Top 5 seasons in Kings history
By Logan Struck
On April 30th, the Sacramento Kings finished their best season in about 20 years. This season they finished the regular season with a 48-34 record, which was good for third in the Western Conference. This 2022-23 season was the first time the Kings have made the playoffs since the 2005-06 season. It might not have been the best season in the Kings’ history, but it was one of the most memorable.
We know this Kings’ season was terrific, but where does it rank among the top 5 seasons in Kings’ history? This list will account for regular season and postseason success. This will only cover seasons post-1960, so the 1951 Rochester Royals championship team will not be here. I will also exclude multiple seasons of teams with the same core of players to avoid repetitiveness.
5. Kansas City-Omaha Kings 1974-75
This Kings squad, led by coach Phil Johnson, finished the season with a 44-38 record. This team’s success was mainly due to Hall of Famer Tiny Archibald, who averaged 26.5 points per game and received first-team All-NBA honors. There were two All-stars on this team, one Tiny and the other Sam Lacey, who averaged 11 points per game and 14 rebounds.
This team lost in the Western Conference Semifinals, as the NBA did not expand the playoffs until 1984, and they received a first-round bye. They lost to the Chicago Bulls in six games, as that Bulls squad had some notable players such as Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Nate Thurmond, and Chet Walker.
Tiny Archibald, one of the best Kings of all time, deserves some recognition here as this was his only Kings team that made the playoffs. This team broke a seven-year-long playoff drought in Phil Johnson’s first season.