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Themes develop every year during training camp. The 2025-26 version of this Sacramento Kings annual event is no different.

When media is allowed into the team’s practice facility, the players are usually running and head coach Doug Christie has said that he wants his group to be the best conditioned squad in the league. Veteran center Drew Eubanks went as far as to call this the toughest training camp he’s been a part of in his eight years in the league.

“Honestly, this is probably the hardest training camp I’ve had or been a part of,” Eubanks said following Saturday’s practice. “Just going…it seems like every single day it’s been a two and a half, three hour practice where we’re getting up and down and competing. It’s been great so far, I love it.”

Christie likes to use the “iron sharpens iron” line from Proverbs 27:17. He wants a competitive camp that at times gets a little uncomfortable. The read and react offensive system he is instituting takes chemistry and timing. The only way to build that chemistry and timing is to get on the court and compete in live action as much as possible. 

Outside of the play on the court, there is something more subtle happening during camp. Following each day, there is a meeting that takes place on the sidelines between Christie and the front office trio of Scott Perry, B.J. Armstrong and Alvin Gentry. 

It’s not uncommon for a general manager to show up to a practice, although it wasn’t commonplace during the Monte McNair era of Kings basketball. What feels different is the camaraderie and joy the group seem to share. 

“It’s natural, it just happened,” Christie told The Kings Beat. “Scott understands me. I understand Scott. He’s a hell of a dude. As a mentor, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

A mentor, mentee relationship isn’t always necessary between a coach and a GM. It’s a symbiotic relationship, but there is often a power dynamic that can’t be ignored. The fact that Perry is taking a unique approach to working with Christie, who is entering his first full season as an NBA head coach, is a welcomed sight. 

“The willingness to spend time, to talk about everything, has been a God sent,” Christie said. 

This isn’t just a camp performance while cameras are rolling. Perry invited Christie to Chicago to take part in the pre-draft combine and even brought Christie into the interview process. Christie also said that he had input into the signing of veteran point Dennis Schröder. 

“It’s necessary, you know what I mean,” Christie said of having input. “Like -- what do you want, what do you value, what do you see?”

In addition, Perry invited Christie to his annual visit to Pittsburg Steeler camp where the pair hung out with legendary NFL head coach Mike Tomlin. 

Christie also made a trip this summer with Armstrong to visit Ettore Messina, the long time European head coach and former San Antonio Spurs assistant. This all appears to be part of a plan to build the connective tissue between the coaching staff and front office. 

This attempt to bond didn’t stop with trips around the globe. Christie’s coaching staff is a combination of pieces from the staff of last season, the addition of Christie’s long time friend and former teammate, Bobby Jackson, and also a pair of experienced assistants with deep ties to Perry in Mike Woodson and Mike Miller.

It’s early, but the developing relationship between Perry and Christie is paramount to the future success of the Kings. In the past, the lack of connectivity between the front office and coaching staff spelled the undoing of Michael Malone in Sacramento. It played a role in George Karl’s dismissal, Dave Joerger’s departure after three seasons, Luke Walton’s firing and the train wreck of a season last year when Mike Brown was let go after 31 games.

“To spend that time with them, to talk basketball with them, also, to be on the same page, I haven’t really experienced that and been around it since I’ve been back,” Christie told media members on Saturday. “The last time it was me as a player, I saw that, I saw people doing that, but I haven’t experienced it since I’ve been back here. It’s just a blessing.”

Christie saw the value of a front office and coaching staff being in lock step during his time as a player with the Kings in the early 2000s. This group has a long way to go before we can compare Perry and Christie to the duo of Rick Adelman and Geoff Petrie, but the fact that the Kings’ new GM is taking steps to build this type of relationship and Christie is open and receptive to the process is progress. 

Earlier in the week we covered Media Day and the opening of training camp. Since that post, there has been rapid fire days of camp, with plenty of opportunity to catch up with the current roster.

Camp videos don’t usually lead to some incredible epiphany, especially in the first week, but there are still plenty of small items to discuss. Here is a look at the week that was in Sacramento.

Day 2 of Camp

Christie continues to preach connectivity and what he calls “diversity in thought, and unity of purpose and direction.“ Christie has the task of installing an offensive and defensive scheme, but a read-and-react system requires chemistry and court time.

On Media Day, DeMar DeRozan had some harsh words about last season and the chaos that ended up overwhelming the team. He clarified some of his comments on Wednesday and also discussed Christie’s approach to his first camp.

Domantas Sabonis is looking forward to being the hub on offense and is ready to play from different spots on the floor. He also said that camp has been strict as Christie and Perry implement their values and rules.

Day 3 of Camp

The basketball communications staff allowed media in early on Thursday so we could watch some of the 5v5 action. This has become a rarity in Sacramento over the last decade or so, but it helped to establish the intensity of camp. Players are locked in and even a little chippy.

Malik Monk was nothing but smiles after the scrimmage. The battle between him and Schröder raises the level of play on the court and no one likes talking trash more than the Kings’ star six man.

In a rare move, rookie Nique Clifford got the call to the press scrum early in camp. He discussed the learning experience, learning from DeRozan and turning heads with his ability to read the pick-and-roll game.

Christie is hyper focused on defense during camp, but he addressed the team’s offensive strengths during the third day of training camp. It’s a work in progress, but the team has shooters, scorers and plenty of playmakers.

Day 4 of Camp

Like the previous day, media was allowed in to see the tail end of practice on Friday. The youngsters gave the starters all they could handle, including a big game winner from Devin Carter and some loud profanity from rookie Maxime Raynaud.

Keon Ellis checked in after practice. He still hasn’t watched footage of Christie playing defense, which will be a running joke with the defensive stopper, until it’s not. The style of play fits Ellis perfectly as he enters an extremely important contract season.

Christie said he wants 10 3-point attempts per game from Keegan Murray. The fourth-year forward said that 10 attempts is more of a guideline than a rule, but he plans to be more aggressive this season as he looks to expand his game.

Camp has a vibe this season. There is a lot of laughter and what feels like joy on the court. The players are competing and they also seem to be 100 percent engaged and focused on improving, but they are also having a good time. Christie was quick to point out that this is a game you play as kids and it’s supposed to be fun.

Day 5 of Camp

On Saturday afternoon, the team was running transition offense drills to finish practice. There weren’t a lot of made 3-pointers, but you can see how the team hopes to push the tempo.

Following practice, a pair of reserve centers joined the media scrum. We included the Drew Eubanks video at the top of this post, but Raynaud also chatted with the media about his first experience at an NBA camp.

Christie had one more meeting with the media to finish off the first week of camp where he talked about the identity the team is hoping to create.