Sacramento Kings coach George Karl said the team's firing of assistant coach Vance Walberg has left him "disappointed and confused" and that any criticism of the team "should be of me."
Karl, in comments published by The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday night, called Walberg "a guy who has been intellectually influential in my thoughts on basketball, probably in my top 10" after general manager Vlade Divac announced the move.
The Kings are in 10th place in the Western Conference with a 22-31 record.
They are 4½ games out of a playoff spot.