Sacramento Kings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sacramento Kings
Conference	Western
Division	Pacific
Founded	1923
History	Rochester Seagrams 1923–1942 Rochester Eber Seagrams 1942–1943 Rochester Pros 1943–1945 Rochester Royals 1945–1948 (NBL) 1948–1957 (NBA) Cincinnati Royals 1957–1972 Kansas City-Omaha Kings 1972–1975 Kansas City Kings 1975–1985 Sacramento Kings 1985–present
Arena	Golden 1 Center
Location	Sacramento, California
Team colors	Pure black, royal purple, gray, white, royal blue
Main sponsor	Dialpad
President	John Rinehart
General manager	Monte McNair
Head coach	Mike Brown
Ownership	Vivek Ranadivé
Affiliation(s)	Stockton Kings
Championships	2 NBL: 1 (1946) NBA: 1 (1951)
Conference titles	0
Division titles	6 (1949, 1952, 1979, 2002, 2003, 2023)
Retired numbers	11 (1, 2, 4, 6, 11, 12, 14, 16, 21, 27, 44)
Association Icon Statement City

The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team from Sacramento, California. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Kings are part of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference.

Did you know the Kings are the oldest team in the NBA? They were also the first major professional sports team to be based in Sacramento. They play their home games at the Golden 1 Center. Their best time in Sacramento was in the early 2000s. In the 2001–02 season, they had an amazing record of 61 wins and 21 losses.

The team started as the Rochester Seagrams in Rochester, New York, way back in 1923. They were a semi-professional team. In 1945, they joined the National Basketball League as the Rochester Royals. They won the league championship in their very first season, 1945–46! In 1948, they joined the Basketball Association of America, which later combined with the NBL to form the NBA. As the Royals, they won the NBA championship in 1951.

However, it was hard for the team to make money in Rochester. So, in 1957, they moved to Cincinnati and became the Cincinnati Royals. In 1972, the team moved again to Kansas City, Missouri. They were called the Kansas City–Omaha Kings because they played games in both Kansas City and Omaha, Nebraska. They changed their name to avoid confusion with the baseball team, the Kansas City Royals. After three seasons, they became just the Kansas City Kings.

The team struggled to find success in Kansas City too. In 1985, they moved to Sacramento. Between 2006 and 2022, the Kings had 16 losing seasons in a row. This is the longest streak in NBA history. They also had the longest time without making the playoffs among major North American sports teams, from 2006 until 2023. Because they've been around for so long and had tough times, the Kings have the most losses in NBA history.

Team History

Early Years: Rochester Seagrams (1923–1944)

The team started as the Rochester Seagrams in Rochester, New York. They were a semi-professional team sponsored by the Seagram company. A key person for the team was Lester Harrison. He was a local high school star who later became the team's captain, coach, and manager. Famous teams like the Original Celtics and the Harlem Globetrotters came to Rochester to play against them.

Becoming the Rochester Royals (1945–1957)

The logo of the Rochester Royals

When World War II was ending, the National Basketball League (NBL) was growing. Lester Harrison and his brother Jack decided to start a new team. They paid $25,000 to join the NBL. Their new team was called the Rochester Royals.

They signed many talented players who were returning from the war. Some of these players included Bob Davies, Red Holzman, and William "Fuzzy" Levane. In their first season as the Royals (1945–46), they won the NBL championship!

The Royals had two more successful seasons in the NBL. In 1948, they moved to the Basketball Association of America (BAA). A year later, the BAA and NBL merged to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Red Holzman

In the 1951, the Royals won the NBA championship. They beat the New York Knicks 4–3. This is the only NBA championship the team has ever won. However, even with a championship, the team didn't make much money. The team's roster changed a lot in 1955. The NBA started to pressure the team's owner, Harrison, to sell or move the team to a bigger city. So, the 1956–57 season was their last in Rochester.

Many future Hall of Fame players played for the Royals in Rochester. These include Al Cervi, Bob Davies, Red Holzman, Maurice Stokes, and Oscar Robertson.

