Lakers-Kings rivalry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lakers-Kings Rivalry describes the rivalry between two National Basketball Association teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. Their often tense meetings have inspired a rivalry between the teams as well as their respective fans.
The rivalry is recent, having started in 2000, as both teams rose to prominence, but has taken on a number of different dimensions, such as Northern California vs. Southern California, state capital vs. largest city. Shaquille O'Neal famously called the Sacramento Kings team the "Sacramento Queens" as an insult, and Lakers coach Phil Jackson called the city a "Cow Town", to which Kings fans responded by clanging cowbells at home games.
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[edit] 2002 Western Conference Finals
On the court, the games between the two teams were definitely intense, culminating in the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals, which featured Robert Horry's famous last-second three-pointer to beat the Kings in Game 4, a 1 point Kings win off of a Bibby field goal in the waning seconds of Game 5, a controversially officiated Game 6 resulting in a narrow Laker win, and finally a Game 7 with 19 lead changes and 16 ties producing a Lakers overtime win.
[edit] The Fight
In a game between the Kings and Lakers in the 2003 preseason, a fight broke out on-court in the 1st quarter 2 minutes into the game between Kings guard Doug Christie and Lakers forward Rick Fox. After being separated, the two were ejected from the game, to their teams' respective locker rooms. Rick Fox jogged around to confront Doug Christie again as Christie was leaving the court. The two players fought at the locker room alley that involved both Kings and Lakers bench. The altercation resulted in Fox being suspended 6 games and Christie suspended 2 games. Also in a game between the two, on December 12th 2005, Mike Bibby and Kobe Bryant had a physical confrontation when Mike Bibby walked into Bryant as they went to their respective locker rooms. Bryant laughed at continued to walk. In a 2007 regular-season game a pushing fight escalated between Corliss Williamson and Kwame Brown, nothing serious happened but were separated by their teamates.
[edit] Modern Culture
- At a WWE RAW show in 2003, The Rock got what is known as "heat" when he was singing a song about leaving Sacramento. The last words of the song were "I'll be sure to come back when the Lakers beat the Kings in May." Ironically, the Kings never played the Lakers that year in the Playoffs as neither the Lakers or Kings advanced beyond the conference semi-finals.
- During an episode of King of the Hill Jason says The only reason you watch basketball is because you like watchin' The Kings and Lakers fight.
- On the 2nd season of American Idol host Ryan Seacrest states to Simon You and Paula wont get along like Sacramento and Los Angelos.
[edit] Dormant
The rivalry, for a while, was in dormant. This was a result of all of the personnel changes and the fall of the Lakers and Kings as NBA powerhouses. Shaquille O'Neal has since been traded to Miami. Rick Fox has retired. Chris Webber was traded to Philadelphia, and Vlade Divac retired after briefly playing for the Lakers in the 2004-2005 season. The Lakers failed to make the playoffs the year following the O'Neal trade. Furthermore, Kings lost defensive player Doug Christie, 6th Man specialist Bobby Jackson, and Peja Stojakovic, in a trade with the Indiana Pacers for controversial player, Ron Artest.
[edit] Kobe Bryant vs. Ron Artest
After a two year dormant of the rivalry it suddenly came alive after a offense vs. defense game with Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant. During the January 8th 2007 edition of TNT it was the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings which saw Kobe Bryant elbow Ron Artest in the head which caused Kings guard Mike Bibby to erup in frustration which caused him a technical foul. Ron Artest followed by performing a flagrant foul which resulted in both getting ejected.
