Sad..so, so sad. WE MISS YOU DOUG!...also why is it that voisins name is in big print before the title of the article? ego much!!
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Ailene Voisin: Christies long for the comforts of Sacramento
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, March 3, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. - Doug Christie swallowed hard, then turned away. He wants to talk about the Kings, he really does.
He just can't.
His wounds are too deep, his memories too intense.
"Talk to my wife (Jackie)," the 13-year veteran said before his Orlando Magic became the latest team to feast on the Kings' defensive generosity. "I didn't really know what to expect when I got here, but I didn't expect this. I don't even know what to say. Disappointed is an understatement."
The Christies remain in a state of shock, perhaps even a state of denial. Their discomfort is visible, is etched on their features, his and hers. The recent trade that sent the popular shooting guard/playmaker to the Magic for Cuttino Mobley, a move intended to enhance scoring, improve salary-cap flexibility and provide Geoff Petrie with three months to evaluate a younger, more prolific performer, in the Christies' opinion already is a one-sided affair; the biggest loser in the deal is clearly Doug Christie, and by extension his wife and their three children.
The Christies may travel separately these days - the organization does not allow wives on charter flights - but they still come and go as a package. They share all their experiences, even the worst of them, seldom leaving each other's side. And the longtime King, one of the more respected, popular players in the franchise's Sacramento era, not only no longer plays in the comfortable craziness of Arco Arena, no longer lives in the same neighborhood as Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic, he no longer occupies a spot in the starting lineup in Orlando. The job description seemingly was re-written after the fact, thrusting him into a situation that caught him off guard, and as of last weekend left him wondering about the very state of his career.
"Doug is distraught," Jackie offered. "He's still not over the trade, and it's not even the basketball part of it. It's the feel of Sacramento, the fans, the community. Sometimes he gets so down ... we have a farewell video that the Kings gave us before we left, and I'll find him sitting there watching it, and he gets all choked up. I'll tell him, 'Doug, you have to stop.' But everything was so special there. The one good thing is that we'll be out there on March 15."
The Christies might not recognize the place, or at least might not recognize the Kings. These aren't the Kings of early-to-midseason 2004-05, the team dominated offensively by Chris Webber, and definitely not the Vlade Divac-led squad that challenged for the league's best record until late last year, succeeding because of intuitive selflessness, exceptional passing, and marvelous, if inexplicable, chemistry.
As was apparent with this latest effort, the current, still-evolving assemblage headlined by Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic and Brad Miller embodies the characteristics of an improved defensive unit on some nights, only to prove as pliable as peanut butter mere hours later. The inability to resist during critical sequences proved decisive again Wednesday night, the penetration of Steve Francis, Grant Hill and Jameer Nelson ultimately dictating the outcome, and in a bizarre, unintentional twist further diminishing Christie's role.
Acquired for his defense and basketball acumen, the pogo-thin Christie recently was replaced in the starting lineup because coach Johnny Davis wanted a pure point guard (Nelson) to help pry the ball out of Francis' sticky hands. The logic of the move nothwithstanding, after spending all but six minutes on the bench Wednesday night, looking depressed and surprisingly disengaged, Christie bolted out of the locker room, offering only a few hurried remarks. He left before saying goodbye. He left without a word for his friends. "Doug's gone?" a visibly disappointed Stojakvovic asked. "Great man, great man. I know this must be hard on him."
In Sacramento, remember, Christie was an icon of sorts, a family man with the quirky hand signals and the unconventional marriage. In Orlando, he is just another reserve, Jackie just another wife.
"I've been traded before," he said, "but this was the hardest, without a doubt."
Before the couple reached the parking lot, arms still linked, expressions still grim, Jackie shared a story: At a recent birthday party for 4-year-old Doug Jr., one of his cousins gave him a Mike Bibby basketball card. Doug, Jr. stared at the gift, then turned to his parents. When are we moving back? When are we going home? "I told him that this is where his daddy works now," Jackie continued, "but he didn't understand. He said, 'I was born there. I like my friends there. I want to see Slamson again. When are we leaving?' That breaks your heart. But I'm just trying to stay positive for Doug."