Moving to Cincinnati: The Cincinnati Royals (1957–1972)

In April 1957, the Harrison brothers moved the Royals to Cincinnati. The city was eager to have an NBA team. The team kept the "Royals" name because Cincinnati is known as the "Queen City."

In their first season in Cincinnati, the team looked promising. They had stars like Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman. However, a sad event happened. Maurice Stokes suffered a serious head injury during a game. He became permanently hospitalized, which deeply affected the team. Many players were so shaken that they retired.

Jack Twyman, Stokes' teammate, became his legal guardian. He helped raise money for Stokes' medical care until Stokes passed away in 1970. Their story was even made into a movie called Maurie in 1973.

The team struggled for a few years after Stokes' injury. The Harrisons eventually sold the team to a local group of businessmen.

The Oscar Robertson Era (1960–1970)

Robertson averaged over 30 points per game in six seasons and won six NBA assist titles while with the Royals.

In 1960, the team got a local superstar, Oscar Robertson. With Robertson, the Royals became a top team again. They also added another star, Jerry Lucas, in 1963. From 1963 to 1966, the Royals were strong contenders. However, they played in a tough division dominated by the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, so they didn't win any more championships.

Robertson was an amazing player. In the 1961–62 season, he averaged a "triple-double" (meaning he got double-digit numbers in points, rebounds, and assists). He also won the Most Valuable Player award in 1964. Lucas was the Rookie of the Year in 1964.

In the late 1960s, the team started playing some home games in other cities like Cleveland and Dayton. This hurt their fan base in Cincinnati. In 1969, coach Bob Cousy traded Lucas. In 1970, Robertson was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he immediately won an NBA title. These trades were very unpopular with fans. Attendance dropped, and the team decided to move again.

Moving to Kansas City: The Kings (1972–1985)

When the team moved to Kansas City in 1972, they changed their name to the Kings. This was to avoid confusion with the baseball team, the Kansas City Royals. They were first called the Kansas City–Omaha Kings because they played games in both cities. In 1975, they became just the Kansas City Kings.

Star Players and Playoff Runs

Nate Archibald led the NBA with 34.0 points and 11.4 assists per game in the 1972–73 season.

The team found a new star in point guard Nate Archibald. In the 1972–73 season, Archibald led the entire league in both scoring and assists! This was a rare achievement.

The Kings had some good players like Otis Birdsong, Scott Wedman, and Sam Lacey. In the 1978–79 season, they won their division. They made the playoffs again in 1979–80 and 1980–81. In the 1981 playoffs, the Kings made a surprising run to the Western Conference finals. This was their first playoff success since 1964.

However, the team faced many challenges. Key players left, and the team's arena was damaged by a storm. The team was eventually sold to a group from Sacramento. Fans in Kansas City often preferred to support the local baseball and football teams, or college basketball teams, over the Kings.

Finding a Home: Sacramento Kings (1985–Present)

The Kings moved to Sacramento, California for the 1985–86 NBA season. They made the playoffs in their first Sacramento season. The starting players included Reggie Theus and Mike Woodson. However, after that, the team struggled for many years. They didn't make the playoffs again until the 1996 NBA playoffs in the 1995–96 NBA season.

The Mitch Richmond Era (1991–1998)

The early 1990s were tough for the Kings. They had great fan support at home but struggled badly when playing away games. Things started to change when they got Mitch Richmond in a trade. Richmond was a former Rookie of the Year and became an All-Star six times while with the Kings.

Other stars like Spud Webb and Wayman Tisdale played for the Kings during this time, but they often didn't stay long. The team made the playoffs in 1996 but lost to the Seattle SuperSonics. Richmond was later traded for Chris Webber in 1998. This trade was a big step towards future success.

"The Greatest Show on Court" (1998–2004)

This era was very exciting for the Kings! They drafted Jason Williams, signed Vlade Divac, and traded for Chris Webber. They also had Peja Stojaković, who had been drafted earlier. These players, along with coach Rick Adelman, created a fast-paced, exciting style of play. Fans called them "The Greatest Show on Court."

