One of the most beloved players in franchise history is returning to the Sacramento Kings.
A league source told The Sacramento Bee on Sunday that Bobby Jackson is coming back to serve as an assistant under head coach Doug Christie. Jackson’s return has been rumored for weeks, but there were no formal discussions until the Kings asked the Philadelphia 76ers for permission to speak to Jackson over the past week.
Jackson and Christie were teammates with the Kings from 2000-05 during the height of their success under Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman. Jackson and Christie both have a sense of unfinished business after their championship hopes for Sacramento were dashed with a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference finals.
Jackson, 52, was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2003 after averaging a career-high 15.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 46.4% from the field and 37.9% from 3-point range. Jackson spent six of his 12 seasons with the Kings, including his final season in 2008-09.
Jackson started his coaching career with the Kings in 2013. He later worked as a player development coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves before returning to Sacramento as an assistant under former coach Luke Walton.
Jackson also served as head coach of the G League Stockton Kings before the 76ers hired him as an assistant in 2023.
The hiring of Jackson comes less than two weeks after the Kings finalized an agreement to make Mike Woodson their associate head coach.
Woodson, 67, is a veteran coach and former player who spent five seasons with the Kansas City and Sacramento Kings during his 11-year playing career. His final season with the Kings was 1985-86, their first year in Sacramento.
Woodson has been an NBA coach since 1996. He was head coach of the Atlanta Hawks (2004-10) and New York Knicks (2012-14). He has served as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.
Woodson led the Hawks and Knicks to a total of five playoff appearances, including three trips to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Woodson spent the past four seasons as head coach at the University of Indiana, where he once played for legendary coach Bob Knight. Woodson amassed an 82-53 record while leading the Hoosiers to two NCAA Tournament appearances.