The Saga of the Sacramento Kings

From Maloofs to Magoofs: The Saga of the Sacramento Kings

By Jordan Santos

                The phrase “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” has been a common theme in my life. Like most kids, I have adopted this attitude of perseverance through my hometown of Sacramento. Sacramento is a blue-collar town that became the state capital of California in 1854 due to the formation of the Central Pacific Railroad Company in the early 1860s. We are a city of gold miners, railroad workers, and overall tough sons of guns. Sadly, it took Sacramento over a hundred years for the city to get a professional sports team. When the Kings came to Sacramento in 1985, the love affair was born.

                On June 8, 1983, the Kings were purchased for $10.5 million by a local business group that brought the Kings to Sacramento from Kansas City. The Kings had their first home game in front of a raucous, sell-out crowd on October 25, 1985 against the L.A. Clippers. Even though the Kings lost that game and had thirteen straight losing seasons, the fans never wavered in loyalty and showed up to every game with cowbell in hand.

                In 1994, everything changed for Sacramento when Geoff Petrie was hired as Vice President of basketball operations. Petrie was a basketball wizard and made a series of trades, signings, and draft picks that would quickly turn the Kings from an afterthought into a powerhouse in the Western Conference. From 1996 – 2000, Petrie drafted Peja Stojakovic and Jason Williams; signed Vlade Divac and traded for Chris Webber. Petrie put the finishing touch on the rebuilding of the Kings by hiring Rick Adelman as head coach in 1998.

During Petrie’s transformation of the team, the franchise was sold to the Maloof family on January 15, 1999. The Kings announced that the Maloof family of Albuquerque, N.M., would assume controlling interest of Capital Sports and Entertainment, the organization that includes the Kings franchise and Arco Arena. The team was improving, the stock market and tech industry was exploding, and all of Sacramento was happy with the direction of the city and Kings.  More success came in 1999, when Petrie was named NBA executive of the year. That same year, the Kings had their first winning record in the Sacramento era (27-23) and took the defending Western Conference champs Utah Jazz to an elimination game 5 in the first round. The Kings eventually lost in overtime of game 5 despite a valiant effort. After that series, there was a feeling around Sacramento that the Kings had a real shot at greatness for many years to come. And they were right.

                Starting in 1998-1999, the Kings had eight straight winning seasons that resulted in playoff appearances in a highly competitive Western Conference. This time period is referred to as the “Golden Age” of Sacramento Kings basketball. Luckily for me, this is the same time that I became obsessed with basketball and worshipped the Sacramento Kings. Not only were the Kings one of the best teams in the entire NBA, but they played the game with such heart and comradery that the team quickly became a national story. Nothing was more symbolic of the Kings’ success than the Sports Illustrated cover of the starting five on the February 19, 2001 NBA mid-season report issue. This cover of SI, which read “The Greatest Show on Court” and “The Sacramento Kings: Basketball the way it oughta be,” was a historic issue because never before nor since has there been an entire starting five (Webber, Christie, Williams, Divac, and Stojakovic) on the cover in which the entire team was profiled as a unit. I still have a framed cover of that issue lying on my desk to remind me of the good ol’ days.

                In the 2000-2001 season, the Kings had a winning season and reached the postseason for the second straight year. Sacramento took the Los Angeles Lakers to a final Game 5 in the first round, but lost to the eventual world champions. Sacramento had finally made a name for itself as a sports city, but was not satisfied with losing in the first round back-to-back seasons. In the 2001-2002 season, the Kings beat the Phoenix Suns 3-1 in the first round. Again, the Kings would face off against the defending world champion Lakers. This time, the Kings were swept 4-0 and sent home with a bad taste in their mouths. This officially marked the rivalry between the Kings and Lakers, one of the greatest rivalries in the NBA at the time.

