What a doozie of a season that was. I’ve had a hard time getting the fingers going to write about anything worthwhile. I considered a piece on Max Raynaud several times, my love for Dylan Cardwell, revisiting the Fox trade (which, by the way, I’m even higher on now after seeing what the Hawks got for Trae Young, the Mavs for Anthony Davis, and the Cavs for Darius Garland). I even toyed with the idea of exploring whether Doug Christie was lowkey great for player development. But no, I’m still in my feels, and I’m going full-blown Kangz Manifesto on this one.
I’ve been a die-hard Kings fan since the 2001-2002 season. My fandom truly began during the 2000-2001 playoff trouncing by the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference semis. That was the tail end of the White Chocolate era and the beginning of my all-time favorite team, with the additions of Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson, and young Turkish OG Hedo Turkoglu. Love White Chocolate, but my favorite King during the golden era was Mike Bibby, who hooked me during the 2001-2002 season.
I don’t live in Sacramento, and I don’t have the generational family lineage of Kangz fandom. I was just a 13-year-old kid watching the playoffs, rocking frosted tips, probably wearing a Volcom T-shirt, and rooting for the underdog Kings against the evil empire of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. It was David vs. Goliath, with David playing an intoxicating style of basketball: ball movement, unselfish play, the Princeton offense, and a roster full of characters like Peja Stojakovic, Bobby Jackson, and Doug Christie. It was basketball poetry.
Fast forward to now, and I’ve had NBA League Pass for 25 consecutive years. I watch every single game tirelessly, and boy, was this past season a pill. That’s the impetus for this piece. Enough preamble—let’s dive into the worst five seasons of my fandom over the past 25 years. Spoiler alert: none of the last three seasons (2022-2025) are anywhere close to consideration. Those were lowkey highlights of my adult life.
The Criteria
To rank these dumpster fires, I’ll use the following categories, each scored 1-5:
- Record: Wins and losses.
- Talent: How many blue-chip players were on the roster? How deep was the team?
- On-Court Product: Was it fun to watch? High pace? Defensive powerhouse? Or a slog?
- Vibes: Were the players fun characters? Did the jerseys pop? Did we have an all-time legend like Bill Walton on the mic?
Let’s tally up the scores and crown the bottom-feeder five.
5. 2007-2008 Kings
Record: 38-44 | Score: 3.5
A respectable record for a team in flux. This was the year we traded Mike Bibby to the Hawks for a bag of Doritos, a pack of menthol lights, and a second-round pick. Kevin Martin was at his peak, averaging 24 points per game, and Ron Artest was still doing his thing. Brad Miller was on his last legs, and Spencer Hawes was a crucial chink in the armor that would eventually cost Geoff Petrie his job.
Talent: 3/5
Ron Artest, Kevin Martin, and Francisco Garcia provided some charisma and competition. Mikki Moore started 78 games, which tells you all you need to know about the roster depth. Let’s not forget the trade with the Spurs that brought us the legend, Beno Udrih. I’ll always fondly recall Jerry Reynolds’ iconic catchphrase: “Beno – Drain-o!”
On-Court Product: 2.5/5
Reggie Theus replaced Eric Musselman as head coach, bringing energy but not much X’s and O’s acumen. The team was scrappy, with flashes of athleticism and defense, and a solid mix of both—plus plenty of “wangz,” a quality we’re sorely missing in modern-day Kings basketball. It’s also important to note that the coaching carousel was now in full swing.
Vibes: 2/5
I touched on the coaching carousel and the Bibby trade, and while we missed the playoffs, finishing 11th overall, this season also marked the start of major upheaval, with Ron Artest and Brad Miller both being traded the following year. The one bright gold spot? Those infamous gold jerseys were still in the mix—a beloved classic that our guy Will Griffith and many others still hold dear.
Total: 11
Song of the Year: Low by Flo Rida ft. T-Pain
Movie of the Year: The Dark Knight
Cuz why not?
