The Sacramento Kings Play to Be Crowned As NBA Royalty By Rick Grantham At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

It is good to be king! You can be king of a country, king of rock and roll, king of checkers, king of a castle, king of swing, king of basketball, and king of duct tape artistry. Once you are king, you are the best of the best, the Big Kahuna, the Grand Poobah, and so on. While the Sacramento Kings have inherited a name of royalty, they hope to one day be crowned king of all the 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, the Cincinnati Royals, the Kansas City-Omaha Kings, and the Kansas City Kings. In 1985, the Kings earned a 37-45 record during their premiere as an NBA team. While the record was good enough to qualify for the playoffs, the Houston Rockets swept them (3-0).

How did the Kings become royalty? When the team relocated to Kansas City, it changed its name to prevent confusion. Although they were the Royals in Rochester and Cincinnati, Kansas City already had a Major League Baseball team with the name "Royals."

Though Sacramento is the capital of California, most of us are more familiar with the California cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, etc. Here are some fascinating facts about Sacramento:

• Average January temperature: 53° F
• Average annual rainfall: 17 inches per year or .32 inches per week
• Major industries: computers/electronics, printing, glass, wood products, agriculture
• Main agricultural products: corn, rice, safflower, sugar beets, and tomatoes
• Involved history's largest human migration after the 1848 discovery of gold

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 have made 10 playoff appearances. Though 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 started, the Kings had acquired Mike Bibby (point guard). The Kings' 61-21 record made them kings of the NBA regular season, and was their all-time best franchise record. In the playoffs, the Kings would silence the Utah Jazz (3-1), and then subdue the Dallas Mavericks (4-1). In the Western Conference Finals, the Kings would then face the mighty Los Angeles Lakers.

Many fans of the NBA consider the 2002 war between the Kings and the Lakers, to be one of the greatest playoff series in the league's history. Ahead in the series 3-2, the Lakers won Game 6, during which they shot a whopping 40 free throws! Game 7 was yet another battle, which included an amazing 19 lead changes and 16 ties. In overtime, the Lakers outlasted the Kings, winning the game 112-106 and the series 4-3.

Each season, the Sacramento Kings strive to advance to their first NBA Finals series. Use Sacramento Kings merchandise to cheer on the team as they battle to become NBA royalty and earn their first NBA Championship crown!

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