1999–2000 Sacramento Kings season

Off-season

During the off-season, the team acquired Nick Anderson from the Orlando Magic,^[2][3][4] and signed free agents Tony Delk,^[5][6] Darrick Martin,^[7][8] and re-signed Tyrone Corbin; Corbin previously played for the Kings during the first half of the 1995–96 season.^[9][10]

Regular season

Early into the regular season, the Kings traveled overseas to Tokyo, Japan to play their first two games against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Tokyo Dome.^[11][12] In the first game on November 5, 1999, the Kings were the home team and defeated the Timberwolves by a score of 100–95, in front of 32,623 fans in attendance. Three players posted double-doubles; Anderson finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and made 5 out of 7 three-point field-goal attempts, while Chris Webber contributed 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Vlade Divac added 13 points and 10 rebounds.^[13][14][15] In the second game on November 6, the Kings were the road team and lost to the Timberwolves by a score of 114–101, in front of 34,013 fans in attendance. Webber posted a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Divac finished with 19 points and 7 rebounds, and second-year star Jason Williams contributed 17 points and 8 assists.^[16][17][18]

With the addition of Anderson, the Kings got off to a fast start by winning nine of their first ten games of the regular season, which included an eight-game winning streak in November. The team posted a seven-game winning streak in January, and later on held a 30–18 record at the All-Star break.^[19] However, the Kings played below .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, losing seven of their final eight games, finishing in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a 44–38 record, and earning the eighth seed in the Western Conference.^[20]

Webber averaged 24.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Williams averaged 12.3 points, 7.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and led the Kings with 145 three-point field goals, despite only shooting .287 in three-point field-goal percentage, and Divac provided the team with 12.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. In addition, second-year forward Peja Stojaković provided with 11.9 points per game and 100 three-point field goals off the bench, while Anderson contributed 10.8 points per game and 132 three-point field goals, and Corliss Williamson provided with 10.3 points per game. Off the bench, three-point specialist Jon Barry contributed 8.0 points per game, and Scot Pollard averaged 5.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.^[21]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at The Arena in Oakland in Oakland, California, Webber was selected for the 2000 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team.^[22][23][24] Meanwhile, Williams was selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Sophomores team,^[25][26] and also participated in the NBA 2Ball Competition, along with Yolanda Griffith of the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs.^[25][27] Webber also finished in ninth place in Most Valuable Player voting,^[28][29] while Stojaković finished tied in sixth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting.^[29]

The Kings finished twelfth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 720,033 at the ARCO Arena II during the regular season.^[21][30]

NBA playoffs

In the Western Conference First Round of the 2000 NBA playoffs, the Kings faced off against the top–seeded, and Pacific Division champion Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by the trio of All-Star center, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Shaquille O'Neal, All-Star guard Kobe Bryant, and Glen Rice. The Kings lost the first two games to the Lakers on the road at the Staples Center, but managed to win the next two games at home, which included a Game 4 win over the Lakers at the ARCO Arena II, 101–88 to even the series.^[31][32][33] However, the Kings lost Game 5 to the Lakers at the Staples Center, 113–86, thus losing in a hard-fought five-game series.^[34][35][36]

The Lakers would advance to the 2000 NBA Finals to defeat the Indiana Pacers in six games.^[37][38][39]

Aftermath

Following the season, Williamson was traded to the Toronto Raptors,^[40][41][42] while Corbin signed as a free agent with the Raptors,^[43] and Delk signed with the Phoenix Suns.^[44][45]

Roster Notes

• Center Jerome James was on the injured reserve list due to a knee injury, and missed the entire regular season.^[46]

Season standings

z – clinched division title

y – clinched division title

x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

Season

Playoffs

Player statistics citation:^[21]