                During the 2002 offseason, the Kings were determined to create a roster that would compete with the Los Angeles Lakers, the only real threat to the Kings. Petrie made Sacramento an immediate title contender by trading Jason Williams for Mike Bibby, who was a much more reliable player in clutch situations. Bibby made the Kings a much more efficient squad and led the team to the best record in the NBA with a record of 61 wins and 21 losses, the best record in Sacramento history. Going into that postseason, all of Sacramento believed that the Kings would bring home a championship to a fan base and city that so desperately deserved it. The Kings blew past the Utah Jazz in the first round, destroyed the Mavericks in the semi-finals, and eventually met with their arch-nemesis L.A. Lakers in the Western Conference Finals in what became one of the most controversial series in NBA history.

I could write an entire article just on this series and the controversy it brought to the entire league, so if you want a greater perspective on one of the greatest tragedies in sports history go “YouTube” it. The Kings and Lakers split the first two games in Sacramento, with Sacramento winning game one and L.A. winning game two. The Kings bounced back in game three, leading by as many as 27 points and never trailing the entire game. In game 4, the Kings took a 24-point first half lead due in large part to their 40-point first quarter assault! Though, the Lakers stormed back after a barrage of three pointers and eventually won the game on a buzzer-beater three point shot by Robert Horry. I can still remember the exact place I was at when that play happened. I was in a bowling alley in Clear Lake, CA watching the game with my family and friends when Horry hit the shot at the buzzer. All I remember is tears of anger rolling down my red cheeks and screaming at the TV “What just happened?!” That shot tied up the series 2-2 heading back to Sacramento. In game 5, the Kings trailed nearly the entire fourth quarter until Mike Bibby came to the rescue. With 8.2 seconds left, Mike Bibby came off a Chris Webber screen and sunk a jumper that will be remembered as the biggest shot in Kings history.

Now on to game six, the most controversial game in NBA history. If you mention game six of the 2002 Western Conference Finals to a Sacramento resident, they will give you a look of anger and disgust that only a person who has been robbed blind can imitate. Why you might ask? Maybe because Tim Donaghy, a NBA referee who admitted to the FBI that game 6 was fixed by the refs in response to NBA executives telling the referees they wanted the series extended to a game 7. Let’s look at some of the stats before we get other opinions shall we? The Lakers shot 27 free throws in the fourth quarter alone! The Kings were called for 31 fouls, three resulting in technicals which were completely uncalled for, compared to the Lakers 24 fouls. The most despicable play that I’ve seen in NBA history came with about 11.8 seconds remaining in the game with the Lakers up 103-102. The Lakers were inbounding the ball and Kobe elbowed Bibby in the face on his way to the ball, yet the play resulted in a foul on Bibby. The refs chose to not call the foul because it would have given the Kings a chance to win the game and move on to the NBA finals. Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times had this to say about game 6, “It was unbelievable. The worst officiated game in my sports writing career. That game was not right, I’m telling you I was there. That was not right.” Michael Wilbon, one of the most respected NBA analysts, covered the game in Los Angeles and stated, “It was an abomination. That it was an embarrassment to the league. That it was the worst officiated contest in professional basketball that I’ve ever seen.” Even Ralph Nader, a political rights activist who is a Harvard University alumni and has run for the presidency three times, sent a letter to NBA commissioner David Stern in light of the Tim Donaghy investigation. Donaghy told the FBI that two of the three NBA refs fixed game 6 and were “company men” of the NBA. Stern has since attempted to distance himself from the scandal, calling Donaghy a “felon” and the lone perpetrator in the scandal. I find this extremely hard to believe that one referee stood out alone during this dark period in the NBA. Just like when Jose Canseco came out and revealed the “Steroid Era” in Major League Baseball, Donaghy highlighted the back-alley deals that were going on between the NBA and their officials. To this day, I believe that the Kings were not given a fair fight against the Lakers and that money and ratings were the biggest influence on that series. You know what they say. Money makes the world go round.

The series shifted back to Sacramento for game 7 for the biggest game in Sacramento history. Game 7 was by far the tensest game of the series going back and forth with 16 ties and 19 lead changes. Mike Bibby hit two crucial free throws on a Kobe Bryant foul away from the ball to tie the game at 100 and send the series into a final overtime. In OT the Kings couldn’t keep their composure down the stretch and handed the Lakers a third straight appearance to the NBA finals. The Lakers eventually dismantled the New Jersey Nets and captured their third straight NBA championship. There are some stats that really pop out on the box score that display how bad the Kings beat themselves. First off, the Kings missed 14 out of 30 free throws that game and shot a horrendous 2 of 20 from three-point range. Shaq and Kobe combined for 65 points as the Lakers upset the Kings in overtime 116 to 112. After that series, the Kings and Sacramento would never be the same.

