Detroit Pistons coach Stan van Gundy has described the Sacramento Kings' dismissal of Tyrone Corbin as "inexcusable".

Corbin took charge of the side in December after Mike Malone was fired, but George Karl was linked with the job at the time, and will take charge of the side after the All-Star break.

Van Gundy told ESPN: "I think it's an unfortunate situation the way it's been handled. I think Tyrone Corbin has been treated very, very poorly by their organisation. I think the way they've treated him is unfortunate and inexcusable for one of the real class acts in our business.

"To have a very public coaching, not search, courting going on and while you're asking him to coach games, I think he's handled it with a great deal of class.

"That thing's been in the news for two weeks now, and Tyrone's coaching and they obviously don't have any problem treating him like that. I have a hard time understanding that one, I really do. Tyrone Corbin is a class act. He was a class act as a player. He's a class act as a coach and he's being treated very, very poorly."

The Kings won just seven of their 26 games during Corbin's stint in charge of the side.