Encyclopedia
The
Sacramento Kings are a professional
basketball team based in
Sacramento, California. They play in the
National Basketball Association .
Home arenas
- Edgerton Park Arena
- Rochester War Memorial
...
- Cincinnati Gardens
- Kansas City Municipal Auditorium
- Omaha Civic Auditorium
- Kemper Arena
- ARCO Arena I
- ARCO Arena II
Franchise history
The franchise that would become the Sacramento Kings initially played in
Rochester, New York, as the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League. Success was almost immediate: founded in 1945, the team won the NBL championship in 1946. In 1948, the Royals moved to the
Basketball Association of America, which absorbed the NBL the following year to become the
National Basketball Association. The Royals won the NBA title in 1951, which remains the only championship in the team's history.
In 1957, the Royals moved to
Cincinnati, Ohio. The team's star player throughout the 1960s was
Oscar Robertson, but though he met with individual success, averaging a triple-double in 1961-62 and winning the Most Valuable Player award in 1964, the Royals were an also-ran throughout his tenure. Robertson left in 1970, and the teams left Cincinnati shortly thereafter, moving to
Kansas City, Missouri. Renamed the Kings ,the team initially divided its home games between Kansas City and
Omaha, Nebraska. But the Kings were no more successful in their new time zone than the Royals had been.
1980s
In the 1980-1981 season, the Kings made a surprise run in the
NBA Playoffs, reaching the Western Conference Finals despite finishing the season with a losing record. But this moment of success was little more than a blip.
The Kings moved west to their current home of
Sacramento, California, in 1985. Much of their early tenure in Sacramento was spent in the NBA's cellar, and the team made the playoffs only once between 1985 and 1995 . Some of their failure to succeed was attributed to poor luck, such as the virtually career-ending car crash suffered by promising point guard Bobby Hurley, and some was attributed to poor management such as the too-long tenure of head coach Garry St. Jean and the selection of "Never Nervous Pervis" Ellison with the first overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft.
1990s
The early 1990s were not kind to the Kings. Sacramento was known for having strong fan support, but it never had a good team, and its owner, Jim Thomas, rarely paid for top talent. The Kings squeaked in to the playoffs in 1996 largely due to the effort of star player Mitch Richmond, but they did not distinguish themselves in the postseason. Eventually the team was sold to the Maloof Family, who finally changed the direction of the team.
The Kings emerged from years of mediocrity with the draft selection of Jason Williams, the signing of
Vlade Divac, and the trade of Mitch Richmond for Chris Webber prior to the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. These acquisitions coincided with the arrival of Peja Stojakovic, who had been drafted in 1996. Each of these moves was attributed to general manager
Geoff Petrie, who has won NBA Executive of the Year several times.
Following these acquisitions, the Kings rose in the NBA ranks, becoming a perennial playoff contender, as well as one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. Led by new head coach
Rick Adelman, and aided by former Princeton head coach and Kings assistant Pete Carril, their so-called "Princeton offense" turned heads around the league for its run-and-gun style and superb ball movement; the team could seemingly score at will. The Kings led the league in average points per game year in and year out, and established that a team could be successful and still be fun to watch. Some criticized the Kings for their poor team defense, Williams's "flash over substance" style of play with its many turnovers, and Webber's failure to step up his game in important matchups. Still, they quickly became NBA darlings, garnering many fans outside of California, and even around the world, many of which were enthralled by Williams's amazing passing abilities and Webber's sharp all-around game. Despite their tremendous successes, they were still a young team, and were ultimately defeated by more experienced teams in the playoffs, losing to the Utah Jazz in 1999 , and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.
2000s
Following the 2000 season, the Kings traded starting small forward Corliss Williamson to the
Toronto Raptors for defensive shooting guard Doug Christie, opening a starting spot for sharpshooter Stojakovic. Stojakovic and his dead-eye long range shot served as the perfect complement to Webber's smooth inside game, taking the Kings' already-potent offense to new heights. With their continued success on court came their continued rise in popularity, culminating in their gracing the cover of
Sports Illustrated in February 2001, with the title "The Greatest Show On Court". In 2001, they won their first playoff series in the Webber era, defeating the Phoenix Suns 3-1, before being swept in four games by the Lakers, who went on to win the NBA championship.