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/12376764p-13232754c.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ailene Voisin: Christies long for the comforts of Sacramento
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Sports Columnist
Published 2:15 am PST Thursday, March 3, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. - Doug Christie swallowed hard, then turned away. He wants to talk about the Kings, he really does.
He just can't.
His wounds are too deep, his memories too intense.
"Talk to my wife (Jackie)," the 13-year veteran said before his Orlando Magic became the latest team to feast on the Kings' defensive generosity. "I didn't really know what to expect when I got here, but I didn't expect this. I don't even know what to say. Disappointed is an understatement."
The Christies remain in a state of shock, perhaps even a state of denial. Their discomfort is visible, is etched on their features, his and hers. The recent trade that sent the popular shooting guard/playmaker to the Magic for Cuttino Mobley, a move intended to enhance scoring, improve salary-cap flexibility and provide Geoff Petrie with three months to evaluate a younger, more prolific performer, in the Christies' opinion already is a one-sided affair; the biggest loser in the deal is clearly Doug Christie, and by extension his wife and their three children.
The Christies may travel separately these days - the organization does not allow wives on charter flights - but they still come and go as a package. They share all their experiences, even the worst of them, seldom leaving each other's side. And the longtime King, one of the more respected, popular players in the franchise's Sacramento era, not only no longer plays in the comfortable craziness of Arco Arena, no longer lives in the same neighborhood as Brad Miller and Peja Stojakovic, he no longer occupies a spot in the starting lineup in Orlando. The job description seemingly was re-written after the fact, thrusting him into a situation that caught him off guard, and as of last weekend left him wondering about the very state of his career.
"Doug is distraught," Jackie offered. "He's still not over the trade, and it's not even the basketball part of it. It's the feel of Sacramento, the fans, the community. Sometimes he gets so down ... we have a farewell video that the Kings gave us before we left, and I'll find him sitting there watching it, and he gets all choked up. I'll tell him, 'Doug, you have to stop.' But everything was so special there. The one good thing is that we'll be out there on March 15."
The Christies might not recognize the place, or at least might not recognize the Kings. These aren't the Kings of early-to-midseason 2004-05, the team dominated offensively by Chris Webber, and definitely not the Vlade Divac-led squad that challenged for the league's best record until late last year, succeeding because of intuitive selflessness, exceptional passing, and marvelous, if inexplicable, chemistry.
As was apparent with this latest effort, the current, still-evolving assemblage headlined by Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic and Brad Miller embodies the characteristics of an improved defensive unit on some nights, only to prove as pliable as peanut butter mere hours later. The inability to resist during critical sequences proved decisive again Wednesday night, the penetration of Steve Francis, Grant Hill and Jameer Nelson ultimately dictating the outcome, and in a bizarre, unintentional twist further diminishing Christie's role.
Acquired for his defense and basketball acumen, the pogo-thin Christie recently was replaced in the starting lineup because coach Johnny Davis wanted a pure point guard (Nelson) to help pry the ball out of Francis' sticky hands. The logic of the move nothwithstanding, after spending all but six minutes on the bench Wednesday night, looking depressed and surprisingly disengaged, Christie bolted out of the locker room, offering only a few hurried remarks. He left before saying goodbye. He left without a word for his friends. "Doug's gone?" a visibly disappointed Stojakvovic asked. "Great man, great man. I know this must be hard on him."
In Sacramento, remember, Christie was an icon of sorts, a family man with the quirky hand signals and the unconventional marriage. In Orlando, he is just another reserve, Jackie just another wife.
"I've been traded before," he said, "but this was the hardest, without a doubt."
Before the couple reached the parking lot, arms still linked, expressions still grim, Jackie shared a story: At a recent birthday party for 4-year-old Doug Jr., one of his cousins gave him a Mike Bibby basketball card. Doug, Jr. stared at the gift, then turned to his parents. When are we moving back? When are we going home? "I told him that this is where his daddy works now," Jackie continued, "but he didn't understand. He said, 'I was born there. I like my friends there. I want to see Slamson again. When are we leaving?' That breaks your heart. But I'm just trying to stay positive for Doug."
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/12376764p-13232754c.html
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