The Sacramento Kings trace their roots all the way back to the birth of the NBA. In 1949 the franchise was one of 17 charter members of the new league that was created by the merger of the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League. Originally located in Rochester and known as the Royals, the club has also been known as the Cincinnati Royals, the Kansas City-Omaha Kings, and the Kansas City Kings. The franchise moved to Sacramento in 1985.

It has been a long road for the Kings. The team won a championship in 1951, but since then the franchise has mostly known frustration. Since the 1955-56 season the club has been a sporadic visitor to the playoffs. From 1968 to 1978 the Kings made only one postseason appearance. In 1995-96, the Kings reached the playoffs after a nine-year absence.

But the franchise has had its share of bright lights, too. The club's all-time roster boasts NBA greats Jack Twyman, Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas, Happy Hairston, and Nate "Tiny" Archibald. And Bob Cousy, Cotton Fitzsimmons, and Bill Russell have all put in time as head coach.

The franchise's glory years are now a distant memory. In the late 1940s and early 1950s the Rochester Royals ranked as one of the powerhouses of professional basketball. The franchise joined the National Basketball League in 1945 and promptly claimed the NBL crown. The Royals' roster included future coaching legend Red Holzman, pro quarterback Otto Graham, major league catcher Del Rice, and Chuck Connors, who would go on to greater fame as The Rifleman. The next season Rochester broke the NBL's color barrier by signing Dolly King. Buy Sacramento Kings Tickets.