The Sacramento Kings head to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
With their 120-80 win over the Portland Trail Blazers On Wednesday night, Sacramento snapped the longest playoff drought in NBA history and ended the longest current postseason drought in all four major American sports.
De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings before the game on March 29, 2023 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. (Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
«We want to do bigger things, but 16 years, that’s a long time,» Kings guard De’Aaron Fox said.
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the last time Kings reached the playoffs – and ended the season with a winning record – Fox was just 8 years old.
«Definitely with this team, I think you’re just playing for a higher purpose,» Fox said. «And I think we have a team that is capable and we know we can keep getting better.»
The once proud franchise has sat on the nba basement for nearly two decades, a sampling of his previous teams that made the playoffs every year between 1998 and 2005.
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Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings performs the national anthem on March 29, 2023 at the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. (Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
But the hiring of head coach Mike Brown in the offseason breathed life into the organization, leading a core of Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray and Kevin Huerter to the top offense in the NBA.
And while making the playoffs is a good start, it’s certainly not the goal of the small-market franchise.
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Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk reacts after hitting a shot against the Trail Blazers in Portland, Wednesday, March 29, 2023. The Kings won 120-80. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)
«We want to give [the fans] a lot more than we’ve given them so far because they’re so deserving,» Brown said, according to ESPN. «And you know, when you have a fan base that’s so smart, pretty passionate about not only their team, but their city as well , you can feel that it is something proud. You want the world for them, and it excites you. We want them to celebrate, but we also expect more from us and hope to give them more.»
The Kings are 46-30 and will host a first-round playoff series in the Western Conference playoffs.
Associated Press contributed to this report