In July 2001, Petrie traded starting point guard Jason Williams to the
Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies for point guard Mike Bibby. The trade solved needs on both sides: the Grizzlies, in the process of moving to Memphis, wanted an exciting, popular player to sell tickets in their new home, while the Kings, an up-and-coming team, sought more stability and control at the point guard position. Although questioned by some Kings fans at the time, NBA officials and experts proclaimed Bibby as the better player in the deal, as well as a better leader, having led the
Arizona Wildcats to an NCAA championship in 1997. This move was complemented by the crucial re-signing of Webber to a maximum-salary contract, securing the star power forward for years to come.
With the addition of Bibby, the Kings had their best season to date in 2001-02. The team finished with a league best 61-21 record and stormed through the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Kings eventually lost to the rival
Lakers in the conference finals, falling in overtime of Game 7 at home in Arco Arena. Despite questionable calls by officials during Game 6, the series is wideley considered to be one of the best playoff series in NBA history.
After winning another division championship in 2003, the Kings lost Webber to a knee injury in the playoffs, ultimately losing to the
Dallas Mavericks in a seven game series. Webber's knee required major surgery, and his questionable mid-season return in 2004, in which he visibly lost much of his explosiveness and agility, led to a playoff defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games.
The 2004-05 season marked another season of dramatic change for the Kings, who lost three of their starters from the 2002 team. In the offseason of 2004, Divac opted to sign with the rival Lakers, giving Miller a starting spot at center. Early in the season, Christie was traded to the
Orlando Magic for shooting guard Cuttino Mobley. But the greatest change came in February, when Webber was traded to the
Philadelphia 76ers for three relatively unheralded forwards: Corliss Williamson, Kenny Thomas, and Brian Skinner.
The Kings ultimately lost in the first round of the playoffs to the
Seattle Supersonics. The 2005 offseason continued the team transformation, with the Kings trading fan favorite Bobby Jackson for Bonzi Wells and acquiring free agent forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
The 2005-06 season started off poorly, as the Kings had a hard time finding chemistry in the team. Popular SF Peja Stojakovic was traded for the controversial
Ron Artest, who all but guaranteed the Kings would make the playoffs. Artest's prediction came true, as the Kings returned to their winning ways, earning an 8-seed before losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2006 playoffs, 4 games to 2.
The 2006 offseason was started with the announcement that head coach
Rick Adelman's contract would not be renewed. On June 2, 2006, the Kings named Eric Musselman as Adelman's replacement as head coach.
Facts
- They are the brother team to the Sacramento Monarchs.
- The current ARCO Arena is the second building by that name to be the home of the Kings. The first ARCO Arena was used for only a few seasons from 1985 until the end of the 1987-88 season and seated 10,333 people, and has since been converted into an office building.
- The status of ARCO Arena, however, is uncertain. Sacramento city leaders and the Maloof Brothers have been discussing about building a new arena elsewhere in the city for the team to play in, including a possible move to a vacant lot near the current location. Nonetheless, discussions have been deadlocked, partially over funding of the new arena.
- The Kings are in second place behind the San Antonio Spurs in terms of NBA teams with the longest active consecutive playoff seasons with eight in a row .
- ARCO Arena has sold out the last 312 Kings home games.
