http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/80186.html
Kings notes: Carlesimo disappointed Kings didn't come calling
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:02 am PST Monday, November 20, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C4
The reality that P.J. Carlesimo wanted to be a head coach again somewhere was nothing new.
But when the Kings' job came open during the offseason after former coach Rick Adelman was dismissed, Carlesimo wanted the Sacramento gig more than most.
In the early days of the coaching search, his name was among the first to be bandied about. He came with six seasons of head-coaching experience and was ready to leave his duties as a San Antonio assistant. Then there was the possible irony, the fact that Carlesimo had followed his friend, Adelman, twice before, replacing him at Portland and Golden State. Not getting the job, though, was different than not receiving a phone call, which Carlesimo did not.
"Yeah, I was disappointed," said Carlesimo, who was last a head coach for the 1999 Warriors. "I just thought it was a heck of a job. I would love to have been involved, just because I thought it was such a good job.
"I like the franchise. I like the players. I liked everything about it. It's a good town. For a lot of reasons, it was very, very attractive."
Carlesimo said he wasn't consumed by the process. Although his name is believed to have been on the Kings' list of coaching candidates, he knew only that his name was part of the buzz. And that meant very little.
"I know from experience," Carlesimo said. "There have been other years when there was chatter, and I knew there was nothing substantial behind it. There have been other times when I knew I was in the mix and was going to get an interview, and people weren't even aware of it."
Before Adelman's firing, Carlesimo said the Kings' former coach should not be let go. After the Kings finished strongly in the second half and pushed the Spurs to six games in the first round of the playoffs, he said he feels the same.
"To be honest with you, I was disappointed for Rick," Carlesimo said. "The way they played last year, and particularly the way they finished. I didn't think there would be a change. They played as good as they could play."
Paying the Price -- During Ronnie Price's rookie season with the Kings, the point guard reached a weight of 205 pounds that he deemed too hefty.
"I felt like a linebacker," Price said Friday.
And although the second-year guard from Texas has lost 15 pounds since then, he looked the part of former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson against the Spurs on Sunday, when Price went barreling for a loose ball late in the second quarter and instead barreled over Spurs guard Brent Barry.
The two had a violent collision, with both players hitting the floor and later heading for their respective locker rooms for medical attention. Barry had a two-inch gash on the top of his head and required nine stitches. Price required seven stitches on his chin.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
Kings notes: Carlesimo disappointed Kings didn't come calling
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:02 am PST Monday, November 20, 2006
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C4
The reality that P.J. Carlesimo wanted to be a head coach again somewhere was nothing new.
But when the Kings' job came open during the offseason after former coach Rick Adelman was dismissed, Carlesimo wanted the Sacramento gig more than most.
In the early days of the coaching search, his name was among the first to be bandied about. He came with six seasons of head-coaching experience and was ready to leave his duties as a San Antonio assistant. Then there was the possible irony, the fact that Carlesimo had followed his friend, Adelman, twice before, replacing him at Portland and Golden State. Not getting the job, though, was different than not receiving a phone call, which Carlesimo did not.
"Yeah, I was disappointed," said Carlesimo, who was last a head coach for the 1999 Warriors. "I just thought it was a heck of a job. I would love to have been involved, just because I thought it was such a good job.
"I like the franchise. I like the players. I liked everything about it. It's a good town. For a lot of reasons, it was very, very attractive."
Carlesimo said he wasn't consumed by the process. Although his name is believed to have been on the Kings' list of coaching candidates, he knew only that his name was part of the buzz. And that meant very little.
"I know from experience," Carlesimo said. "There have been other years when there was chatter, and I knew there was nothing substantial behind it. There have been other times when I knew I was in the mix and was going to get an interview, and people weren't even aware of it."
Before Adelman's firing, Carlesimo said the Kings' former coach should not be let go. After the Kings finished strongly in the second half and pushed the Spurs to six games in the first round of the playoffs, he said he feels the same.
"To be honest with you, I was disappointed for Rick," Carlesimo said. "The way they played last year, and particularly the way they finished. I didn't think there would be a change. They played as good as they could play."
Paying the Price -- During Ronnie Price's rookie season with the Kings, the point guard reached a weight of 205 pounds that he deemed too hefty.
"I felt like a linebacker," Price said Friday.
And although the second-year guard from Texas has lost 15 pounds since then, he looked the part of former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson against the Spurs on Sunday, when Price went barreling for a loose ball late in the second quarter and instead barreled over Spurs guard Brent Barry.
The two had a violent collision, with both players hitting the floor and later heading for their respective locker rooms for medical attention. Barry had a two-inch gash on the top of his head and required nine stitches. Price required seven stitches on his chin.
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@ sacbee.com.
