Winning isn’t everything in sports but it’s not so usual to see a struggling team enjoying the perks of a new arena. Then again, the Sacramento Kings aren’t just like any other NBA franchise, even if they don’t prove that on the basketball court.
The Kings recently moved to the Golden 1 Center, a publicly owned arena prepared for nearly every event you can think of. It can accommodate concert audiences, host basketball games, and its vanguardist design featuring recycled aluminum, sand San Benito and rocks of Sierra limestone make it one of the most beautiful buildings in Sacramento. On top of that, this arena uses solar power thanks to a rooftop solar array valued at $2.5 million.
With top-notch technology welcoming hoop enthusiasts since they approach the main entrance’s plaza and the front door, the home of the Sacramento Kings is one of the most modern in the world. In the following paragraphs, we’re going to let you know everything there is about this place.
How old is the Golden 1 Center?
The Golden 1 Center in Sacramento is a relatively new arena. As a matter of fact, the Sacramento Kings have only played there since 2016. Its ground broke in October 2014 and was finished by September 2016 after an investment of 558.2 million. This venue isn’t only focused on basketball or sports.
It’s prepared to host 19,000 people for any major event, with parking tickets starting at just $10. Also, fans looking to get there using public transportation can do so by using the SacRT light rail stations and bus service system. The new downtown arena is located at 500 David J. Stern Walk, Sacramento.
Can you bring a purse to Golden 1 center?
Unlike what happens in other stadiums, you can actually bring a purse for Kings’ home games or any other event. The venue, however, features a strong policy when it comes to the dimensions and characteristics of the bags. All bags must be transparent and made out of clear plastic, PVC, or Vynil. Also, they can’t be larger than 12”x 6”x12”. Concert audiences or people attending any event must abide by the same policy at this venue.
Who owns the Golden One Center?
The Golden 1 Center is a publicly owned arena. Therefore, it’s owned by the City of Sacramento. Even so, the name is a registered trademark owned by Sacramento-based company Golden 1 Credit Union. They acquired the naming rights for $120 million over 20 years in June 2015, making it one of the largest deals for any sports arena with a single tenant.
What is Arco Arena called now?
The Arco Arena changed its name to Power Balance Pavilion after they acquired the naming rights in 2011 and again, to Sleep Train Arena in 2012. Nonetheless, this venue, which provided great fan experience in concerts, sports, and even an NBA-caliber court, ceased to exist already. It was the house of the Sacramento Kings from 1988 to 2016 but it’s now just another defunct indoor arena. Throughout history, multiple entertainment events and huge concert audiences made this one of the most iconic venues in Sacramento.
What are they doing with Sleep Train Arena?
It was a sad event but Sleep Train Arena is now officially defunct. It was supposed to make room for the ARCO Park in hopes of bringing an MLB team like the Oakland Athletics and an NFL team like the Las Vegas Raiders. However, this event never happened and the facility was demolished. Now, the venue is expected to become a new teaching hospital and medical school for the city. At least, it’ll be a positive event and they found a useful purpose for this iconic site.
Sacramento Kings: From Kansas City To California
The Sacramento Kings have gone through multiple major changes throughout their history. As a matter of fact, they’re the oldest franchise in the NBA and their history dates back to before the National Basketball Association, even though they didn’t start in Sacramento or California. Hell, they weren’t even named the Kings.
The team was born in 1923 as the Rochester Seagrams (1923–42). They later became the Rochester Eber Seagrams (1942-32), Rochester Pros (1943-45), and Rochester Royals (1945-57). They later left New York and moved to Cincinnati to become the Cincinnati Royals (1957-72) before hitting the road again to Kansas City. They were the Kansas City-Omaha Kings (1972-75), then Kansas City Kings (1975-85), and eventually moved to Downtown Sacramento to become the Sacramento Kings.
How many fans does Sacramento Kings have?
The Sacramento Kings have way more supporters than most people would think. They’re not the most popular team in the National Basketball Association or even in California with the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors leading that race, but it’s not unusual to see packed seats during a Sacramento Kings game, especially in September preseason games or early in the season in mid-October or early November.
Per social media, the Kings have 7.8 million fans worldwide, although just a handful of them is actually able to watch them play basketball live in every game, as the Golden 1 Center can only hold 17,608 for these kinds of events. This entertainment venue can accommodate concert audiences of 19,000 people, though.
Have The Sacramento Kings won an NBA championship?
Even though most of their current fans weren’t alive back then, we love to let you know that the Sacramento Kings have actually won one NBA Championship and used to be a bit of a basketball powerhouse. This event happened in 1951 when they were still the Rochester Royals. They beat city rivals New York Knicks in 7 games thanks to Hall of Famers Bob Davies, Red Holzman, Bobby Wanzer, and Arnie Risen.
Needless to say, they’ve struggled to find that same success ever since. They currently have the longest playoff drought in the league, missing the postseason since 2007. Also, they have never gotten past the Western Conference Finals again. They last played at that stage in 2002.
They’ve had multiple basketball legends on their roster throughout their history. From Nate Archibald during their days in Omaha, to Oscar Robertson in Cincinnati, to Chris Webber in Sacramento. This team was used to leaving the playoffs in the first and second rounds when they qualified. They’re far from a successful sports franchise right now and, barring a miracle event, that’s not going to change any time soon.
Will the Kings leave Sacramento?
The Kings have threatened to leave California for years now. They were eager to move from Downtown Sacramento between 2006-13. Back then, Kings’ owners were reportedly broke and no longer capable of keeping the team. This event infuriated former NBA All-Star and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and the team’s fanbase. Eventually, they persuaded the Maloofs of selling the team to the Vivek Ranadivé group.
Relocations aren’t that common in basketball or sports as a whole. But it has always seemed like the Sacramento Kings could be the next big name in sports to leave their current home. At the end of the day, it’s not like they haven’t moved multiple times in the past. This wouldn’t be an unprecedented event in the NBA, as we already saw it happening with the Seattle Supersonics.
Also, in the event the Kings were to be moved and leave California, Seattle would once again make perfect sense as a potential destination, as it’s been too long since they’ve had a men’s basketball team. The Kings also pointed to Anaheim as a potential destination for their team in the event of a relocation, but Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé has repeatedly stated that they will continue to play their home games in Sacramento for the near future.
Why is Sacramento called Kings?
As we previously mentioned, the Sacramento Kings have gone through multiple rebrandings and relocations. It’s just a part of the business. That’s why a lot of people might find it strange that a basketball team located in California has anything to do with the Monarchy.
If you remember correctly, the Kings left Rochester and Cincinnati and spent a big part of their years in Kansas City. So, in order to avoid confusion with baseball team Kansas City Royals, they renamed it to the most similar thing they could think of: Kings. In a not-so-surprising turn of events, they left town and the arena years later but the name prevailed to this day.
What are the symbols on the Sacramento Kings Court?
If you’ve watched a Kings game, then you must’ve noticed some strange symbols on the court. Well, as you may know by now, sports are nothing without money and fans. Since the 2017-18 season, the Kings have taken a different business approach, targeting other markets beyond American borders. That’s why the court on their new venue often features Hindi and Mandarin writing below their traditional crown.
