Sacramento Kings History Online Information and NBA Betting Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook

NBA Sacramento Kings History betting odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook

NBA Sacramento Kings History Ownership Change (1997-1999) The Kings emerged from years of mediocrity with the draft selection of Jason Williams, the signing of Vlade Divac, and the trade of Mitch Richmond for Chris Webber prior to the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. These acquisitions coincided with the arrival of Peja Stojakovic, who had been drafted in 1996. Each of these moves was attributed to general manager Geoff Petrie, who has won NBA Executive of the Year several times. Following these acquisitions, the Kings rose in the NBA ranks, becoming a perennial playoff contender.

Led by new head coach Rick Adelman, and aided by former Princeton head coach and Kings assistant Pete Carril, their so-called "Princeton offense" turned heads around the league for its run-and-gun style and superb ball movement. The Kings led the league in average points per game year in and year out, and established that a team could be successful and still be fun to watch. Some criticized the Kings for their poor team defense, Williams's "flash over substance" style of play with its many turnovers, and Webber's failure to step up his game in important matchups. Still, they quickly became NBA darlings, garnering many fans outside of California, and even around the world, many of which were enthralled by Williams's amazing passing abilities and Webber's sharp all-around game. Despite their tremendous successes, they were still a young team, and were ultimately defeated by more experienced teams in the playoffs, losing to the Utah Jazz in 1999 (in a thrilling five-game matchup), and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.

Championship Contender (2000-2005)

Following the 2000 season, the Kings traded starting small forward Corliss Williamson to the Toronto Raptors for defensive shooting guard Doug Christie, opening a starting spot for sharpshooter Stojakovic. Stojakovic and his dead-eye long range shot served as the perfect complement to Webber's smooth inside game, taking the Kings' already-potent offense to new heights. With their continued success on court came their continued rise in popularity, culminating in their gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated in February 2001, with the title "The Greatest Show On Court". In 2001, they won their first playoff series in the Webber era, defeating the Phoenix Suns 3-1, before being swept in four games by the Lakers, who went on to win the NBA championship.

In July 2001, Petrie traded starting point guard Jason Williams to the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies for point guard Mike Bibby. The trade solved needs on both sides: the Grizzlies, in the process of moving to Memphis, wanted an exciting, popular player to sell tickets in their new home, while the Kings, an up-and-coming team, sought more stability and control at the point guard position. Although questioned by some Kings fans at the time, NBA officials and experts proclaimed Bibby as the better player in the deal, as well as a better leader, having led the Arizona Wildcats to an NCAA championship in 1997. This move was complemented by the crucial re-signing of Webber to a maximum-salary contract, securing the star power forward for years to come.

With the addition of Bibby, the Kings had their best season to date in 2001-02. The team finished with the best record 61-21 as well as making a franchise record. They then stormed through the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Kings eventually lost to the rival Lakers in the conference finals, falling in overtime of Game 7 at home in ARCO Arena. The Kings' free throw shooting is widely blamed for their loss; they made only 16 of 30 free throws (53.3%).

After winning another division championship in 2002-03, the Kings lost Webber to a knee injury in the playoffs, ultimately losing to the Dallas Mavericks in a seven game series. Webber's knee required major surgery, and his questionable mid-season return in 2003-04, in which he visibly lost much of his explosiveness and agility, led to a playoff defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games.

