Sacramento Kings

Template:NBA team The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team which is based in Sacramento, California. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Home arenas

Edgerton Park Arena (1945-1955)

Rochester War Memorial (1955-1957)

Cincinnati Gardens (1957-1972)

Kansas City Municipal Auditorium (1972-1974)

Omaha Civic Auditorium (1972-1978)

Kemper Arena (1974-1985)

ARCO Arena I (1985-1988)

ARCO Arena II (1988-present)

Franchise history

Rochester

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The franchise that would become the Sacramento Kings initially played in Rochester, New York, as the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League. The Royals got their nickname from Crown Royal whiskey. When the team was first established as a semi-pro team their main sponsor was the Rochester distributor for Crown Royal. After turning professional the team was known as the Rochester Pros. Upon entering the NBL the name was changed to Royals and proved to be a natural winner because of its alliteration.

Success was almost immediate: founded in 1945 by owner/coach/general manager Les Harrison (Hall of Famer) and his brother and co-owner/business manager Jack Harrison, 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. Top players in this era included Arnie Risen and Bob Davies, both Hall of Famers.

Cincinnati

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In 1957, the Royals were moved to Cincinnati, Ohio by the Harrison brothers. The two top stars moving with the team were Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman. Stokes' promising career ended tragically due to a brain injury that resulted from a fall during a playoff game at Detroit in 1958. Twyman became Stokes' legal guardian and remained so until Maurice's death in the 1970s. Twyman was the first Royal to average 30 points per game for a season. Both are Hall of Famers. Following a failed attempt to sell the team to Rochester interests who would have moved the team back to Western New York for the 1958-59 season the Harrisons reluctantly sold the Royals to Cincinnati owners.

The team's star players throughout the 1960s were Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas. Robertson met with individual success, averaging a triple-double in 1961-62 and winning the Most Valuable Player award in 1964. Robertson was a league-leading scorer and passer each season. Lucas was Rookie Of the Year in 1964, led the league in shooting, and later averaged 20 rebounds per game over three seasons. Both were All-NBA First Team selections multiple times. The Royals were an also-ran throughout the era anyway. The team failed to keep promising players and played in the tough NBA East division, dominated by the Boston Celtics, even as a Baltimore team played in the West Division for three years, denying the team likely visits to the NBA Finals.

In 1966, the team was sold to a pair of brothers named Max and Jeremy Jacobs. That same season, the Royals began playing some of their home games in neutral sites such as Cleveland (until the Cavaliers began play in 1970), Dayton & Columbus, which was the norm for the rest of the Royals tenure in the Queen City.

New coach Bob Cousy, a loyal Boston Celtic, traded Lucas in 1969. Robertson was traded in 1970, and the declining team left Cincinnati shortly thereafter, moving to Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas City (and Omaha too)

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Renamed the Kings (because of the Kansas City Royals baseball team in the same community), the team initially divided its home games between Kansas City and Omaha. The team netted a new superstar in Nate Archibald, who led the league in scoring and assists.

The Kings had some decent players throughout. Tom Van Arsdale, the shooting forward, "Jumpin" Johnny Green, and Matt Guokas helped Archibald in the first year in Kansas City. Toby Kimball was a fan favorite. Jimmy Walker teamed with Archibald as the Kings made the playoffs the second year. Sam Lacey, virtually alone as an effective big man on the team, became one of the most dependable players in the league. However, the management traded Archibald, and wasted high draft picks. Bob Cousy gave way to Phil Johnson, who was fired midyear in 1977 and replaced by Larry Staverman, who later became the Cleveland Indians groundskeeper.

The Kings finally achieved some success in their new home when they hired Cotton Fitzsimmons as coach. Coach Fitzsimmons won the Midwest Division in 1978-79 with rookie point guard Phil Ford. Kansas City was led by shooting guard Otis Birdsong, strong on both offense and defense, all around shooting forward Scott Wedman, and passing center Sam Lacey, who had a trademark 25 foot bank shot. They also drew an average of 10,789 fans to Kemper Arena that season, it was the only time during their tenure in KC that average attendance was in the five figures. The Kings made the playoffs in 1979-1980 and again in 1980-1981, despite finishing the regular season at 40-42.

In the 1980-81 season, the Kings made a surprise run in the NBA Playoffs, reaching the Western Conference Finals. Big Ernie Grunfeld played the point in this run, as KC used a slow half court game to win the first two rounds. Power forward Reggie King had a remarkable series, dominating the opposition.

However, a series of bad luck incidents prevented the team from building on its success. Ted Stepien, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers lured Wedman and Birdsong away with big contract offers, the roof literally fell in at Kemper Arena because of a winter storm, and the ownership group sold the team to Sacramento interests for just eleven million dollars. The general manager was fired in a bizarre scandal in which he was found to be reusing marked postal stamps. When the Kings hired Joe Axelson back as general manager, they hired back the guy who had traded superstars Oscar Robertson, Norm Van Lier, Nate Archibald and Jerry Lucas, and used the third pick in the ABA dispersal draft on Ron Boone. Axelson would stay on after the Kings left Kansas City where, in their last game ever, fans wore Joe Axelson masks. Axelson later would say he hoped his plane would never touch down in Kansas City.