Season-by-Season Records
|-
|
Rochester Royals |-
|1945-46 || 24 || 10 || .706 || Won NBL Semifinals
Won NBL Finals ||Rochester 3,
Fort Wayne 1
Rochester 3, Sheboygan 0
|-
|1946-47 || 31 || 13 || .705 || Won First Round
Won NBL Semifinals
Lost NBL Finals ||Rochester 3,
Syracuse 1
Rochester 2,
Fort Wayne 1
Chicago 3, Rochester 2
|-
|1947-48 || 44 || 16 || .733 || Won First Round
Won NBL Semifinals
Lost NBL Finals ||Rochester 3,
Fort Wayne 1
Rochester 2, Anderson 1
Minneapolis 3, Rochester 1
|-
|
Rochester Royals |-
|1948-49 || 45 || 15 || .750 || Won Division Semifinals
Lost Division Finals ||Rochester 2, St. Louis 0
Minneapolis 2, Rochester 0
|-
|
Rochester Royals |-
|1949-50 || 51 || 17 || .750 || Lost Division Tiebreaker
Lost Division Semifinals ||
Minneapolis 78, Rochester 76
Fort Wayne 2, Rochester 0
|-
|1950-51 || 41 || 27 || .603 || Won Division Semifinals
Won Division Finals
Won NBA Finals || Rochester 2,
Fort Wayne 1
Rochester 3,
Minneapolis 1
Rochester 4,
New York 3
|-
|1951-52 || 41 || 25 || .621 || Won Division Semifinals
Lost Division Finals || Rochester 2,
Fort Wayne 0
Minneapolis 3, Rochester 1
|-
|1952-53 || 44 || 26 || .629 || Lost Division Semifinals ||
Fort Wayne 2, Rochester 1
|-
|1953-54 || 44 || 28 || .611 || Advanced in 3-Team Round Robin
Lost Division Finals || 2-1
Minneapolis 2, Rochester 1
|-
|1954-55 || 29 || 43 || .403 || Lost Division Semifinals ||
Minneapolis 2, Rochester 1
|-
|1955-56 || 31 || 41 || .431
|-
|1956-57 || 31 || 41 || .431
|-
|
Cincinnati Royals|-
|1957-58 || 33 || 39 || .458 || Lost Division Semifinals ||
Detroit 2, Cincinnati 0
|-
|1958-59 || 19 || 53 || .264
|-
|1959-60 || 19 || 56 || .253
|-
|1960-61 || 33 || 46 || .418
|-
|1961-62 || 43 || 37 || .538 || Lost Division Semifinals ||
Detroit 3, Cincinnati 1
|-
|1962-63 || 42 || 38 || .525 || Won Division Semifinals || Cincinnati 3,
Syracuse 2
Boston 4, Cincinnati 3
|-
|1963-64 || 55 || 25 || .688 || Won Division Semifinals
Lost Division Finals || Cincinnati 3,
Philadelphia 2
Boston 4, Cincinnati 1
|-
|1964-65 || 48 || 32 || .600 || Lost Division Semifinals ||
Philadelphia 3, Cincinnati 1
|-
|1965-66 || 45 || 35 || .563 || Lost Division Semifinals ||
Boston 3, Cincinnati 2
|-
|1966-67 || 39 || 42 || .481 || Lost Division Semifinals ||
Philadelphia 3, Cincinnati 1
|-
|1967-68 || 39 || 43 || .476
|-
|1968-69 || 41 || 41 || .500
|-
|1969-70 || 36 || 46 || .439
|-
|1970-71 || 33 || 49 || .402
|-
|1971-72 || 30 || 52 || .366
|-
|
Kansas City Kings|-
|1972-73 || 36 || 46 || .439
|-
|1973-74 || 33 || 49 || .402
|-
|1974-75 || 44 || 38 || .537 || Lost Conference Semifinals ||
Chicago 4, Kansas City 2
|-
|1975-76 || 31 || 51 || .378
|-
|1976-77 || 40 || 42 || .488
|-
|1977-78 || 31 || 51 || .378
|-
|1978-79 || 48 || 34 || .585 || Lost Conference Semifinals ||
Phoenix 4, Kansas City 1
|-
|1979-80 || 47 || 35 || .573 || Lost First Round ||
Phoenix 2, Kansas City 1
|-
|1980-81 || 40 || 42 || .488 || Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals ||Kansas City 2, Portland 1
Kansas City 4,
Phoenix 3
Houston 4, Kansas City 1
|-
|1981-82 || 30 || 52 || .366
|-
|1982-83 || 45 || 37 || .549
|-
|1983-84 || 38 || 44 || .463 || Lost First Round ||
Los Angeles 3, Kansas City 0
|-
|1984-85 || 31 || 51 || .378
|-
|
Sacramento Kings|-
|1985-86 || 37 || 45 || .451 || Lost First Round ||
Houston 3, Sacramento 0
|-
|1986-87 || 29 || 53 || .354
|-
|1987-88 || 24 || 58 || .293
|-
|1988-89 || 27 || 55 || .329
|-
|1989-90 || 23 || 59 || .280
|-
|1990-91 || 25 || 57 || .305
|-
|1991-92 || 29 || 53 || .354
|-
