of his contract with the Braves, Fitzsimmons was appointed to a similar capacity with the Kansas City Kings on May 10, 1978. He succeeded assistant general manager Larry Staverman who also finished the Kings' 31–51 1977–78 campaign as its interim head coach. Fitzsimmons spent six seasons with the Kings, with a 248–244 record and four playoff appearances. He won the 1979 NBA Coach of the Year Award,as the Kings finished 48–34 after finishing 31–51 the previous season. In the 1981 playoffs the 6th seed, with a losing regular season record, the Kings knocked off the top-seeded Phoenix Suns and advanced to the Western Conference finals, where they lost the semi-finals to the Houston Rockets in five games. Prior to the 1983–1984 season, the Kansas City Kings were sold to a group in Sacramento, California and the franchise was in limbo with a pending move to Sacramento. The Kings qualified for the playoffs and Fitzsimmons resigned after the season. San Antonio Spurs (1984–1986) On May 9, 1984, Fitzsimmons left Kansas City to become head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs were 76–88 in Fitzsimmons two seasons, qualifying for the playoffs both seasons. Fitzsimmons was fired by the Spurs on April 29, 1986. Phoenix Suns II (1986–1997) Colangelo and Fitzsimmons reunited in 1986, as Fitzsimmons returned to the Suns organization, joining Colangelo in the Suns' front office. He would later return to the bench as head coach of the Suns in 1988. He was one of the driving forces behind the trade that sent Larry Nance to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kevin Johnson, Mark West and a future first-round draft pick (who was Dan Majerle). The Suns also drafted Steve Kerr in the second round in 1988. Fitzsimmons was criticized both by Suns fans and basketball critics after the trade; Nance was very popular in Phoenix. But the Suns had come off a chaotic 1987–1988 season in which they won 28 games and lost 54, and the team had been shaken by a drug scandal.SPORTS PEOPLE; Dismissal Sought (Published 1987) With the first round draft pick of 1988, the Suns chose Dan Majerle, and the franchise had a turn-around season, winning 55 games and losing 27 before advancing all the way to the Western Conference's Finals that season, where they were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers. During the 1988 Draft when Majerle was booed by the fans, Fitzsimmons publicly