- 1923 - 1945
- 1951
- 1957
-
Rochester Team in Different Leagues
The Royals defected to the NBL’s rival, the Basketball Association of America, in 1948. In 1949, as a result of that year’s absorption of the NBL by the BAA, the Royals became members of the newly formed NBA along with the Fort Wayne Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers, and Indianapolis (Kautskys) Jets. A year later, the BAA absorbed the remaining NBL teams ... -
NBA Finals Winner 1951
NBA Finals – 1951 The 1951 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1951 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association 1950 – 1951 season. Western Division champion Rochester faced Eastern Division champion New York in a best-of-seven series with Rochester having a home-court advantage. Rochester won the first three games, two at home, but New York won ... -
Leave Rochester for Cincinnati
The Royals moved to the larger, brand-new Rochester War Memorial for the 1955-56 season and hosted the sixth NBA All-Star Game in 1956. But their time in the Flower City was drawing to a close; the team moved to Cincinnati and later to Kansas City-Omaha before winding up as the Sacramento Kings. The Rochester team remains the only one in ...
History of the Royals
The Rochester Royals were one of the original eight teams that made up the National Basketball Association (NBA) when it was founded in 1946. The team had a long and successful history with the NBA, making seven playoff appearances over their 20 years in existence. During this time, they won two championships: first, winning the 1951 championship against George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers and then again in 1955 against Fort Wayne Pistons. During their tenure, they also reached six conference finals with memorable matchups such as Bob Davies' legendary performance leading them to victory over Bill Russell's Boston Celtics in the 1956-57 season.
The Royals were led by many legendary players throughout their history, including Hall of Famers Arnie Risen, Red Holzman, and Bobby Wanzer, who all played significant roles on both championships teams, along with other greats like Al Cervi, Jack Coleman, and Les Harrison who provided consistent contributions to keep them competitive year after year. The team also featured some iconic coaches such as Nat Clifton, who coached from 1953-1955 before being replaced by Red Holzman for the 1955–56 season, which ended up being his last coaching job before becoming head coach of the New York Knicks, where he would lead them to two NBA Championships later on down road.
Overall, Rochester Royals are remembered fondly for playing an exciting brand of basketball that captivated fans across the country during the 50s & 60s decades while bringing home 2 titles the city could be proud of! Their legacy lives on today through various memorabilia pieces found around the world or even more recently when the current Sacramento Kings paid tribute former franchise wearing classic uniforms a few times past a couple of seasons!
Royals Products
Established
1923
City
Rochester – Cincinnati – Kansas City – Sacramento
League History
1949 – Present / National Basketball Association
1948 – 1949 / Basketball Association of America
1945 – 1948 / National Basketball League
1923 – 1945 / Various Unknown Leagues
Team History
1985 – Present / Sacramento Kings
1975 – 1985 / Kansas City Kings
1972 – 1975 / Kansas City-Omaha Kings
1957 – 1972 / Cincinnati Royals
1923 – 1957 / Rochester Royals
Nickname
Royals – The Rochester Royals, a former NBA franchise from 1945 to 1957, were one of the original members of the Basketball Association of America. The team was initially based in Rochester, New York, and is now known as the Sacramento Kings. But how did they get their nickname?
It all started with an ambitious owner named Les Harrison, who wanted to bring professional basketball to his hometown in upstate New York. He chose “Rochester” for its historical significance as it had been home to many revolutionary figures such as Frederick Douglass and Susan B Anthony. As for “Royals” – he thought it sounded regal enough for a professional sports team!
Harrison also believed that having royalty associated with his team would help generate greater interest among fans and sponsors alike - which certainly worked out well considering their success over those 12 years! Other teams soon followed suit by adopting similar nicknames, including The Minneapolis Lakers (now Los Angeles Lakers), Syracuse Nationals (now Philadelphia 76ers), and Fort Wayne Pistons (now Detroit Pistons).
So there you have it – while not precisely royal bloodlines or blue-blooded ancestry, this is where the name "Rochester Royals" came from back when they first took flight on the court during World War II era America!
Championship
NBA Championships 1
1951
Arena
2016 – Present / Golden 1 Center
2012 – 2016 / Sleep Train Arena
2011 – 2012 / Power Balance Pavilion
1888 – 2010 / ARCO Arena II
1985 – 1988 / ARCO Arena I
*Kansas City*
1974 – 1985 / Kemper Arena
1972 – 1978 / Omaha Civic Auditorium
1972 – 1974 / Kansas City Municipal Auditorium
*Cincinnati*
1957 – 1972 / Cincinnati Gardens
*Rochester*
1955 – 1957 / Rochester War Memorial
1949 – 1954 / Edgerton Park Arena
1923 – 1948 / Unknown Arena
Owner
2013 – Present / Vivek Ranadive
1999 – 2013 / George, Joe and Gavin Maloof
1992 – 1999 / Jim Thomas
1985 – 1992 / Gregg Lukenbill and Joe Benvenuti
1959 – 1985 / Thomas Woods
1923 – 1959 / Les and Jack Harrison
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
1 / Nate Archibald
2 / Mitch Richmond
4 / Chris Webber
6 / Sacramento Fans “The Sixth Man”
11 / Bob Davies
12 / Maurice Stokes
14 / Oscar Robertson
16 / Peja Stojakovic
21 / Vlade Divac
27 / Jack Twyman
44 / Sam Lacey
*Blue is this team’s history
