SAKRAMENTO KINGSI - Nearly kings

Today we are fulfilling music wishes ... In the vote on Facebook for a new topic of this column, with the will of the majority won the story of Sacramento Kings from the period 1998-2004. So, below - Arco Arena, Webber, Divac, Bibby, Stojakovic, White Chocolate, Petrie, Bobby Jax, Turkoglu, Carril, Adelman and their attractive basketball from that period.

One of the worst teams in NBA history is without a doubt of Sacramento Kings. They have one title in 1951, when basketball was not exactly what we are seeing today and when they were placed in Rochester.

Years of transition from city to city did not mean much to the team that we know today as Sacramento Kings. Whether they played in Cinncinati, Kansas City, or Sacramento, they were basically the basement of the league.

There was some era of some extra players. Oscar Robertson, Nate "Tiny" Archibald and Mitch Richmond scored in their NBA purges. It was this last one that experienced the biggest shock when he was replaced by strength and form from one of the most attractive teams in the Golden State League of Sacramento for Billy Owens during the apparent eclipse of Don Nelson's mind.

For years we have known Sacramento. A team in which Mitch Richmond breaks, according to Jordan's confession, one of his toughest opponents and a team that generally does not win anyone. NBA action was watched, among other things, because of the "On Fire" column, where every little Richmond split the mesh from all positions. Every man was turned upside down by one man - Geoff Petrie.

Whether Geoff was a drunken gambler served by a ball and a map in a crazy series, it's hard to say today. But, however, this former Princeton student in the period 1995-2004. he almost could not miss or draw a bad move.

Petrie was doing everything to make Kings relevant. This included visits to the European market, where he found a 206 cm teenager with an incredible leap of shots. His name was Predrag Stojakovic and at the time he was a player of Paoka. Petrie had capped him already in 1996 (the year before he drafted Dejan Bodiroga, but Deki never went to the NBA).

That same year, he sat down as Sacramento's bench in the role of assistant basketball player Yoda, former Princeton coach and a man who in modern basketball celebrated the "Princeton attack" - Pete Carril. Carril was the only coach who made over 500 victories in college basketball, and he was not able to give sports scholarships (Princeton is a school from the Ivy League, and exclusively looking at your schoolboy. Somebody's sports talent is absolutely irrelevant). With such a composition, Carril had only one negative season in 29 years, as he sat on the Princeton bench. In order to slip gold from stone, Carril developed attacking actions in which all five players had the same opportunity to celebrate, where it was necessary for everyone on the ground to be solid shooters and dodgers and that, most importantly, move without a ball, and do not stand in place. The Princeton trademark throughout the years has become racing behind the back of the defense, the parquet floor and laying down while the opponent is confused.

Tired of fighting with windmills and finding players who are phenomenal learners, and at the same time knowing they are dribble, Carril said 'goodbye' and decided to leave NCAA, not wanting to work at that level except for Princeton. Soon a call from his former player, Geoff Petrie, arrived, and Carril traveled with his actions to the NBA, in an effort to prove that his basketball style can function well amongst superstars who like to dominate the ball (Clips that are built on a college in the form of a relationship coach - Toys, roommates or comrades are generally not forgotten in America. The non-routine times are extremely paid or people's influential functions are obtained only because they shared the room with person X).

Carril had very little impact on Garry St Jean, much more to his successor Eddie Jordan, but Kings did not simply have material on the ground that would guarantee some significant improvement. Then Petrie went on again. Before the start of the strike, the cut-off season 1998/99 was Rick Adelman, who was in a kind of crisis of coaching philosophy.

Petrie worked in Portland for almost the entire time of Adelman's mandate there. Rick sat down as head coach of Blazers with a temporary label, but was followed by a series of great results, which included two placements in the NBA Finals. After being abandoned in Portland, Rick experienced a small fiasco in Golden State Warriors and began to doubt his methods, causing him to take a break for a year. Petrie merged Adelman with Carril and directed him to trust more European players than it was in Portland. Adelman was nothing but a fool who would not accept a good advice.

On the draft in 1998, Petrie chose virtuoso with the ball of Jason Williams. The Princeton attack pillar was signed, a center that is a good poster from a high post, and few were better than Vlade Divac. Predrag Stojakovic came from Greece, and Petrie sent Mitch Richmond and Othis Thorpe to Washington for Chris Webber, who, at first from he was playing for a team that "has never won anyone."

