FRANCHISE HISTORY HISTORY of OWNERSHIP the Sacramento Kings Begin Their Second Season Under a Group Led by Owner Vivek Ranadivé
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FRANCHISE HISTORY HISTORY OF OWNERSHIP The Sacramento Kings begin their second season under a group led by Owner Vivek Ranadivé. The group succeeds the Maloof family, who sold the franchise in Spring 2013. The latest chapter in the franchise's ownership history began to take shape in April 2013 when the NBA's Relocation Committee unanimously recommended that the league's Board of Governors deny the application of the team to relocate to Seattle, Washington. The passion, will and vision Ranadive's group expressed for the future of the Kings in Sacramento lead the league's Board of Governors to unanimously approve the sale of the team on May 28, 2013. The Maloof family had owned the team for 14 seasons after taking control of the Kings and ARCO Arena on July 1, 1999. The Maloofs succeeded Jim Thomas, who had owned the franchise since April 6, 1992. The Maloof family’s interest in purchasing the Kings, Monarchs (WNBA) and ARCO Arena originated in 1997 when they contacted Thomas regarding the availability of the teams and arena. On January 14, 1998, the Maloofs completed the purchase of a minority limited partnership in the organization’s franchises and ARCO Arena. On January 15, 1999, the Maloofs subsequently purchased controlling interest, effective July 1, 1999. The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the ownership transfer on May 7, 1999, in New York, at which time the Board of Governors appointed Joe Maloof to the Board. The Kings franchise made its NBA debut in 1948 as the Rochester Royals under the ownership of Les Harrison. Harrison also served as the club’s head coach for the first seven seasons, and in 1951 he guided the Royals to the first and only NBA World Championship title in franchise history. The team was moved to Cincinnati in 1957 where one year later it became a public corporation. In 1966, brothers Max and Jeremy Jacobs purchased the club and maintained ownership through the team’s move to Kansas City in 1972-73. A group of 10 Kansas City-based businessmen purchased the club in 1973 for an excess of $5 million. The same group held proprietorship through May of 1982 when ownership was restructured so that only three partners remained, Leon Karosen, H. Paul Rosenberg, and Robert J. Margolin. Three months later, three New York-based businessmen joined the Kansas City ownership group. On June 8, 1983, the Kings were sold to a local business group that LES HARRISON is responsible for bringing NBA basketball to the Capitol City, as Joseph Benvenuti, Frank and Gregg Lukenbill, Bob A. Cook, Frank McCormick, and Stephen H. Cippa purchased the Kansas City Kings for approximately $10.5 million. In January of 1985, the group petitioned the NBA Board of Governors for permission to move the franchise to Sacramento. Nine months later, the Kings’ Sacramento-era began as the club played its first-ever contest before a sold out crowd at the temporary ARCO Arena site. Thirty NBA seasons later, the club continues to play before large crowds in a building constructed by the Lukenbill-Benvenuti ownership group. NICKNAME & LOGO TRANSITION The Rochester National Basketball League fran- chise was originally nicknamed the Royals in 1946 after 15-year-old Richard Paeth’s entry beat out 500 other suggestions in a name the team contest. For his winning entry, Paeth, a native of Rochester, received a $100 Victory Bond from team president/manager Rochester1948-1957 Royals Kansas1975-1985 City Kings Les Harrison. When the franchise moved to Cincinnati 1948-49 — 1956-57 1975-76 — 1984-85 before the 1957-58 campaign, the ownership decided to maintain the Royals moniker. However, when the franchise moved to Kansas City prior to the 1972-73 season, it needed a new nickname because the name Royals was already being used by the city’s Major 1975-1985 1957-1972 League Baseball team. Wanting to keep the “Royal” Cincinnati Royals Sacramento Kings theme, the club decided on the nickname of Kings. 