George Karl may have won April Fools’ Day this year by joking about his failed tenure with the Sacramento Kings.
The retired head coach tweeted on Tuesday that he reached a deal to return to the Kings in a front office and associate coaching capacity. Karl also said that former All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins, whom he notoriously butted heads with in Sacramento, was returning to the team too.
Big news! I’ve been in talks with the @SacramentoKings about a front office role and associate coaching position! We have worked out a deal that will be announced tomorrow. @boogiecousins will be re-joining me and the team at the same time! Let’s go Kings!
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) April 1, 2020
The former Coach of the Year clarified a few hours later that his “breaking news” was nothing more than an April Fools’ gag.
April Fools! Got some of you!
Stay safe out there everyone. https://t.co/USUvuklS7M pic.twitter.com/nRzdaKHlez
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) April 1, 2020
Karl’s time with the Kings, which marked his most recent head coaching gig, was nothing short of a steaming dumpster fire. He went 44-68 (.393) in two seasons before getting fired less than halfway into his four-year deal. Karl also clashed with Cousins in particular and tried to get the volatile center traded, leading to major tension between the two (as well as Cousins’ infamous “snakes-in-the-grass” tweet).
— DeMarcus Cousins (@boogiecousins) June 23, 2015
Nearly four years have passed though since Karl left Sacramento, so this might just be his way of saying that bygones are bygones. Karl did recently extend a peace offering to another former player that he beefed with.
