“Whenever you have a meal with someone, it changes everything on the court.” That’s the simple philosophy of Dipesh Mistry, the man the Sacramento Kings tapped to lead their Summer League team in Las Vegas. And he doesn’t just say it; he lives it. Before the first practice, before a single play was drawn up, Mistry took his entire team out for dinner, a move that speaks volumes about his coaching style—one that values connection over everything.
And it clearly worked. Mistry guided a tough, cohesive Kings squad on a surprising run all the way to the championship game, a journey that put a bright spotlight on one of the NBA’s most inspiring behind-the-scenes stories. So who is the 32-year-old Canadian coach who has quietly been grinding his way up the NBA ladder?
Who is Dipesh Mistry?
Dipesh Mistry’s journey is a masterclass in passion and persistence. It all started back in 2011 at a Ryerson University tryout where he didn’t make the team. But instead of walking away, he walked straight into the head coach’s office.
Roy Rana, the coach at the time, had just tweeted that he was looking for a team manager. Mistry’s pitch was simple and direct. “I’ll do anything. I’m driven and passionate about basketball,” he told Rana. “He believed in me and he gave me a shot.” For two years, Mistry did the unglamorous, unpaid work—rebounding, doing laundry, wiping floors—all while soaking up every bit of knowledge he could. Rana’s advice to him was just as simple: “Regardless of the position, no job is beneath you.”
That relentless work ethic became his calling card. He quickly went from team manager to video analyst, his ambition clear to anyone who saw his laptop. “I had ‘head coach’ on my background on my laptop every day with the NBA logo,” Mistry told the Toronto Star. “I wanted to get here.”
Dipesh Mistry’s family background
Dipesh Mistry is a proud Canadian, a product of Markham, Ontario. While he keeps the details of his family life private, he’s been open about the pride his journey has brought them. His name suggests a potential Indian heritage, a common background in the diverse Toronto area, but he has not publicly discussed his specific ancestry.
What is clear is that his family has been his rock. When asked about his journey to becoming a Summer League head coach, he didn’t talk about himself; he talked about them. “It was a lot of support from a lot of people that helped me get here,” he told the Toronto Star. “I was a proud not just for me but for my family, too.”
Dipesh Mistry’s career achievements
Mistry’s rise from a university team manager to an NBA sideline is a story of paying dues and earning respect at every level. His sharp analytical mind quickly got him noticed by the national program, serving as a performance analyst for Team Canada’s women’s basketball team during their run to the 2016 Rio Olympics, and later as a video coordinator for the men’s team. The experience was profound. “As soon as that national anthem plays, I get goosebumps down my spine,” Mistry said. “I know it’s bigger than me, bigger than basketball.”
His big NBA break came through a connection he made with that men’s national team, where he worked under former Raptors coach Jay Triano. When Triano took over as the interim head coach of the Phoenix Suns in 2017, he made a call. “He called, asking if I would be part of the new Phoenix Suns staff,” Mistry recalled. From there, his career took off. He was hired by the Atlanta Hawks in 2018 as their head video coordinator and was promoted to a coaching associate and special assistant to the head coach in 2021.
In 2023, he landed in Sacramento, where his legendary work ethic immediately stood out. Head coach Doug Christie remembers hearing someone else in the office at 5:30 in the morning and discovering it was Mistry. “That’s Dip,” Christie said. “Knew he was special then.” Coming from Christie, an NBA veteran known for his relentless defense and leadership, that praise carries a special weight.
Jan 22, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings interim head coach Doug Christie claps his hands during the second quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Mistry joined the Kings as an assistant video coordinator and player development coach, quickly earning a promotion to head video coordinator. This past June, his rapid ascent continued as he was officially elevated to a full-time assistant coach on Christie’s staff for the upcoming season.
Dipesh Mistry’s relationship status and personal life
Dipesh Mistry keeps his personal life very, very private. There is no publicly verified information about his relationship status, and any online searches often lead to confusion with other individuals. For now, it seems his focus has always been singular: the game.
From those early mornings at Ryerson to the late-night film sessions in Sacramento, his journey has been defined by a relentless passion. As he said back in 2018, his mindset has always been simple: “Take it one day at a time, just keep working because opportunities happen when you work hard.”
And while the championship game didn’t end with a win for the Kings, for Mistry, the summer was an undeniable victory. Just over a decade ago, he was a university student doing laundry for his college team, dreaming of a shot at the NBA. To go from that to leading a team on the sidelines in Las Vegas is a testament to his relentless grind. The loss in the final game is just a footnote in a much larger story of a coach who has truly earned his place.
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