The Sacramento Kings have had many notable names in their history that contributed at various levels to the franchise. They have had players who made All-Star teams, All-NBA teams, NBA championships and even the Hall of Fame. Although the franchise has never won an NBA championship, they have had some players who helped create the best for the team through ups and downs. In this article, we will have a look at the 10 best players in the history of the Sacramento Kings.
10) Vlade Divac
Divac was the first player to train outside of America and play over 1,000 games in the NBA. He began his career in the league with the LA Lakers and played eight seasons with them. Then he went on to play with the Charlotte Hornets and finally joined the Sacramento Kings in 1998. Divac made his first and only All-Star appearance with them. He averaged 11.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1 steal and 1 block per game in six seasons in Sacramento.
9) Mike Bibby
Mike began his professional basketball career in 1998 with the Vancouver Grizzlies and after playing two seasons with them, he joined the Sacramento Kings in 2001. Bibby was a consistent clutch player for Sacramento that season, falling just one game short of making it to the NBA Finals. He averaged 17.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during his tenure with the Kings.
8) DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins was the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. He spent seven seasons with the franchise, averaging 21.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3 assists per game. Cousins’ numbers were fantastic and he was arguably the best center in the league for a few years, making three All-Star appearances and receiving two All-NBA selections as part of the Kings.
7) Otis Birdsong
When the Sacramento Kings were still called Kansas City, Otis Birdsong was one of the good players of that era. Three of his four All-Star appearances came during his time in the Kings franchise. He was also an All-NBA selection during his prime season in 1981. Birdsong averaged 21.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3 assists per game during his four seasons with the Kings. He is one of the most underrated players of that era.
6) Nate Archibald
Archibald was picked by the Cincinnati Royals (the old name of the Sacramento Kings) in the 1970 NBA Draft. He spent six seasons with the franchise and his stats were amazing, as he averaged 25.2 points and 8.1 assists per game. Three of Archibald’s six All-Star appearances came with the Kings franchise. He moved to the Boston Celtics later on, where he even won the NBA title. However, it was Sacramento who saw the best individual stats of his career.
5) Jerry Lucas
Jerry Lucas was one of the finest power forwards of his time. He began playing for the Kings franchise in 1963 and spent seven seasons with them. Mr. Memory averaged 19.6 points and 19.1 rebounds per game and had his best time with the Kings franchise. Lucas made seven All-Star appearances in the league, out of which five of his All-NBA selections came as a member of Sacramento. He won an NBA title later in his career with the New York Knicks.
4) Peja Stojakovic
Stojakovic was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 1996 NBA Draft but he began playing for them in 1998. He soon became an incredible three-point shooter in the league and for a short time, the team’s second-best player behind Chris Webber. Peja made three All-Star appearances and his only All-NBA selection in Sacramento. He averaged 18.3 points and five rebounds for the franchise.
3) Mitch Richmond
After playing three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Mitch Richmond joined the Sacramento Kings in 1991. He averaged 23.3 points, 4.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game in seven seasons with the Kings franchise. He was voted in all six All-Star appearances and all five All-NBA selections as a Kings’ member. Richmond won an NBA ring in his final season as a bench player for the LA Lakers.
2) Chris Webber
Webber began his career with the Golden State Warriors, but after playing just one season with them, he joined the Washington Wizards. He spent just three seasons here and finally joined the Sacramento Kings in 1998. C-Web had the best run of his career in Sacramento, leading the Kings into a contender. He averaged 23.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game during seven seasons with the Kings. He made five All-NBA selections and four All-Star appearances during his tenure with the franchise.
1) Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson was picked by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960 NBA Draft. He had his best seasons with the Kings franchise during his ten seasons in Cincinnati. Robertson averaged 29.3 points, 10.3 assists and 8.5 rebounds during his tenure with the franchise, which shows how ahead of his time he was. “The Big O” won the NBA ring later in his career with the Milwaukee Bucks, but his best seasons came with the Kings. He was the MVP in 1964 and made All-Star appearances and nine All-NBA selections.
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