Back in 2014, head coach Michael Malone and the Sacramento Kings rode the coattails of DeMarcus Cousins to a surprising 9-6 record to start the year. Things were looking up in Sacramento for the first time since Vlade Divac and Chris Weber were patrolling the hardwood at ARCO Arena or maybe since the Kings draft Cousins fifth overall in 2010.
But then, distaster. Cousins came down with viral meningitis, the Kings limped to a 2-7 record over their next nine games and Malone was let go just 24 games into his tenure. It’s a move that was and still is universally critsized around the league and looked at as one of the most unjust firings of a head coach in recent memory.