The Kings would make the playoffs four straight years after the demoralizing loss to the Lakers in 2002. Unfortunately, they never were able to make a run back to the Western Conference Finals due to injuries and personnel changes.

The last year the Kings had a legitimate shot at a title was the 2002-2003 season. Sacramento was again on a collision course to meet the Lakers in the conference championship. The Kings finished the season by winning the Pacific Division for the second consecutive year with a record of 59 wins and 23 losses. The Kings earned the second-seed in the Western Conference and were primed to make a deep playoff push. Sacramento met against the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs and was the better team, winning game one 124-113. Though, bad luck always has a way of finding the Kings. In game two, Chris Webber who was the heart and soul of the Kings, blew out his knee on a play under the basket and was gone for the rest of the season. The Kings would never be the same. Ever. The Kings still took the Mavericks to game 7 because of their depth as a squad, but eventually lost to the Mavs.  

In the 2003-2004 season, Chris Webber came back from his injury during the middle of the season and helped the Kings go 55-27 in the regular season and earning the fourth seed in the playoffs. The Kings enacted an assault of vengeance on the Mavs in the first round, beating them soundly 4 -1. In the second round, Webber’s injury was much more apparent and hindered him against the MVP Kevin Garnett. The Kings would lose to the T-Wolves in another game 7 heartbreaker. After this, it was obvious the Kings’ window to win a NBA title was all but closed.

The 2004-2005 season marked change for the Kings, who lost three starters from the 2002 team. In the off-season of 2004, Divac signed with the Lakers, Christie was traded to the Orlando Magic for Cuttino Mobley, and Webber was traded to the 76ers for three forwards who did nothing. The Kings lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Sonics, led by Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.

The next year, 2005-2006, the Kings limped into the playoffs as the eighth seed, but somehow made the series competitive and took the Spurs to six games in large part because of the excellent play of Kevin Martin and Metta World Peace. This was the last appearance the Kings have made in the playoffs to date. All of Sacramento was stunned in disbelief that a team with so much potential was seen and gone in what seemed like seconds. With the core group from the 2002 squad gone, the Maloofs buried the Kings by not renewing Rick Adelman’s contract in 2006. After that, the Kings resembled more of a circus than a basketball team

Since then the years have brought Sacramento nothing but turmoil and disappointment. For years the city had begged the Maloofs for a new stadium, but they always seemed to have an excuse to never fully commit to Sacramento. In fact, during the mid-2000s the Maloofs brought up the possibility about moving the Kings to Las Vegas, the place where they earned and lost their fortune. That talk quickly died down after Kings fans attacked and confronted the Maloofs about their statements.

The first actual report that the Maloofs were serious about relocation was by the San Jose Mercury News in October 2009. The column highlighted the Maloofs statements and actions that reflected their desire to move the franchise. After the column came out, the Maloofs family quickly made multiple statements reaffirming their commitment to Sacramento. Around the same time the column was published, the Maloofs confirmed their commitment to Sacramento. The city began planning the “Cal Expo Project” which would create a stadium on the fairgrounds and completely revolutionize the area making it a “city within a city.” Though, like most plans of a new arena in Sacramento, it was eventually rejected by the Cal-Expo board due to negative reports from consultants. The Kings and Maloofs were back to ground zero.

 Then the first apparent threat to the survival of the Kings had surfaced. In February 2011, David Stern admitted that the Maloofs and officials in Anaheim discussed moving the team to Southern California. To native Northern Californians and Kings fans, this was a complete slap in the face to a fan base that was so loyal for so long even during the years the Kings were one of the worst teams in the NBA. It was at this time in 2011, that Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson took leadership in the grass-roots movement to keep the Kings in Sacramento. Without Kevin Johnson, there would be no more Sacramento Kings I can promise you that! Johnson sat down with the Maloof brothers in March of 2011 and discussed how he could help keep the Kings where they belong. On March 29, 2011 the Anaheim City Council voted unanimously to approve a $75 million plan to help lure the Kings to Southern California. This looked like the end for the Kings. But in a miraculous stroke of luck, the Maloofs opted to remain in Sacramento for another year to weigh their options.