Axelson later would be the first general manager in the history of sports to fail with the same franchise in four different cities: Cincinnati, Kansas City, Omaha and Sacramento. He would not be fired for good until he rehired as coach Phil Johnson, whom he had fired in midseason in Kansas City ten years before. The Kings also had the misfortune of entering this period competing with the Kansas City Comets for the winter sports dollar, when the Comets were led by marketing geniuses the Leiweke brothers. Their final season, 1984-85, resulted in a dismal 31-51 record as fans stayed away from Kemper Arena in droves, with average attendance of just 6,410. The writing was on the wall for Kansas City, goodbye NBA, hello Major Indoor Soccer League.

Moving West (1985-1990)

The Kings moved west to their current home of Sacramento, California, in 1985-86. 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 (and even then had a losing record). Some of their failure to succeed was attributed to poor karma, such as the virtually career-ending car crash suffered by promising point guard Bobby Hurley, the tragic suicide of Ricky Berry 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. No one thought to blame the management for the team's poor showing in Sacramento.

Cellar Dwellers (1991-1996)

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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.

Ownership Change (1997-1999)

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 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 (in a thrilling five-game matchup), and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.

Championship Contender (2000-2005)

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 (if less exciting) 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 widely considered to be one of the best playoff series in NBA history.

After winning another division championship in 2002-03, 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 2003-04, 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 most dramatic change came in February, when Webber was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for three relatively unheralded forwards: Corliss Williamson, Kenny Thomas, and Brian Skinner.

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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.

Rebuilding (2005-present)

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. The 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.

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.

Current Season

As of March 17, 2007, the Kings have an overall record of 29-37, and are 18-14 at ARCO Arena and 11-23 on the road. The Sacramento Kings are currently fifth place in the Pacific Division. The disappointing play of the Kings have been coupled with the distraction of legal troubles. Coach Eric Musselman pleaded no contest to DUI charges early in the season, while star Ron Artest got in to trouble for neglect of his dogs, and was later arrested for domestic assault. The Kings dismissed Artest of basketball duties, pending more investigation in to the matter, he has since been reinstated.

Facts

• They are the brother franchise to the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs.
• The current ARCO Arena is the second building by that name to be the home of the Kings holding 17,317 people. 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. [1]
• The Kings are in second place behind the San Antonio Spurs (nine) in terms of NBA teams with the longest active consecutive playoff seasons with eight in a row (see Active NBA playoff appearance streaks).
• ARCO Arena has sold out the last 322 Kings home games. (As of December 4, 2006) [2]

Season-by-season records

Note: W = wins, L = losses, % = win–loss %

Season	W	L	%	Playoffs	Results
Rochester Royals (NBL) (Not Included in W/L Total)
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 (BAA) (Included in W/L Total)
1948-49	45	15	.750	Won Division Semifinals Lost Division Finals	Rochester 2, St. Louis 0 Minneapolis 2, Rochester 0
Rochester Royals (NBA)
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 Lost Division Finals	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-Omaha Kings
1972-73	36	46	.439
1973-74	33	49	.402
1974-75	44	38	.537	Lost Conference Semifinals	Chicago 4, Kansas City 2
Kansas City Kings
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 Dallas 4, Sacramento 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
2006-07*	29	38	.433
Totals	2216	2416	.478
Playoffs	76	109	.411	1 Championship

* Season in progress; updated 20 March 2007.

Players of note

Basketball Hall of Famers

• Nate Archibald (Cincinnati/Kansas City/Omaha)
• Jerry Lucas (Cincinnati)
• Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati)
• Maurice Stokes (Rochester/Cincinnati)
• Jack Twyman (Rochester/Cincinnati)

Current Starting Lineup

• Brad Miller, Center
• Kenny Thomas, Power Forward
• Ron Artest, Small Forward
• Kevin Martin, Shooting Guard
• Mike Bibby, Point Guard

• Head coach: Eric Musselman

Not to be forgotten

Jon Barry Otis Birdsong Doug Christie Vlade Divac Phil Ford Brian Grant Bobby Jackson Greg Ostertag Scot Pollard Mitch Richmond Lionel Simmons

Adrian Smith Peja Stojakovic Reggie Theus Wayman Tisdale Hedo Turkoglu Spud Webb Chris Webber Bonzi Wells Jason Williams

Retired numbers

• #1 Nate Archibald, G, 1970-76 (1970-72 Cincinnati, 1972-76 Kansas City)
• #2 Mitch Richmond, G, 1991-98 (only Sacramento player as yet honored)
• #6 (Sixth Man) - The Fans of Sacramento, 1985-present
• #11 Bob Davies, G, 1948-55 (all in Rochester)
• #12 Maurice Stokes, F, 1955-58 (career-ending injury in team's first season in Cincinnati)
• #14 Oscar Robertson, G, 1960-70 (all in Cincinnati)
• #27 Jack Twyman, F, 1955-66 (1955-57 in Rochester, 1957-66 in Cincinnati)
• #44 Sam Lacey, C, 1970-81 (1970-72 in Cincinnati, 1972-81 in Kansas City)

Archibald and Robertson were named two of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1996.

See also

• Lakers-Kings Rivalry
• Pete Carril
• Active NBA playoff appearance streaks

External links

• Sacramento Kings official web site
• Sacramento Kings Official Summer Practice web site
• Sacramento Bee: Sacramento Kings Page
• Sacramento Kings Information
• Royals History