|1992-93 || 25 || 57 || .305
|-
|1993-94 || 28 || 54 || .341
|-
|1994-95 || 39 || 43 || .476
|-
|1995-96 || 39 || 43 || .476 || Lost First Round ||
Seattle 3, Sacramento 1
|-
|1996-97 || 34 || 48 || .415
|-
|1997-98 || 27 || 55 || .329
|-
|1998-99 || 27 || 23 || .540 || Lost First Round ||
Utah 3, Sacramento 2
|-
|1999-2000 || 44 || 38 || .537 || Lost First Round ||
L.A. Lakers 3, Sacramento 2
|-
|2000-01 || 55 || 27 || .672 || Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals || Sacramento 3,
Phoenix 1
L.A. Lakers 4, Sacramento 0
|-
|2001-02 || 61 || 21 || .744 || Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals || Sacramento 3,
Utah 1
Sacramento 4,
Dallas 1
L.A. Lakers 4, Sacramento 3
|-
|2002-03 || 59 || 23 || .720 || Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals || Sacramento 4,
Utah 1
Sacramento 4,
Dallas 3
|-
|2003-04 || 55 || 27 || .672 || Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals || Sacramento 4,
Dallas 1
Minnesota 4, Sacramento 3
|-
|2004-05 || 50 || 32 || .610 || Lost First Round ||
Seattle 4, Sacramento 1
|-
|2005-06 || 44 || 38 || .537 || Lost First Round ||
San Antonio 4, Sacramento 2
|-
!Totals || 2187 || 2378 || .479
|-
!Playoffs || 76 || 109 || .411 || 1 Championship
Players of note
Basketball Hall of Famers
Current Starting Lineup
- Brad Miller, Center
- Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Power Forward
- Ron Artest, Small Forward
- Kevin Martin, Shooting Guard
- Mike Bibby, Point Guard
- Head coach: Eric Musselman
Not to be forgotten
- Doug Christie
- Vlade Divac
- Otto Graham
- Bobby Jackson
- Mitch Richmond "The Rock"
- Lionel Simmons "The L-Train"
- Wayman Tisdale
- Spud Webb "The Spudster"
- Chris Webber "C-Webb"
- Scott Wedman
- Jason Williams "White Chocolate"
- Dwayne Schintzius
- Duane Causwell
- Pete Chilcutt "The Chilidog"
- Evers Burns
- Peja Stojakovic
- Nate "Tiny" Archibald
- Brian Grant
- Scot Pollard
- Jon Barry
- Tony Delk
Retired numbers
- 1 Nate Archibald, G, 1970-76
- 2 Mitch Richmond, G, 1991-98
- 6 - The Fans of Sacramento, 1985-present
- 11 Bob Davies, G, 1948-55
- 12 Maurice Stokes, F, 1955-58
- 14 Oscar Robertson, G, 1960-70
- 27 Jack Twyman, F, 1955-66
- 44 Sam Lacey, C, 1970-81
Current roster
Current 2005-2006 Record
The Sacramento Kings finished the regular season with a 44-38 record, which placed them 4th in the Pacific Division. The Kings obtained the 8th seed of the Western Conference playoffs. They were matched up in the first round against the San Antonio Spurs in a seven-game series. The San Antonio Spurs beat the Kings in the first round 4-2 out of six games. Game 1 was a blowout as the Spurs won 122-88, but Game 2 showed less of the first game's point deficit through out the whole game; the Kings came close to winning, but a three-pointer by the Spurs with around four seconds left had sent the game into overtime, where the Spurs garnered a 128-119 victory.
Game 3 showed another tight game; the Kings were losing by one point, but a turnover to Bibby and a shot by Martin just before the buzzer earned the Kings a 94-93 win. In the next game, Game 4, the Kings had a blowout of their own, winning the game 102-84 and at one point leading by 26. Game 5 was a back-and-forth game between leads, but the Spurs won with 109-98. Game 6, a possible Sacramento-elimination game, was steady in the first half. However, the game was marred with turnovers and missed shots, primarily by the Kings, making them lose and eliminated from the playoffs by the Spurs in 105-83 game.
See also
External links
