Top 5 seasons in Kings history
By Logan Struck
2. Cincinnati Royals 1963-64
The Cincinnati Royals, before relocating to Kansas City then Sacramento, and before rebranding to the Kings, had some great seasons with some great players. This 1963-64 season, the Royals finished with a 55-25 record which was good for second-best in the NBA. This team was coached by Jack McMahon and led by four Hall of Famers, including Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas, Wayne Embry, and Jack Twyman.
This team reached the Eastern Division Finals, where they were taken down by a Boston Celtics team led by Bill Russell, who was surrounded by SEVEN other Hall of Famers. That Celtics squad was serious and went on to win the Finals.
This was Robertson’s MVP year, averaging 31.4 points, 11 assists, and 9.9 rebounds per game. Lucas also had a great season, winning Rookie of the Year, averaging 17.7 points and 17.4 rebounds per game. As a team, they had the best defensive rating of any Kings team since 1960. It’s a shame the Celtics had the most prominent superteam of all time, otherwise, this Royals squad would have had a path to a championship.