Alapag ends Kings stint

Philippine basketball icon Jimmy Alapag formally ended his tenure as a player development coach of the Sacramento Kings after three fruitful years in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Alapag made the announcement on social media on Tuesday, expressing his gratitude to the organization after finishing 14th in the Western Conference with a 22-60 win-loss record.

“Thank you SacTown. My time here is up. Grateful for all the love shown to my family and I,” said the former playmaker of Gilas Pilipinas and TNT Tropang 5G in the Philippine Basketball Association.

“What was once a dream to coach in the NBA became a reality in Sacramento. Thankful for all the amazing experiences, the lessons, the growth and most importantly the time spent with some of the best people/fans in the NBA.”

The six-time PBA champion actually started as an assistant coach for their Kings’ G League team in Stockton.

Then, he landed the coaching stint after talking with Sacramento legend and former general manager Vlade Divac, who became his colleague in the Players Commission of the International Basketball Federation.

“I actually reached out to Vlade because we’re on the FIBA Players Commission together. I said ‘Hey Vlade, I’ve been coaching now for the last three years and just wanted to reach out and see if there might be an opportunity to work with you guys,” Alapag said.

“Our country has such a deep love and passion for the game of basketball. To be able to represent that with the Kings has been great.”

While Alapag wasn’t able to reach the playoffs with the Kings, he was still responsible for helping stars like De’Aaron Fox, Keon Ellis, Zach Lavine, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook.

Fox, who now plays for the San Antonio Spurs, fondly recalled his time with Alapag despite sharing the court for only one season.

“You know, it’s crazy — when I first met him, I didn’t know that he was a legend,” Fox said.

“But I mean, his shooting ability and how he works with guys, trying to develop that shot, I think is probably the biggest thing. But also, he’s one of the better people that you’ll ever meet. Once I found out he was a legend, I was like, damn, makes it even better.”