This period between 2011-2013 can be recognized by Kings fans as the “What the bleep is going on?!” time. As a diehard fan, I never knew which reports were true and which were valid. I would be at home games and hear the fan next to me sadly admit, “Are we gonna have a team next year?” This went on for two long years, until Seattle and the Maloofs reignited talks of relocating the Kings.

Seattle had lost their Sonics because of the same corrupt and greedy behavior that almost cost the Kings their team. Seattle wanted their Sonics back badly and they had the capital and man-power to do it. On January 9, 2013 Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that the Maloofs were in negotiations to sell the Kings franchise to a group of Seattle businessmen led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer for an approximate $500 million dollars. This created a hysteric atmosphere for Kings fans who knew that the clock was ticking away to keep the Kings. The response from Sacramento was surprisingly strong and united considering the short amount of time we had to organize. On January 11, 2013 the Sacramento Bee reported that Mark Mastrov, the founder of 24 Hour Fitness, and Dale Carlsen, the man behind the Sleep Train Mattress Centers, were both interested in buying the Kings and keeping them in Sacramento. The bidding war had begun, but it seemed as though it would end quickly. David Stern announced on February 6, 2013 that the Hansen-Ballmer group had officially filed the paperwork to move the Kings to Seattle. It appeared as though the final nail had been driven into the coffin of the Kings.

Then an angel was sent from somewhere supernatural to save the Kings and all of Sacramento. His name was Vivek Ranadive. On March 21, 2013 Vivek Ranadive, the founder and CEO of TIBCO, revealed that he was the ring-leader of the Sacramento group to keep the Kings. This was the best news Sacramento had heard in decades because not only was Ranadive a computer-software entrepreneur but he had a long-standing relationship with the NBA, being a minority owner of the Golden State Warriors. The dynamic duo of Ranadive’s financial stability and Mayor Kevin Johnson’s tenacity sparked a feeling of hope in Sacramento that had been absent for nearly a decade. On May 15, 2013 hope was restored to Sacramento after the NBA Board of Governors voted 22-8 against relocation of the Kings to Seattle. Finally, the people of Sacramento knew that the security of their one and only franchise was safe.

May 31, 2013 will be a date forever remembered by Kings fans. It was the day the Kings were officially sold from the Maloof family to the Ranadive-group. Ranadive's group acquired a 65 percent controlling interest in the team at a total franchise valuation of more than $534 million, topping the NBA record of $450 million that Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the Golden State Warriors for in 2010. Shortly after Vanadive purchased the controlling-interest of the team, he signed a new head coach in Mike Malone and a new GM in Pete D’Alessandro, which solidified the rebuilding of the Kings franchise. The sale officially ended the 14-year rocky marriage between the Kings and the Maloof family, who never seem satisfied with being in a blue-collar city like Sacramento.  

And here we are! True die-hard fans like myself consider this a life-changing event because we were so afraid for so long that our team would be torn away from us. The great thing that I’ve learned to love and admire about sports, is that it is a constant love in my life that will never be taken from me. Whether I’m having the best day of my life or the absolute worst, there will always be sports and the Kings to lean on.  Whether life is good or bad, Kings fans will put on the purple and black and go scream, shout, and ring a damn cowbell to show support for something they know is much bigger than themselves. Kings fans don’t know what the future holds, but at least we have a future now to hold on to. Now, Sacramento can rest assured that the Kings will stay where they belong, in Sacramento. So I guess the phrase “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is true. Almost losing the Kings was the worst feeling I’ve ever experienced in my life, and now that I have them back I appreciate the Purple & Black kingdom like never before.

-          Jordan Santos for “ON THE SIDELINES” on 1talknetwork.com