In the 1998–99, they had their first winning season in Sacramento. Webber led the league in rebounds. They made the playoffs but lost to the Utah Jazz. The next season, they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs.

In the 2000–01 season, they improved their defense by trading for Doug Christie. Stojaković became a starter, and the team had a fantastic 55–27 record. They won their first playoff series in 20 years, beating the Phoenix Suns. However, they were swept by the Lakers in the next round.

In 2001, the Kings traded Jason Williams for Mike Bibby. Bibby brought more stability to the point guard position. The 2001–02 season was their best yet. They had the best record in the league (61–21). They easily won their first two playoff series. Then, they faced their rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the Western Conference Finals. This series is remembered as one of the greatest and most controversial playoff matchups in history. The Kings lost in seven games, just one game away from the NBA Finals. Many people questioned the referee calls in Game 6, which favored the Lakers.

The Kings continued to be strong. In the 2002–03 season, they won their division with a 59–23 record. But in the playoffs, Chris Webber suffered a major knee injury. The Kings lost their series in seven games. Webber's injury affected his play, and the team started to decline.

Decline and Transition (2004–2012)

After 2004, the Kings lost many key players. Divac signed with the Lakers, and Webber was traded. The team struggled to find its chemistry. In 2006, they traded Stojaković for Ron Artest. Despite a winning record, they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. This marked the start of a long 16-year playoff drought.

The team changed coaches several times. They drafted Spencer Hawes and signed Kevin Martin. Martin became a leading scorer for the team. In 2008, Artest was traded. The Kings had the worst record in the NBA in the 2008–09 season.

Tyreke Evans won the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year award.

In the 2009 NBA draft, the Kings drafted Tyreke Evans. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2010. He was only the fourth player in NBA history to average 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists as a rookie. In 2010, they drafted DeMarcus Cousins. Both Evans and Cousins were talented, but the team still struggled.

There was a lot of talk about the team moving to Anaheim. Fans were very worried. But after a vote by the NBA, the team stayed in Sacramento! This was a huge relief for the fans. The team also drafted Isaiah Thomas in 2011, who became a surprising star despite being the very last pick in the draft.

New Ownership and Rebuilding (2013–2017)

In 2013, the Maloof family sold the Kings to a new group led by Vivek Ranadivé. This new ownership group promised to keep the team in Sacramento. They also planned to build a new arena. Shaquille O'Neal, a famous former NBA player, even bought a small share of the team!

The team made many changes. They hired new coaches and staff. They drafted Ben McLemore and traded Tyreke Evans. They also acquired Rudy Gay. The team tried to build around stars DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay.

In 2015, Cousins was named an All-Star, the first Kings player to be an All-Star since 2004. The Kings also hired former player Vlade Divac as the new vice president of basketball operations. They drafted Willie Cauley-Stein and acquired Rajon Rondo.

In 2016, the Kings moved into their brand new arena, the Golden 1 Center. They hired Dave Joerger as head coach.

Post-DeMarcus Cousins Era (2017–2020)

In 2017, the Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans. This was a big change for the team. They drafted De'Aaron Fox, a talented point guard. They also signed veteran players like Vince Carter and Zach Randolph to help the young team.

The team continued to miss the playoffs. In the 2018 NBA draft, they drafted Marvin Bagley III. Some people thought they should have drafted Luka Dončić instead. Despite missing the playoffs, the 2018–19 season was their best record since 2006. However, coach Joerger was fired and Luke Walton was hired.

In 2020, the NBA season was paused due to a global event. The Kings were invited to play in the "NBA Bubble" but still missed the playoffs.

The Monte McNair and Mike Brown Era (2020–Present)

In 2020, Vlade Divac resigned as general manager. Monte McNair was hired as the new general manager. In the 2021 NBA draft, the Kings drafted Davion Mitchell to improve their defense.

In November 2021, coach Luke Walton was fired. The Kings traded Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis, a big trade to try and improve the team. However, they still missed the playoffs for the 16th season in a row. This became the longest playoff drought in NBA history.

