Kings talk to ESPN's Mark Jackson after game

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – In the days that have followed the Sacramento Kings' surprising firing of coach Michael Malone, the only thing certain about where they go from here has been the uncertainty.

Tyrone Corbin was deemed the interim for the foreseeable future, though no one was quite sure how long that term might last. Longtime head coach George Karl was widely seen as a frontrunner to replace him, but his reported candidacy was followed by proverbial crickets. Golden State Warriors legend and current Kings advisor Chris Mullin was and remains an intriguing possibility, but early indications are that he won't be taking on the head coaching title anytime soon.

Yet late Tuesday night at Sleep Train Arena, after the Kings fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 104-92, another possible candidate emerged in the most convenient of ways: former Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson. After calling the game courtside for ESPN, Jackson had a lengthy meeting with Mullin, Kings general manager Pete D'Alessandro and franchise centerpiece DeMarcus Cousins inside the "Chairman's Lounge" where they had requested that arena workers and others give them some privacy.

Jackson, Mullin, and Cousins entered the room at approximately 10:20 p.m. Pacific time, with Cousins sporting a black suit as he continues to recover from his bout with viral meningitis that has kept him out of action since Nov. 26. D'Alessandro joined them approximately 20 minutes into the meeting, and the group finally exited just before midnight, long after the room had been cleared so that they could have a moment to discuss, well, connect the dots yourself.

Or, of course, maybe it was just a couple of old childhood pals sharing stories with their Kings friends. Mullin and Jackson have been the best of friends since their high school days, when Jackson was coming up at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn and Mullin was a star at Power Memorial Academy in New York City. They played together at St. John's University as well, then later spent three seasons side by side yet again with the Indiana Pacers (1997-2000).

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What's more, D'Alessandro was a video coordinator at St. John's during Jackson's senior season. Jackson, Mullin, and D'Alessandro have made a habit of visiting in this nature whenever their paths may cross, but the involvement of Cousins was certainly enough to warrant notice.

The Jackson possibility was previously known, and the dynamics on display leading up to their meeting said everything about why the Kings might be seriously interested in bringing him aboard. According to one of the participants, Cousins expressed a desire to meet Jackson, whose ability to connect with his players during the last three seasons with the Warriors was a very real and valuable part of his successes there. And while his firing with the Warriors had everything to do with his inability to connect with owner Joe Lacob and management near the end, the deep roots that already exist here would clearly aid the potential partnership.

What's more, Jackson's backstory with the Warriors is enlightening when one considers the enormous role being played here by Kings owner Vivek Ranadive. Before he headed the group that bought the Kings for a then-record $535 million valuation, Ranadive was a minority owner for the Warriors during the Jackson era. Malone was Jackson's lead assistant during that time, and Ranadive hired Malone even before putting his front office in place.