Sacramento Kings · Franchise era 6 of 7
The sixteen-year drought: the Sacramento Kings story
Franchise era
2006–07—2021–22
The sixteen-year drought
Sacramento Kings
The story in one sentence
Coaching churn and inconsistent roster construction produced the longest playoff drought in NBA history.
Stars pass through without a stable winner
DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Martin and De'Aaron Fox gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for light the beam.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2006–07
What came before
A dazzling, unselfish offense became a true title contender and came painfully close to defeating the Lakers in 2002.
2006–07—2021–22
The sixteen-year drought
Coaching churn and inconsistent roster construction produced the longest playoff drought in NBA history.
After 2021–22
What came next
Sacramento's fast, connected offense ended the drought with 48 wins and gave the city a new ritual before another roster handoff.
The core