In May 2022, Mike Brown was announced as the new head coach. He had just won an NBA championship as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. During the 2022–23 season, the Kings started a fun new tradition. After every home win, they light a large, purple beam into the night sky! Fans now chant "Light the Beam" after victories.

On February 24, 2023, the Kings played an incredibly high-scoring game against the Los Angeles Clippers. They won 176–175 in double-overtime! It was the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. Two Kings players, Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox, scored over 40 points each.

On March 29, 2023, the Kings beat the Portland Trail Blazers to officially make the playoffs! This ended their 16-year playoff drought, which was the longest in major North American sports. In the playoffs, they faced the Golden State Warriors and lost in seven tough games.

The next season, the Kings finished with a good record but still missed the main playoffs. They lost in the play-in tournament. In the offseason, they added 6-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan.

Team Look: Logos, Uniforms, and Colors

Rochester Royals Look

Arnie Johnson with the 1948–49 Rochester Royals

The first Rochester Royals logo was a blue and white shield with "ROCHESTER" and "ROYALS" on it. Their road uniforms were blue with the city name, and home uniforms were white with the team name. They later added red colors.

Cincinnati Royals Look

Logo used in Cincinnati

When they moved to Cincinnati in 1957, the logo changed to a cartoon basketball wearing a crown. The uniforms stayed blue for road games and white for home games, with red accents.

In the late 1960s, the Royals wore uniforms with the team name written vertically. In 1971, they adopted a red crown logo. Their uniforms then featured a script "Royals" on the front.

Kansas City Kings Look

For the 1972–73 season, the Kansas City-Omaha Kings kept their uniforms and logos, just changing the name. Later, they changed their road uniforms to say "Kansas City" on the front. In 1981, they went back to having the team name on the front of the road uniforms.

Sacramento Kings Look

When the Kings moved to Sacramento in 1985, they kept the red, white, and blue colors and the crown logo. For five seasons, their home uniforms were royal blue, and road uniforms were powder blue. They also had player names below the numbers on the back, which was unusual.

In 1990, the uniforms changed slightly. Royal blue was used on the road, and player names moved to the standard position above the numbers.

Changing to Purple and Black

In 1994, the Kings completely changed their look! They adopted new colors: purple, silver, black, and white. Their home uniform was white, and the road uniform was black. They also had a purple and black alternate uniform with a checkerboard pattern, which was later brought back for special games. A new purple uniform was introduced in 1997.

In 2002, the Kings updated their uniforms again. They had a modern "Kings" script on the home jersey and the city name on the purple road jersey. In 2005, they added a gold alternate uniform, but it only lasted two seasons.

In 2008, they introduced a new uniform style. The road jersey said "Kings" in black, and the home jersey said "Sacramento" in white. This was unique because most teams put the team name on home jerseys and the city name on road jerseys. A black alternate uniform was added in 2011.

For the 2014–15 season, the Kings made small changes. They brought back the "Kings" script from their primary logo on both uniforms. They also added a gold tab above the NBA logo on the back to show their 1951 championship.

In 2016, the Kings changed their brand again. They adopted a logo that looked like their 1971–1994 design, removing black from the logo but keeping purple and silver. Their new uniforms included white "Association" uniforms, purple "Icon" uniforms, and black "Statement" uniforms. All uniforms had a light blue collar and a "Sacramento Proud" tab.

Starting in 2017, their jerseys were sponsored by Blue Diamond Growers.

For the 2023–24 season, the Kings updated their uniforms again. Black became the main color, and purple became an accent. The new "Kings" script was inspired by their uniforms from 1972 to 1994.

Special Edition "City" Uniforms

Nike also creates special "City" uniforms that celebrate local culture and team history.

