Sacramento Kings - California Sports Information

The Sacramento Kings originated back in 1945 as the Rochester Royals. It wasn’t until 1985, forty years later, that the team moved to Sacramento and began to build the team that they currently have. From 1985 to 1995, the Kings saw very little success by making the playoffs only once. The Kings finally began their success before the 1998-99 season, when they had Jason Williams, Vlade Divac, Chris Webber, and Peja Stojakovic on their team.

These players turned the Kings into one of the most exciting teams in basketball. They were known for having a lot of energy by running up and down the court at a fast pace; seemingly able to score whenever they wanted to. Although the Kings were solid offensively, they were never able to establish themselves as a solid defensive team. The Kings were defeated in the playoffs by the Utah Jazz in 1999 and by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, but the team still had plenty of potential.

Sacramento Kings History Information

After the 2000 season, the Kings wanted a defensive player. They acquired shooting guard Doug Christie, who was known as a very good defensive guard. Stojakovic became a starter, sparking the team’s offense to new heights. With Christie’s defensive presence on the team, the Kings were able to establish themselves as a more serious threat. In 2001, the Kings finally won a playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, but were then swept by the Lakers in the following round. After the season, the Kings acquired point guard Mike Bibby for Williams, which turned out to be the component that the team was missing. In 2002, the Kings finished with the best record in the NBA at 61-21.

Unfortunately, the Kings fell to the Lakers in the playoffs once again. The series lasted seven games, but the Lakers were able to pull it off after questionable officiating calls during the series. The 2003 season began the downfall spiral for the Kings. Although they didn’t collapse by any means, Webber suffered a knee injury and missed the playoffs. The Kings made the playoffs again in 2004, but were defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Kings have seen a lot of change in their team the past few years. Divac left for the Lakers in the 2004-2005 season, and Webber was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Finally, during the 2005-2006 season, the Kings traded Stojakovic for the most controversial player in the NBA, Ron Artest. Although the Kings are a completely different team from their success in the early part of the century, the organization hopes that the young players they received in return for their former stars will lead them to a successful future.

The Kings currently play in the ARCO Arena, which was built in 1988. Although the stadium has not been around very long, there is a chance that a new arena will be build eventually. Although he was never part of the Kings, Oscar Robertson was a member of the Cincinnati Royals, one of the teams that led to the development of the Kings. Robertson is perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time.