After they managed to assassinate Webber in a comeback, Kings only managed to enter the playoffs for the third time since playing in Sacramento in the shortened season. Utah Jazz was there waiting for them. Kings had a lead of 2: 1 and a fourth game in the noisy Arco Arena to pass on. However, in the last seconds of the match, John Stockton was silent in the courtroom to win, and Jazz secured the passage in Salt Lake City.

Chris Webber's top scorer was Chris Webber with 20 points per game with 13 rebounds on average, which interrupted Dennis Rodman's domination in the top of the league's best jumper. Vlade Divac also had a double-double on average (14 and 10), while the Florida rookie Jason Williams lost nearly 13 points per game, with unrealistic passage of the elbow, chest, teeth (six assistances per game).

The following season, the team was reinforced by Nick Anderson and Tony Delco. More space in the game was given to the young center Scott Pollard. Kings in the NBA regular season were the most effective team in the league with 105 points per game and a whole series of maestral dribbling and the addition of Jason Williams, who raised the number of assists to over seven per game. Chris Webber played the monstrous season with 24.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.7 steals.

Peja Stojakovic's turnover improved in three minutes compared to the debut season, and he reached 12 points on average with almost 40% of the penalty for three points and almost 90% of the free throws.

Nevertheless, despite great striking decisions and a great ball, Kings were thin as defense paper, which again cost them in the first round of the playoffs. Again a series of five games and eliminations. The opponent was the biggest rival of that period, Los Angeles Lakers on their way to the first of three consecutive title champions. Shaq and Kobe scored 57 points on average in five games, with Diesel having 17 rebounds and three blocks. Although there were a maximum of five matches, none was uncertain, and none of the Kings Game players shot at close to 50% of the game.

In the next season, Kings scored again stronger. Petrie did not sleep. The problem of defending the outer positions was solved by the bringing of Doug Christie and his often frowned wife Jackie, in exchange for Corliss Williamson. Another player from Europe, specifically Efes Pilsen, has been drafted. The new member of Kings has become the most talented Turkish player Hido Turkoglu. Adelman put Stojakovic in the starting five on the low winger position, the bench was further strengthened by Bobby Jackson and the show could begin.

The force of the team's nucleus in the attack was fascinating.

They could have closed eyes.

Running behind the back of the defense, unattended belts, alley-oops, triples from the counter, the ball flew from one side to the other, sometimes without descending. Divac played Stojakovic and Christiea from a high point for light points, and also worked Webber and Williams, who made spectacle often at the expense of the substance ie. results. Kings were again the most effective team in the league, and the defense, thanks to Christie's solid imitation Pippen, climbed among the top ten. The season ended with 55 wins, most in the history of the team at that time.

Chris Webber played a memorable season ... 27 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal on average. Predrag Stojakovic became a player for 20 points per game in the NBA with excellent shots. Sacramento 3: 1 against Phoenix got their first playoff series after 20 years, but ... Lakers again showed up.

One of the strongest teams in the recent history of the league has shaken Kingse from a 4: 0 parquet. That year, Lakers lost a single playoff game on the way to the second consecutive title. It's enough to say that Kobe had averaged 35 points in four games against Sacramento, while Shaq scored 33 with 60% of the game's shot. There was no help.

Geoff Petrie realized that Jason Williams would not be able to win the title and that he needed stability and a reliable shot at that position. There was enough attraction in the rest of the team. Again, how to change the most popular player in the team, imitated by children across the United States and who brought fans in the hall?

I said that Petrie was always a gamer in his soul, was not it? In July 2001, Williams was sent to Vancouver for Mike Bibby. Webber won $ 127 million for seven years for his excellent games and immediately played only 54 matches. Anger was very much, but Petrie believed in the cold-bloodedness that Mike Bibby and his nail snake were showing at important moments of the game.

Bibby, as a player of the first year, led Arizona to the NCAA title and was the best when it was most needed. Instead of the Clippers, offered by his agent, once supreme David Falk, Bibby finished on the draft in a team that was good for the Eurocup, Vancouver Grizzlies, which Falk Clips has never forgiven (See the case when Brand got a knife in the back  and signed for 76erse. That was Falko's work).

The fans were not happy with the arrival of Bibby, but the games of the entire team soon forced them to forget the White Chocolate. They did not bother Chris Webber either. Sacramento achieved the most victories in its history, 61. They had the second best attack and even the sixth best defense. Stojakovic was first elected for the All Star match with 21 points on average and 42% for three points. Chris Webber was re-elected to All Star, who was still the best scorer of the team with 25 points in the season. Bibby perfectly fitted - 14 points, five assists, excellent percentage of shots and rational decisions on the field. In general, the Kings had some incredible seven (!) Players that had 10 or more points per game this season!