• 2017–18: White and powder blue with red trim, like their 1985–1990 road uniforms.
• 2018–19: Replaced the lion head logo with "Sactown."
• 2019–20: Red base with powder blue trim, keeping the "Sactown" theme.
• 2020–21: Black base with checkerboard patterns, combining elements from different past uniforms.
• 2021–22: "Sactown" script and off-centered numbers, honoring 1971–1994 uniforms. Also had a black base and a modified Rochester Royals logo.
• 2022–23: Gray base and purple trim, inspired by the Golden 1 Center and the team's fight to stay in Sacramento.
• 2023–24: Blue base with a vertical "Kings" wordmark, inspired by the Cincinnati Royals uniforms from the late 1960s, celebrating the team's 100th anniversary.
• 2024–25: Revisited the Cincinnati theme with "Kings" block lettering based on old warmup jackets.

Classic Uniforms

The Kings have also brought back several "classic" uniforms to honor their history:

• 2002–03: White 1960s Cincinnati Royals uniform.
• 2003–04: Mid-1970s Kansas City Kings white uniform.
• 2004–05, 2015–16, 2016–17: Mid-1980s powder blue jerseys.
• 2010–11, 2014–15: Rochester Royals championship team throwbacks.
• 2019–20: Blue uniforms from 1990 to 1994.
• 2024–25: Purple uniform style from 2002 to 2008.

Team Mascot

Since the 1997–98 season, the Kings' official mascot has been Slamson the Lion. Before that, their mascot was "The Gorilla."

Recent Season Records

Here are the results for the last five seasons the Kings have played:

Home Arenas

The Kings have played in many different arenas throughout their history:

• Edgerton Park Arena (1949–1954)
• Rochester War Memorial (1955–1957)
• Cincinnati Gardens (1957–1972)
• Omaha Civic Auditorium (1972–1978)
• Kansas City Municipal Auditorium (1972–1974 & 1979–1980)
• Kemper Arena (1974–1985)
• ARCO Arena I (1985–1988)
• ARCO Arena II (1988–2016)
• Golden 1 Center (2016–present)

Team Rivalries

Los Angeles Lakers

The Kings and the Lakers have a long history of playing against each other in the playoffs. They have met nine times between 1949 and 2002. Since the Kings moved to Sacramento in 1985, both teams have been based in California. The 2002 Western Conference Finals was a very intense series with many controversial calls. The Lakers ended up winning that series.

Golden State Warriors

Since the Kings moved to Sacramento in 1985, they have a local rivalry with the Golden State Warriors. Sacramento and San Francisco are only 86 miles apart! Even though both teams have been around for a long time, they didn't play each other in the playoffs until 2023.

In that 2023 playoff series, the Warriors beat the Kings in seven exciting games. The series was very popular and had high TV ratings.

Retired Numbers

The Kings honor special players by retiring their jersey numbers. These numbers are hung high up in the Golden 1 Center arena.

• ¹ Number was temporarily unretired for Domantas Sabonis since 2024.
• The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its teams on August 11, 2022.

Basketball Hall of Famers

Many players and coaches who were part of the Kings franchise have been honored in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Notes:

• ¹ He also coached the team from 1969–1973.
• ² Robertson was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice: as a player and as a member of the 1960 Olympic team.
• ³ Lucas was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice: as a player and as a member of the 1960 Olympic team.
• ⁴ Inducted for being the first African American to manage an NBA team. He also played for the team from 1958–1966.
• ⁵ Also played for the team (1975).
• ⁶ Russell was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice: as a player and as a coach.

FIBA Hall of Famers

Some Kings players have also been honored in the FIBA Hall of Fame, which recognizes international basketball stars.

Images for kids

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  Arnie Johnson with the 1948–49 Rochester Royals

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  The logo of the Rochester Royals

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  Red Holzman

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  Robertson averaged over 30 points per game in six seasons and won six NBA assist titles while with the Royals.

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  Logo used in Cincinnati

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  Nate Archibald led the NBA with 34.0 points and 11.4 assists per game in the 1972–73 season.

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  The Sacramento Kings in 2005

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  Kevin Martin shoots a free throw at a Kings home game.

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  Tyreke Evans won the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year award.

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  Demarcus Cousins in a game