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The Oldest Basketball Team in the NBA: Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings are the oldest American professional basketball team. They are based in Sacramento, California, and they compete in the National Basketball Association, which we all now call the NBA. This article provides a short but helpful overview of this team, its origins, development, and general reception in basketball.

The Origins of The Kings

The idea of the team as a professional entity began in 1945, but The Kings existed way before that. They already experienced two decades of sponsored “semi-professional” teams, mainly sponsored by Seagram. Many will remember the name Lester Harrison in connection to this team, as this star, a local high school student back in the day, joined this team and even became captain, coach, manager, and chief scout. He became part of the history of the NBA. Interestingly, this team started with the name Rochester Seagram in 1923 but was changed into what we know today.

Nowadays, the Kings are considered the oldest, or at least one of the oldest, continuously operated franchises in the NBA. The Kings were often successful in their long history and had already won the NBS championship 1951. They relocated to Kansas City in 1972, when their name became official. They did not want to provoke any confusion due to the existence of the Kansas City Royals of Major League Basketball. 

The Development of the Team

Even though they made the playoffs during their first season in Sacramento, they struggled for many years. They even had many important names who spent time with the franchise during this period, such as Reggie Theus and Bobby Hurley. In 1996, they made the playoffs again but lost in the first round in a match against the Seattle Supersonics. Many sports specialists know that sometimes it is tough to guess the outcome of a game, and that’s why Sportytrader shares picks and predictions for all NBA basketball games. Get all the help you need and always stay up-to-date with the latest tips and tricks to help you make an informed choice in your next bet.

The Kings had many ups and downs throughout the year, and to make things even worse, there was the evergreen threat of losing the franchise to another city. This has been a worry for all the Sacramento fans out there, as they were worried that the team would have been transferred to Seattle. Just in time before this sports tragedy, Vivek Ranadive purchased the team and kept it in town. 

Despite this incredible occurrence, the Sacramento team franchise still had some trouble throughout the years, as the team had to face several sudden changes and constant reconstruction and doubt. More recently, new additions to the team, such as DeìAaron Foc and Harry Giles, have brought an air of novelty, and many fans are growing their hopes. 

Speaking of fans, one thing is essential to mention: Sacramento fans have always been loyal to their team, even when things didn’t look too good. This is an excellent matter to consider and an aspect of loyalty in sports that should not go unnoticed. Many times, having a solid and loyal base of fans means, for a team, greater visibility, support, free advertising, and overall a sense of belonging and following. All these aspects are often underrated, but they can make the whole difference and support a team even when facing a challenging time.

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