Doug Christie Defensive Performance vs Clippers (1996)
The oldest team in the NBA, with a championship legacy and a history of resilience.
The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The Kings are the oldest team in the NBA, and the first team in the major professional North American sports leagues located in Sacramento. The team plays its home games at Golden 1 Center.
Quick Facts
- Player
- Doug Christie
- Team affiliation
- Sacramento Kings
- Opponent
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Season context
- 1996-1997 NBA Regular Season
- Key attribute
- Perimeter Defense and Steals
- Historical significance
- Established Christie as an All-Star caliber defender
Lore & Background
The franchise began with the Rochester Seagrams (a semi-professional team) from Rochester, New York, that formed in 1923. They joined the National Basketball League in 1945 as the renamed Rochester Royals, winning that league's championship in their first season, 1945–46. In 1948 they jumped with three other NBL teams to the Basketball Association of America, that later merged with the NBL to form the NBA. As the Royals, the team won the NBA championship in 1951. The team relocated to Cincinnati, becoming the Cincinnati Royals. Before the 1972–73 season, the team relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, and renamed the Kansas City–Omaha Kings, later truncated to Kansas City Kings. The franchise moved after the 1984–85 season to Sacramento. Their best seasons in the city were in the early 2000s, including a 2001–02 season when they had the best record in the NBA at 61–21. Between 2006 and 2022, the Kings had 16 consecutive losing seasons, the most in NBA history. The Kings also had the longest active postseason drought in the four major North American sports, which started in 2006 and lasted until 2023. The franchise has the most losses in NBA history.
Reader's Guide
The Kings' history includes the Rochester Royals (1945–1957), Cincinnati Royals (1957–1972), Kansas City–Omaha Kings (1972–1975), Kansas City Kings (1975–1985), and Sacramento Kings (1985–present). The team won its only NBA championship in 1951. Key figures from the Rochester era include nine future Hall of Famers: Al Cervi, Bob Davies, Alex Hannum, Lester Harrison, Red Holzman, Arnie Risen, Maurice Stokes, Jack Twyman, and Bobby Wanzer. The team's home games are played at Golden 1 Center.
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