1957-58 — 1970-71 1985-86 — 1993-94 On May 22, 1994, the Sacramento Kings unveiled the franchise’s current primary logo, home and road uniforms, and team colors. The changes marked the first major alteration from the crown and ball logo Cincinnati Royals which had been the franchise’s trademark since the 1971-72 club resided in Cincinnati. Following is a chronological look at the evolution of the Kings’ primary logo over Sacramento Kings the franchise’s 66-season history: Unveiled May 22, 1994 K.C.-Omaha Kings 1972-73 — 1974-75 132 2014-15 SACRAMENTO KINGS MEDIA GUIDE 1948-49 ROCHESTER ROYALS 45-15 1948-1957 Western Division Champions Front row — from left to right, Arnitz Johnson, Andrew Levane, Bob Davies, William Holzman, Arnie Risen. Back row — Francis Curran, Andrew Duncan, Michael Novak, Lionel Malamed, William Calhoun, Bobby Wanzer. G Date Score Opponent W/L Rec. Att. G Date Score Opponent W/L Rec. Att. 1 11/6 69-58 Indianapolis W 1-0 4200 31 1/13 102-85 @Baltimore W 21-10 2879 2 11/10 66-73 @Washington L 1-1 2115 32 1/15 73-62 Fort Wayne W 22-10 4240 3 11/11 83-75 @Philadelphia W 2-1 3112 33 1/19 70-66 Ind. (Chicago) W 23-10 331 4 11/13 95-63 Boston W 3-1 4200 34 1/20 84-74 @St. Louis W 24-10 1364 5 11/14 92-75 Minneapolis W 4-1 4200 35 1/22 103-98** New York W 25-10 4200 6 11/16 75-63 New York W 5-1 4000 36 1/23 81-80* @Fort Wayne W 26-10 3800 7 11/18 103-74 @Providence W 6-1 2015 37 1/29 90-86 Baltimore W 27-10 4200 8 11/21 77-80 Washington L 6-2 4200 38 2/1 76-68 @Boston W 28-10 10,091 9 11/23 108-90 Baltimore W 7-2 4000 39 2/3 80-88 @Providence L 28-11 2755 10 11/27 105-103** Chicago W 8-2 4200 40 2/5 80-61 Fort Wayne W 29-11 4200 11 12/1 73-72 @New York W 9-2 13,859 41 2/6 85-74 @Minneapolis W 30-11 9024 12 12/4 105-101* Philadelphia W 10-2 4200 42 2/8 97-65 Providence W 31-11 4211 13 12/6 87-79 @Boston W 11-2 5313 43 2/9 94-99** @Washington L 31-12 3435 14 12/7 89-90 Providence L 11-3 3560 44 2/10 90-76 @Baltimore W 32-12 2000 15 12/10 75-96 Minneapolis L 11-4 4200 45 2/12 87-73 Chicago W 33-12 4200 16 12/12 58-67 @Minneapolis L 11-5 5534 46 2/15 91-79 Washington W 34-12 4300 17 12/14 85-78 @Chicago W 12-5 4140 47 2/17 68-63 @St. Louis W 35-12 1266 18 12/18 84-64 Fort Wayne W 13-5 4260 48 2/18 65-53 @Indianapolis W 36-12 1862 19 12/19 83-78* @Fort Wayne W 14-5 3600 49 2/19 87-73 Indianapolis W 37-12 4200 20 12/21 84-71 @Indianapolis W 15-5 3788 50 2/22 92-86 Philadelphia W 38-12 4200 21 12/25 90-82 St. Louis W 16-5 4260 51 2/26 64-59 Boston W 39-12 4300 22 12/26 90-99 @Minneapolis L 16-6 7635 52 3/1 67-64 Washington W 40-12 4289 23 12/29 74-77 @New York L 16-7 14,915 53 3/5 81-64 Providence W 41-12 4278 24 12/30 89-100 @Baltimore L 16-8 4000 54 3/6 78-66 @Fort Wayne W 42-12 3650 25 1/1 106-83 St. Louis W 17-8 4200 55 3/10 73-71 @Philadelphia W 43-12 4500 26 1/2 89-64 @St. Louis W 18-8 2160 56 3/12 104-74 St. Louis W 44-12 4250 27 1/6 62-73 @Indianapolis L 18-9 3785 57 3/15 83-86 @Boston L 44-13 3565 28 1/9 88-91 Chicago L 18-10 4240 58 3/16 94-89 @New York W 45-13 13,195 29 1/10 90-75 @Chicago W 19-10 6561 59 3/19 85-99 Minneapolis L 45-14 4311 30 1/11 83-71 Philadelphia W 20-10 4200 60 3/20 61-98 @Chicago L 45-15 14,451 * = OT 1948-49 Playoffs Quarterfinals (2-0) March 22 Rochester 93 vs. St. Louis 64 March 23 Rochester 66 @ St. Louis 64 Semifinals (0-2) March 27 Rochester 79 vs. Minneapolis 80 March 29 Rochester 55 @ Minneapolis 67 Final Statistics Player G. FGM FGA Pct. FTM FTA Pct. Ast. PF Pts. Avg. Arnie Risen ..................................... 60 345 816 .423 305 462 .660 100 216 995 16.6 Bob Davies ...................................... 60 317 871 .364 270 348 .776 321 197 904 15.1 Bobby Wanzer ................................. 60 202 533 .379 209 254 .823 186 132 613 10.2 William Holzman ............................. 60 225 691 .326 96 157 .611 149 93 546 9.1 Arnitz Johnson ................................ 60 156 375 .416 199 284 .701 80 247 511 8.5 Andrew Duncan ............................... 55 162 391 .414 83 135 .615 51 179 407 7.4 William Calhoun .............................. 56 146 408 .358 75 131 .573 125 97 367 6.6 Michael Novak ................................. 60 124 363 .342 72 124 .581 112 188 320 5.3 Francis Curran ................................