A tragic accident on the basketball court ended Maurice Stokes’ playing career after just three seasons. They were three incredible years though for the 6-foot-7 forward. He was Rookie of the Year in 1955-56, led the league in rebounding that year, and was an All-NBA second team member all three seasons.

Look at the franchise’s all-time games played leaderboard and Sam Lacey is atop the list with 888. An All-Star in 1974-75, he averaged a double-double his first six years in the league. He is also the team career leader in rebounds (9,353).

To be an All-Star as an 86th overall pick like Adrian Smith was, he has to be on here. That occurred in the 1965-66 season, and he was named the game’s MVP. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 16.4 points in the four years from 1964-65 until 1967-68.

De’Aaron Fox was a member of the Kings until February when he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. He won the first ever Clutch Player of the Year award in 2022-23 when he also made the All-NBA third team. Fox averaged at least 25 points in three of his last four full seasons with Sacramento.

Feb 1, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) shoots as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) defends during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

One of the best offensive big men while with Sacramento, DeMarcus Cousins made three straight All-Star squads with the team. A stellar rebounder as well, he averaged at least 11 boards four times. Cousins’ 9,894 points are the seventh-most in team history.

Peja Stojakovic was one of the game’s top sharpshooters while with the Kings. The 6-foot-10 forward is second in franchise history with 1,070 made three-pointers and eighth with 9,498 points. In 2003-04, he was fourth in MVP voting, a season where he also led the league in made threes and free-throw accuracy.

In 1972-73, Tiny Archibald led the league in both scoring (34.0) and assists (11.4). Three times in his six years with the organization, he made the All-NBA first team. The 6-foot-1 point guard had three finishes in the top-nine of MVP voting.

One of the game’s premier rebounders, Jerry Lucas was an All-Star in each of his six full seasons with Cincinnati. The 1963-64 Rookie of the Year twice averaged more than 20 boards per contest. He also averaged more than 20 points three times and made the All-NBA first team two times.

A Hall of Fame inductee in 1983, Jack Twyman spent his whole 11-year career with the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals. The six-time All-Star had three top-10 MVP finishes and made two All-NBA second teams. Twyman had a four-season stretch from 1958-59 until 1961-62 where he averaged 26.2 points and 8.6 rebounds.

Known as ‘The Big O’, Oscar Robertson played 10 seasons with the Cincinnati Royals. In 1961-62, he became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for the season. The 1963-64 MVP led the league in assists seven times and won a scoring title with the franchise.