4. 2017-2018 Kings
Record: 27-55 | Score: 2
De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanović’s rookie years were overshadowed by the disastrous trade down from 10 to draft Harry Giles and Justin Jackson. Free agency brought George Hill, Zach Randolph, and Vince Carter—three guys who were either washed or wildly overpaid. Vlade Divac was out here fully feeling himself as general manager, while Dave Joerger was just trying to make it work with a roster full of young guys, over-the-hill vets, and nonstop battles with the front office. Shoutout to then-GM Scott Perry for his three-month cup of coffee with the team in 2017.
Talent: 2/5
A roster packed with young guys in their first and second years, led by the likes of Fox, Bogi, Buddy Hield, Skal Labissière, and George Papagiannis, was balanced (or unbalanced, really) by the greybeards: Z-Bo, Vince, George Hill, Kosta Koufos, Garrett Temple, and the Shumpman himself, Iman Shumpert (brought in when the Kings could finally punt on Hill’s bloated contract). This was right before the very fun, funky “Scores” team, where Shump played a key role as the vibes and hype captain. Still, this season was a strange purgatory. Fox had a slow and underwhelming start, Bogi showed flashes of brilliance, and nearly all the vets were clearly washed—except for Hill, who still had a few solid role-player years left but was wildly overpaid and completely miscast in this system.
On-Court Product: 1/5
This team was downright putrid: the pieces didn’t fit, almost no one was in their prime—or even close to starter quality—and it showed. The Kings finished near the bottom in both offense and defense, ranking 28th and 29th respectively, and somehow managed to outperform their abysmal -7.3 net rating, which was still only good for 29th in the league. Honestly, the fact that Joerger dragged this squad to 27 wins feels like a minor miracle.
Vibes: 3/5
Here’s what gives this team a slight bump: I, for one, had hope. I was absolutely right in believing Fox and Bogi would develop into legit contributors on meaningful teams—and they did (and still are)! I was, however, very wrong in thinking Buddy Hield and Willie Cauley-Stein could grow into solid starters for the next great Kings squad. Beyond those four, the roster was full of question marks with unproven first- and second-year players. But most importantly, we owned our future draft picks, so the optimism was real.
Total: 8
Song of the Year: God’s Plan by Drake
Movie of the Year: Avengers: Infinity War
2011-2012 Kings
Record: 22-44
The Kings brought in offensive mastermind Keith Smart during this lockout-shortened season to replace Paul Westphal, who, to be fair, wasn’t all that bad. Vegas set the over/under at 20.5 wins, so expectations for the offseason were clearly low. Jokes on them, though—we hit the over!
Talent: 2.5/5
With the 10th pick in the draft, the Kings selected none other than Jimmer effing Fredette. It’s been well-documented that he was taken just ahead of future stars like Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, and others, so there’s no need to beat an already battered Slamson over it. To make matters worse, the Kings traded back a few spots with the Milwaukee Bucks to bring back an old friend, the nearly washed John Salmons.
But there was a silver lining: with the very last pick of the draft, we landed the Pizza Guy himself, Isaiah Thomas at pick 60.
At the time, the Kings were also building around Boogie Cousins (drafted in 2010-11 and the namesake of my puppy, former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans, and gunner Marcus Thornton, who I admittedly have a soft spot for and was a solid value signing in free agency. The roster also included a before-his-time, rangy 3-and-D guy in Travis Outlaw.
Unfortunately, this was also the season of the disastrous Omri Casspi trade, where the Kings sent him and a protected first-round pick to Cleveland for J.J. Hickson. That pick came with top-10 protections for six years—yes, six years. It was one of the most damaging moves of Geoff Petrie’s tenure and likely the final nail in the coffin for his career as an executive. Not only did the trade fail outright, but it also locked the Kings into a cycle of mediocrity (or worse) for years. The team either lacked the juice to compete in the Western Conference or tanked outright to ensure the pick never conveyed. To their credit—or lack thereof—it didn’t.