The 2004-05 season marked another season of dramatic change for the Kings, who lost three of their starters from the 2002 team. In the offseason of 2004, Divac opted to sign with the rival Lakers, giving Brad Miller a starting spot at center. Early in the season, Christie was traded to the Orlando Magic for shooting guard Cuttino Mobley. But the most dramatic change came in February, when Webber was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for three relatively unheralded forwards: Corliss Williamson, Kenny Thomas, and Brian Skinner. The Kings ultimately lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Seattle SuperSonics. The 2005 offseason continued the team transformation, with the Kings trading fan favorite Bobby Jackson for Bonzi Wells and acquiring free agent forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Rebuilding (2005-present)

The 2005-06 season started off poorly, as the Kings had a hard time finding chemistry in the team. Popular SF Peja Stojakovic was traded for the much needed Ron Artest, who all but guaranteed the Kings would make the playoffs. With Artest in the lineup, the Kings had a 20-9 record after the 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend, which was the second best post-All-Star break record that season. The Kings finished the regular season with a 44-38 record, which placed them 4th in the Pacific Division. The Kings obtained the 8th seed of the Western Conference playoffs, and were matched up in the first round against the San Antonio Spurs in a seven-game series. The Spurs beat the Kings in the first round 4-2.

The 2006 offseason was started with the announcement that head coach Rick Adelman's contract would not be renewed. The Kings named Eric Musselman as Adelman's replacement as head coach.

In 2006-2007, the disappointing play of the Kings had been coupled with the distraction of legal troubles. Coach Eric Musselman pleaded no contest to DUI charges early in the season, while star Ron Artest got in to trouble for neglect of his dogs, and was later arrested for domestic assault. The Kings dismissed Artest of basketball duties, pending more investigation in to the matter, and was later reinstated. The Kings finished the 2006-07 NBA season with an overall record of 33-49 in which they were 20-21 at ARCO Arena and 13-28 on the road; fifth place in the Pacific Division. This season record included a seven game losing-streak that started on January 4 and ended on January 19. Consequently, the Sacramento Kings went on to miss the 2007 NBA Playoffs, the first time in eight seasons. Coach Eric Musselman was fired on April 20, 2007. The Kings' future appears to rest on the shoulders of breakout star Kevin Martin, who was a leading candidate for 2007 NBA Most-Improved Player of the Year.

2007 Off-Season

The 2007 off-season has been a time of change for the Kings. Kings coach Eric Musselman was fired on April 20. On June 20th, former Kings player Reggie Theus was named the new head coach of the franchise. Fans and sports analysts were puzzled by the hire, especially with Larry Brown expressing great interest in coaching the team. On June 28, 2007, the Kings selected Center Spencer Hawes from Washington as the 10th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

In addition to these changes, the Sacramento King acquired center Mikki Moore from the New Jersey Nets. Moore played as the starting center for the Nets. Justin Williams the kings 6ft 10 center resigned with the team for a reported 1 year contract. Tupac Shakur's cousin Mustafa Shakur was signed to the team after an impressive summer league performance, the signing hinted the end of the teams oldest point guard Mike Bibby.

Season-by-season records

Season	W	L	%	Playoffs	Results
1990-91	25	57	.305
1991-92	29	53	.354
1992-93	25	57	.305
1993-94	28	54	.341
1994-95	39	43	.476
1995-96	39	43	.476	Lost First Round	Seattle 3, Sacramento 1
1996-97	34	48	.415
1997-98	27	55	.329
1998-99	27	23	.540	Lost First Round	Utah 3, Sacramento 2
1999-2000	44	38	.537	Lost First Round	L.A. Lakers 3, Sacramento 2
2000-01	55	27	.672	Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals	Sacramento 3, Phoenix 1 L.A. Lakers 4, Sacramento 0
2001-02	61	21	.744	Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals	Sacramento 3, Utah 1 Sacramento 4, 1 L.A. Lakers 4, Sacramento 3
2002-03	59	23	.720	Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals	Sacramento 4, Utah 1 Dallas 4, Sacramento 3
2003-04	55	27	.672	Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals	Sacramento 4, Dallas 1 Minnesota 4, Sacramento 3
2004-05	50	32	.610	Lost First Round	Seattle 4, Sacramento 1
2005-06	44	38	.537	Lost First Round	San Antonio 4, Sacramento 2
2006-07	33	49	.402
2007-08	0	0	.000
Totals	2220	2425	.478
Playoffs	76	109	.411	1 Championship

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