Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball franchise and sports-entertainment brand competing in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team is based in Sacramento, California, and plays its home games in the city's downtown arena. As a member club of the NBA, the Kings operate as a commercial sports brand: they sell tickets, media rights, merchandise, sponsorships and game-day entertainment, and they manage a roster of players, coaches and front-office staff under league rules. The franchise traces its roots to 1923, when it was founded as the Rochester Seagrams (later the Rochester Royals) in Rochester, New York. The club won the 1951 NBA championship as the Rochester Royals, then moved to Cincinnati (1957) and Kansas City–Omaha (1972) before relocating to Sacramento in 1985, where it took the Sacramento Kings name. The Kings have remained in Sacramento since then, becoming one of the city's most visible sports brands. Commercially, the Kings are a privately held member franchise rather than a listed company. Ownership has changed hands over the decades; the team has been controlled by a group led by Vivek Ranadivé since 2013. The franchise's business includes the Golden 1 Center, a downtown Sacramento arena that opened in 2016 and anchors the team's game-day and events business, along with the team's retail, digital and community programs. On the court, the Kings' most celebrated era came in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when teams built around players such as Chris Webber, Vlade Divac and Peja Stojaković contended for championships and reached the Western Conference Finals in 2002. The franchise has a long history of player development and a devoted regional fan base in Northern California. Its brand identity is built on the purple-and-black color scheme, the crown logo and a connection to Sacramento's civic identity.

The franchise that became the Sacramento Kings was founded in 1923 in Rochester, New York, as the Rochester Seagrams, a company-sponsored basketball team. It was later renamed the Rochester Royals and joined the Basketball Association of America (BAA), a forerunner of the NBA. In 1951 the Rochester Royals won the NBA championship, the franchise's only league title to date. The club moved to Cincinnati in 1957, becoming the Cincinnati Royals, and later relocated to Kansas City–Omaha in 1972, where it was known as the Kansas City–Omaha Kings (later the Kansas City Kings). In 1985 the franchise relocated to Sacramento, California, and adopted the Sacramento Kings name, which it has kept ever since. In Sacramento the Kings became a fixture of the city's sports culture. The team's most successful modern era came in the late 1990s and early 2000s under coaches Rick Adelman and with players such as Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojaković and Mike Bibby. The Kings reached the Western Conference Finals in 2002, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in a closely contested series. Ownership of the franchise changed several times. In 2013 a group led by technology executive Vivek Ranadivé acquired the team, keeping it in Sacramento. Under the new ownership, the franchise built the Golden 1 Center, a downtown Sacramento arena that opened in 2016 and became the anchor of the team's game-day and events business. The Kings have continued to compete in the NBA's Western Conference and remain one of Northern California's most prominent sports brands.

• 2016

  Golden 1 Center opens in downtown Sacramento.

• 2013

  A group led by Vivek Ranadivé acquires the franchise.

• 2002

  Kings reach the Western Conference Finals.

• 1985

  Franchise relocates to Sacramento, California, as the Sacramento Kings.

• 1972

  Franchise relocates to Kansas City–Omaha as the Kansas City–Omaha Kings.

• 1957

  Franchise relocates to Cincinnati as the Cincinnati Royals.

• 1951

  Rochester Royals win the NBA championship.

• 1923

  Franchise founded in Rochester, New York, as the Rochester Seagrams.

A regional NBA sports-entertainment brand anchored in Sacramento, California, competing in the league's Western Conference.

• Sacramento Kings NBA team

• Golden 1 Center

• Kings merchandise

• 2026

  Sacramento Kings sued by former assistant athletic trainer over pregnancy discrimination and harassment

  Former assistant athletic trainer Crystal Lee filed a 42-page lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court against the Sacramento Kings and senior director of athlete health Jas Randhawa, alleging pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination and failure to provide lactation accommodation. The Kings said they "categorically deny" the allegations and intend to vigorously defend against the claims.

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