In the playoff playoff Kings in four uncertain games first kicked out Utah with 3: 1, where Webber and Stojakovic led the main word. In five games, Kings won Dallas, but Stojakovic lost in the third game of the series due to injury. His absence was completely replaced by Mike Bibby, who played basketball for the playoffs. In a direct duel, Steve Nash overtook and in average scored 22 points with seven assists and 55% for three points. Everything was prepared for a final match with the biggest rival, who baked them at every turn - LA Lakers. This time, Kings had the advantage of home court.

In the opinion of many experts, Lakers and Kings have played one of the best playoff series in the past 30 years.

It started unexpectedly with a Lakers Lakers victory in the first game, where Kobe, Shaq and Horry scored 74 of the team's 106 points. Sacramento returned to the second game with a victory in which Bibby and Webber led the host. The series moved to Staples Center, where Sacramento returned with a safe victory, in which they led almost throughout the match. Six double-digit in Sacramente were led by Webber. Lakers fans were shocked.

The fourth game was something special even according to the standards of this series. Reluctant Kings, although still without Stojakovic, went out to settle the final blow. They led 24 games in the first part, 14 at half time. The Lakers struggled and suffered blows, but the Knockout knockout could not be placed. The last seconds of this game are everyone's memory. Kings had two versions. After that time, Jackson was first missed by Kobe, then Shaq. Divac decided to break the ball away from the hoop, but he sent it right into the hands of Robert Horry, who threw Staples Center into a total delirium of three with a siren sound to win the Lakers. After the match, Horry briefly stated that he had a sick child in the hospital and how he thought about the important things of basketball.

Regardless of what Horry had looked like when he took the soul of Kings with his move, Sacramento returned the same way in the fifth game. The hero was Mike Bibby, who played the entire playoff as ice. A jump shot with poludistance to win 92:91 and lead 3-2.

The sixth game has entered history as one of the three most controversial since 1998 onwards. Interestingly, in two cases, the Lakers were in question. In the fourth quarter, a balanced result was achieved, with Lakers finishing 27 free throws and defeating 106: 102. The highlight was when Kobe's elbow broke the nose of Mike Bibby, and King's augmented personal error. Lakers shot 18 free throws more than Kings in the fourth period. A similar story was seen in the seventh game of the 2010 finals against Boston, when the relegation rate in the fourth quarter of the match was at one point 21: 6 in favor of Lakers.

In the seventh game of Kings, they were scared of victories. There were 16 equations and 19 changes in leadership, but apart from Mike Bibby, none of the players in Sacramento had the courage to look at the basket in the final and overtime. The Kings thrashed 2-20 and missed 14 free throws. On the other hand, the Lakers had a total of five with 10 or more points, and a great confidence of Shaq and Kobe who gave a total of 65 points.

This defeat in some way closed the window to the NBA Finals and the eulogy title for Sacramento Kingse. Once again they played well and in the 2002-03 season they achieved 59 victories, with the new great season of Stojakovic. In the playoffs were kicked out by Utah, but in the second game of the semifinals of the West against Mavs, Webber was badly injured, and Kings did not have an answer for Nicolas Van Exel's fighter jet.

This knee injury completely destroyed Webber's career, which returned for the last 25 games of the next season, but was a shadow of a once-athletic perfect player. They did not even help the best season in the career of Pedja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby. Minnesota stopped Kingse in seven games.

Soon Geoff Petrie began to dismantle the team that came to one game from the NBA finals, possibly winning the NBA title, because on the other hand they were waiting for the modest Netsi. Divac went to Lakers to finish his career, Webber was swapped in 76erse, Turkoglu went to Spuu a year earlier rse ... This marked the end of the Sacramento era. The longest stay was Petri's favorite player Petja Stojakovic who was sent to India in 2006 for Ron Artest.

In the period from 1995 to 2006, Petrievi Kings played the playoff nine times, eight times in a row from '98 to 2006. After that, Geoff Petria left the gambling fortunes. He continued to score on the draft - Demarcus Cousins, Kevin Martin, Isiah Thomas ... He continued to bring good players for almost nothing in return, but his teams were no longer playing playoff, while the coach could not hit either. He changed them five in six years.

After the franchise almost went the way of Seattle and after the great advocacy of Kevin Johnson's team stayed in the capital of California, the last symbol of the rise of Kings, their architect Geoff Petrie, went.

So near and yet so far...