRozan said about coming to Sacramento. “You don’t get to do this forever. You got to make the most out of every [situation] I am in…

“An opportunity to try to win, that is what it’s all about at the end of the day. And take whatever comes with that. Anything is possible. So, for me, it’s an opportunity to still be able to play at a high level, see what happens from there.”

During Brown’s first season as head coach in Sacramento in 2023, the Kings made the postseason for the first time in 17 years. Sacramento, however, didn’t return to the postseason in 2024 after losing in the NBA play-in tournament. The Kings made a major free agency move by acquiring DeRozan in a three-team trade that sent veteran forward Harrison Barnes to the San Antonio Spurs. DeRozan received a three-year, $74 million contract that allowed him to play in California for the first time in his 16-year NBA career.

DeRozan entered the season optimistic about the direction of the Kings. He added that Kings stars De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis have done a great job of “making it easier on me and vice versa.”

“[I like] The passion, the drive from the coaching staff — from the players to the fan base to everything — top to bottom,” DeRozan said to Andscape before the regular season began. “Guys want to win. You’ve seen where they were two years ago. The talent that was there and even last year before injuries. Anything is possible.”

Anything seemed possible for the Kings after a frustrating start to the season.

The Kings opened the season with a 9-12 record, then spiraled further in mid-December with five consecutive losses. The final loss during that stretch came after a shooting foul by Fox led to a late four-point play that vaulted the Detroit Pistons to a stunning 114-113 victory on Dec. 26.

The next day, Brown was surprisingly fired after conducting practice and post-practice media interviews. The firing came just months after Brown was given a three-year extension paying $8.5 million annually. There were also questions as to whether DeRozan was a good fit in Sacramento.

Through it all, DeRozan has stayed his usual even keel and continued to adjust in a positive direction.

“There is a little bit of everything [to adjust to],” DeRozan told Andscape. “When there is something new, there is always going to be a continuous adjustment that you got to get used to, playing with different styles of players. For the most part, most of the guys have been here for the last two or three years plus. They’re committed to offense, defense. There isn’t too much of an adjustment other than being in a new situation.”

To Christie’s credit, they have been sparked back into winning since his arrival.

The Kings players have enjoyed Christie’s players-coach mentality, simpler offensive scheme, rah-rah approach, a constantly changing defensive scheme and pride in playing in Sacramento, multiple sources told Andscape. DeRozan also had the Kings video team put a video of Christie’s defensive highlights together from his NBA days to show his teammates how good he was.

The rejuvenated Kings have recovered with an 8-1 record in January. DeRozan has also had his best offensive month thus far with the franchise, averaging 24.3 points, 3.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 3-pointers made per game. On the mentality of the Kings now, Christie recently said: “It’s faceless. It’s about you. It’s about your process play to play, night to night, and being about your business. And to those guys in that locker room, I say, ‘massive respect.’ ”

Said DeRozan: “Couple of weeks ago, we’re trying to figure it out and turn it around. And now we’re trending in the right direction.”

DeRozan grew up in Compton, California, where he starred at Compton High School, then played a season at USC. He lives in Los Angeles in the offseason and has enjoyed his family and other loved ones being so close to him now that he is in Sacramento.

While DeRozan says his house is safe, he has loved ones whose homes have been affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles.

“Everybody is safe for the most part,” DeRozan recently said. “My heart goes out to anybody who lost anything in L.A. through the fires. The tragedy is something I still can’t wrap my head around. Just from videos and pictures that I’ve seen. I hope a speedy recovery for everyone in L.A. But it’s going to be a long road. For the most part on my side, everyone is safe.”

DeRozan, 35, is definitely the veteran leader of the Kings. He told Andscape before the season that he doesn’t want to play into his 40s. The six-time NBA All-Star has credited taking care of his body for the reason for his longevity learning from the likes of Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

DeRozan recently passed for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson for 29th place on the NBA career scoring list. DeRozan has scored 24,379 points in 1,147 NBA games. Just 67 points ahead of DeRozan in 28th place is Golden State star Stephen Curry.

“Congratulations to DeMar in getting 29th all-time in the NBA in scoring,” Christie recently said. “That is special. If you pass Allen Iverson in anything, you’re doing something. To my man, much respect. DeMar is what a pro is all about.”