Sacramento Kings · Franchise era 1 of 7
The Rochester Royals: the Sacramento Kings story
Franchise era
1948–49—1956–57
The Rochester Royals
Sacramento Kings
The story in one sentence
The Royals emerged from the NBL, won the 1951 championship and established the franchise's first great team.
01
A small-market champion
02
Bob Davies, Bobby Wanzer and Arnie Risen gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for oscar in cincinnati.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
The Kings trace their line from Rochester's 1951 champions and Oscar Robertson in Cincinnati to the beloved Webber teams and the long-awaited return of the Beam era.
1951
NBA Finals: Cincinnati Royals vs New York Knicks
1952
Western Conference Semifinals: Cincinnati Royals vs Minneapolis Lakers
1954
Western Conference Semifinals: Cincinnati Royals vs Minneapolis Lakers
After 1956–57
What came next
Robertson redefined all-around guard play, but Cincinnati could not get past the era's Boston and Philadelphia powers.
The core