It’s good to be king! You can be the king of a country, the king of rock and roll, the king of checkers, the king of a castle, the king of swing, the king of basketball, and the king of duct tape art. Once you are king, you are the best of the best, the Great Kahuna, the Great Poobah, etc. While the Sacramento Kings have inherited a royal name, they hope to one day be crowned kings of the entire NBA: NBA Champions!
The Sacramento Kings have only played in the NBA since the 1985-1986 season. However, since 1945, they have also played as the Rochester Royals, Cincinnati Royals, Kansas City-Omaha Kings, and Kansas City Kings. In 1985, the Kings posted a 37-45 record during their debut as an NBA team. While the record was good enough to qualify for the playoffs, the Houston Rockets swept them (3-0).
How did kings become royalty? When the team moved to Kansas City, it changed its name to avoid confusion. Although they were the Royals in Rochester and Cincinnati, Kansas City already had a Major League Baseball team by the name of the “Royals.”
Although Sacramento is the capital of California, most of us are more familiar with the Californian cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, etc. Here are some fascinating facts about Sacramento:
o Average January temperature: 53° F
o Average annual rainfall: 17 inches per year or 0.32 inches per week
o Major Industries: Computers/Electronics, Printing, Glass, Wood Products, Agriculture
o Main agricultural products: corn, rice, safflower, sugar beets and tomatoes
o Involved the largest human migration in history after the discovery of gold in 1848
How close have the Sacramento Kings come to being crowned kings of the NBA? Since the 1985-1986 season, the Kings have won two Division titles and made 10 playoff appearances. Although they have never played in an NBA Finals series, the Kings advanced deep into the playoffs during the 2001-2002 season.
Before the 2001-2002 season began, the Kings had acquired Mike Bibby (point guard). The Kings’ 61-21 record made them NBA regular season kings and was their best franchise record of all time. In the playoffs, the Kings would silence the Utah Jazz (3-1), then submit the Dallas Mavericks (4-1). In the Western Conference Finals, the Kings would face the mighty Los Angeles Lakers.
The 2002 war between the Kings and Lakers is considered by many NBA fans to be one of the best playoff series in league history. Ahead in the series 3-2, the Lakers won Game 6, during which they took a whopping 40 free throws! Game 7 was yet another battle, including an amazing 19 lead changes and 16 ties. In overtime, the Lakers outscored the Kings, winning the game 112-106 and the series 4-3.
Every season, the Sacramento Kings strive to advance to their first NBA Finals series. Wear Sacramento Kings merchandise to cheer on the team as they strive to become NBA royalty and win their first NBA Championship crown!