Product: 2.5/5
Back in 2012, I was as big a fan of Boogie Cousins, Tyreke Evans, and Isaiah Thomas as you’d find. I had high hopes for this core. Unfortunately, Tyreke seemed to take a backseat as Thornton jacked up shots, and the team sorely lacked a true playmaker.
Reke never developed a reliable jumper until he left for New Orleans, while Boogie continued to dominate offensively. Meanwhile, a young IT was an absolute delight to watch, providing a spark in an otherwise frustrating season.
Vibes: 2/5
The looming threat of relocation cast a dark shadow over the season. The city, the fanbase, and my personal fandom were all on edge as the Anaheim Ducks’ owner and other suitors tried to pry the team away and move them to Southern California.
On the court, Jimmer’s rookie year was rough, to say the least. It quickly became clear that Isaiah Thomas, Mr. Irrelevant, would surpass him as the first guard off the bench. Jimmer struggled athletically, lacked size, and, quite honestly, didn’t have the skillset to succeed at this level. His handle never developed, and his confidence never materialized enough for him to become the bucket-getting, deadeye shooter he was supposed to be. IT, however, was the lone bright spot in a disappointing draft.
Off the court, I’d be remiss not to mention Bill Walton’s periodic appearances on the broadcast alongside Grant Napear and everyone’s favorite, Jerry Reynolds. I have fond memories of Walton rocking Kings tie-dye and dropping obscure Grateful Dead references that went way over my head. His passion for the game, charisma, and humor brought a lot of smiles to a teenager who needed some light at the time.
Total: 7.5 (good for third-worst team overall)
Song of the Year: TikTok by Kesha
Movie of the Year: Marvel’s The Avengers
2. 2008-2009 Kings
Record: 17-65
This team literally set the record for the worst Kings season in franchise history. Second place? That would be this past season—but we’ll get there. 0.5/5
Talent: 1.5/5
As mentioned, Brad Miller only played half the season before being traded, and Ron Artest was long gone. At this point, the roster was all about the “young guns”: Kevin Martin, Francisco García, Spencer Hawes, and Jason Thompson, who was taken with the 12th pick in the draft. Donte Greene, the 28th overall pick, came over as part of the Artest deal, along with old friend Bobby Jackson.
Enter the Andrés Nocioni era—or error, depending on how you look at it. Nocioni was the principal return in the Brad Miller trade, but by this point (his age-29 season), years of grinding with the Bulls and the Argentine national team had taken their toll. His quickness and athleticism were, to put it kindly, depleted.
The team also set a dubious record, going 1–29 against the Eastern Conference. That lone win? A victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Product: 2/5
Remember Kings coaching legend Kenny Natt? Sadly I do—he took over for Reggie Theus after 24 games, and spoiler alert: he was even worse. Theus got the Kings off to a rocky 6-18 start, but Natt managed just 11 wins in 58 games.
This team was, without question, the worst of the worst. They ranked 29th in net rating and were blown out regularly. The roster was a mishmash of young “up-and-comers” like Jason Thompson, Francisco García, and Spencer Hawes, led by Kevin Martin—who, unfortunately, got injured 51 games into the season and never played for the Kings again after being traded for Chuck Hayes in the offseason.
That said, the team was lowkey kind of entertaining. I was super high on the limited flashes I saw from Donte Greene, and I loved seeing Cisco unleashed as a 30-minutes-a-night guy, hustling on defense and firing up the crowd. The Kings also played at the 7th-fastest pace in the league, which made for some fun moments. Sadly, they played no defense outside of Cisco, finishing dead last in the league in that category.
Vibes: 1.5/5
Jason Thompson filled an immediate need for the Kings. Gone were the days of Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Kenny Thomas manning the four spot, and at the 12th pick, it felt like the Kings couldn’t do much worse. JT showed flashes of being a competent defender with some potential stretch to his game from mid-range and even beyond the arc. Unfortunately, his rookie year—and arguably his sophomore year—were the high points of his career.
