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Glossary · Sports

Sacramento Kings

The city’s NBA team, in Sacramento since 1985 and the oldest franchise in the league.

The Kings are the oldest team in the NBA and the first team in the major North American leagues located in Sacramento. The franchise began as the Rochester Royals and moved through Cincinnati and Kansas City before NBA owners approved the move to Sacramento on April 16, 1985.

They played their first Sacramento season in 1985-86 and now play at Golden 1 Center.

Sources

Questions people ask

When did the Kings move to Sacramento?

The NBA approved the move on April 16, 1985, and the team began play there in 1985-86.

Related terms

  • Golden 1 CenterThe downtown arena of the Sacramento Kings, opened September 30, 2016 and LEED Platinum certified.
  • Sacramento Republic FCThe city’s professional soccer club, co-founded in 2012, which won the 2014 USL championship in its first season.
  • SacramentoCalifornia’s state capital, a city of about 525,000 people at the meeting of the Sacramento and American Rivers, and the oldest incorporated city in the state.

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