Sacramento Kings

The franchise traces its origins to the Rochester Seagrams, a semi-professional team founded in Rochester, New York, in 1923. In 1945, Les Harrison and his brother Jack obtained an NBL franchise and formed the Rochester Royals. The team won the NBL championship in 1945–46, joined the BAA in 1948 and subsequently entered the NBA when the leagues merged.⁠[1][2]

In 1951, the Rochester Royals defeated the New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knicks are an NBA basketball team based at Madison Square Garden in New York and owned by MSG Sports.Open the full entry four games to three in the Finals to win the franchise’s NBA championship. Les Harrison was involved in both ownership and coaching at the time.⁠[3][4]

The team moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1957, retaining the Royals name.⁠[5]

Oscar Robertson joined the Cincinnati Royals in 1960 and became their central player during the decade. He averaged a triple-double in 1961–62 and won the NBA Most Valuable Player award in 1964. Jerry Lucas also joined the team during this period.⁠[1][6]

Before the 1972–73 season, the team moved to Kansas City. To avoid sharing a name with the local Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a professional baseball club in Kansas City, founded by Ewing Kauffman and playing since 1969.Open the full entry baseball club, the basketball franchise adopted the Kings name while retaining a royal theme.⁠[3][7]

A Sacramento investor group purchased the team for approximately $10.5 million in June 1983. The group applied to the NBA for relocation in January 1985. Later that year, the team began playing in Sacramento’s temporary ARCO Arena, starting its Sacramento Kings era.⁠[3]

In 1998, the Kings acquired Chris Webber in a trade, signed Vlade Divac and drafted Jason Williams. Their earlier draft pick Peja Stojaković joined at the same time. Under Rick Adelman, the Kings gained attention for their passing and fast-paced offense, finishing 27–23 in 1998–99.⁠[1][5]

After buying a minority interest in 1998, the Maloof family acquired control of the club in 1999. The transfer of control took effect on July 1, succeeding previous owner Jim Thomas.⁠[3]

In 2001–02, Sacramento posted the league’s best record at 61–21 and reached the Western Conference Finals, losing to the Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an NBA basketball team based at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The club originated in Minneapolis in 1947.Open the full entry four games to three.⁠[1][8]

On May 28, 2013, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the Sacramento Kings to a group led by Vivek Ranadivé. The league confirmed completion on May 31, transferring the team from the Maloof family to the new ownership group. CAA ICON’s project record describes earlier negotiations involving prospective Seattle buyers; the eventual arrangement kept the team in Sacramento.⁠[9][10][11]

On October 29, 2014, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of construction on Sacramento’s new downtown arena. Project manager CAA ICON had previously worked on site feasibility, the arrangements between the city and team, and financing plans, before overseeing project delivery.⁠[11]

On April 26, 2016, the Kings unveiled a new brand identity during a preview of the new arena. The primary logo retained the crown and basketball, redesigned the lettering and emphasized the Sacramento name. Supporting marks included a lion design.⁠[3][12][13][14]

Golden 1 Center received its city-issued certificate of occupancy in September 2016 and celebrated its official opening that October with two Paul McCartney concerts, becoming the Kings’ new home. The LEED Platinum-certified arena combines rooftop solar panels with an off-site solar facility developed in partnership with SMUD. Its design also incorporates natural ventilation, water conservation and material recycling.⁠[11][15]

On October 20, 2016, the Kings and the NBA Development League announced that Sacramento had acquired a controlling interest in the Reno Bighorns, becoming the fifteenth NBA team to own and operate its D-League affiliate. Their affiliation began in 2008–09 and became exclusive before the 2013–14 season. Having previously controlled basketball operations, the Kings expanded their responsibility to include business operations after the acquisition.⁠[16]

On March 29, 2023, the Kings clinched a playoff berth, ending a run of 16 consecutive seasons without a postseason appearance.⁠[17][7]

Scott Perry became the Kings’ general manager on April 21, 2025, beginning his second stint in the team’s front office. He subsequently helped draft young players including Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud as part of the club’s roster-building efforts.⁠[18][3]

On May 1, 2025, the Kings announced a contract agreement with interim head coach Doug Christie, making him their permanent head coach.⁠[19][20]

The Kings finished the 2025–26 season 22–60. In an Andscape interview published on May 8, 2026, Scott Perry said the team needed to add young talent, continue developing players and build roster depth for sustained competitiveness. He also discussed injuries limiting veterans’ availability and the development of younger players given more playing time. His comments reflected the team-building approach he outlined at that time.⁠[18]

Sacramento Kings: Official website: https://www.nba.com/kings (opens in a new window)⁠[21]

Sacramento Kings: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/@SacramentoKings (opens in a new window)⁠[22]

Sacramento Kings: X: https://x.com/sacramentokings (opens in a new window)⁠[23]

Sacramento Kings: LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sacramento-kings/ (opens in a new window)⁠[24]