By this point, the Kings were becoming a league-wide punching bag. They had now missed the playoffs for the third straight year, were on their third coach in as many seasons, and the last remnants of the glory days were gone. Brad Miller and Ron Artest (who had been swapped for Kings legend Peja Stojaković) were out, and even the bridge to the future, Kevin Martin, was injured and deemed expendable.
The future wasn’t looking bright. The Kings had little to show for a team that had been dynamic and consistently at the top of the Western Conference for a solid five-year run. To me, this marked the beginning of a very, very long slide.
Total: 5.5 (good for second-worst team overall)
Song of the Year: Boom Boom Pow by The Black Eyed Peas
Movie of the Year: Avatar
1. 2025-2026 Kings
Record: 22-60
I knew this season was going to be a disaster the moment it became clear Scott Perry couldn’t move any of the bloated veteran contracts: Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and, as much as I love him, Malik Monk. There was some flirtation with the idea of trading for Jonathan Kuminga—thank goodness we dodged that bullet. But if you rewind a bit, it all started with the almost immediate and predictably shortsighted hiring of Scott Perry. To his credit, he hasn’t been a complete and utter disaster, but the inevitable hiring of interim coach Doug Christie sealed the deal. Let’s just say your boy dropped some coin on the Vegas over/under prediction of 35.5 wins—and it wasn’t pretty. 1/5
Talent: 2/5
We’ve already covered the carryover vets, but let’s not forget the shiny new, overpaid addition: Dennis Schröder, brought in to be our point guard savior. Even more baffling was the last-minute signing of Russell Westbrook just days before the season started.
A few remnants of the Beam Team remained: Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis (whose saga has been so overcovered, I won’t rehash it here). Then there was the promising trio of rookies: Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell. Add to that the sophomore no one seems to want but me, Devin Carter, and the scrapheap pickups: Precious Achiuwa, Drew Eubanks, and Daeqwon Plowden.
Credit where it’s due—Perry and his team did a solid job in the draft. All three rookies look like they belong in the league, with Nique and Max showing potential to develop into quality starters and Cardwell proving he absolutely belongs as a rim-protecting, high-energy big.
Product: 0.5/5
Poopy. There’s no other way to describe it. Shoutout to the Kings Herald founders and elder statesmen for retiring the every-game postgame recaps—I would’ve pulled out some of my magnificent hair if I had to immediately relive the horrendous experiences of these games.
The playcalling was often baffling, and the team—especially before shutting down the vets—played with no inspiration, no heart, no determination, no pride, no nothing. Unsurprisingly, this team was near the bottom in both offense and defense. They had no shooters, no playmaking, and no consistency.
Vibes: 0.5/5
If I could give this a negative score, I would. Watching the vets on the bench was painful—their body language said it all. And then there were the vets who should’ve been with the team but mysteriously weren’t (looking at you, Domantas Sabonis).
The injuries were brutal. Sabonis played just 19 games, and Keegan Murray managed only 23—none of which overlapped. These were arguably your two best players, and they never shared the court.
Then there was the Zach LaVine situation. He looked like a man without a country, a player without a soul, a Frankenstein without a brain—you get the idea. It was such a bummer, especially for a guy who showed some promise at the end of the 2024-25 season.
The trade deadline didn’t help either. All the rumors led to the underwhelming return of De’Andre Hunter for Keon Ellis. And to top it all off, the Kings finished the season tied for the fourth-best lottery odds, only to lose the coin flip and drop to fifth.
The hope was that, coming out of this miserable season, we’d at least have a great shot at landing one of the two or three potential franchise players in this draft. And while it’s still possible, the door closing even slightly on that possibility was just another gut punch in a season full of them.
Total: 4/10
The worst Kings team in the last 25 years—by a mile.
Song of the Year (so far): Ella Langley, “Choosin’ Texas” (cough cough, never heard of it).
Movie of the Year (so far): The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
And there you have it—the five worst seasons of my Kings fandom. Let’s hope we never have to revisit this list again.
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