Rajon Rondo played with the Kings during the 2015-2016 season.
The Sacramento Kings franchise has also been known as the Rochester Royals, Cincinnati Royals, Kansas City Kings, and the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. Along the course of their history, they have seen some gaudy assists production. Let’s highlight their top five leaders in assists per game for a single season.
Rajon Rondo – 2016, 11.7 APG
Rondo began his career with the Celtics. During his time with the franchise, he led the league in assists per game two times. He played just one season for the Kings, and he also led the league in assists with 11.7 per game. Following his time with the Kings, Rondo played for the Bulls, Pelicans, Lakers, Hawks, Clippers and Cavaliers.
Oscar Roberston – 1965, 11.5 APG
The Cincinnati Royals selected Robertson with the first pick in the 1960 Draft. In his rookie season, he won the Rookie of the Year award, made the All-Star team, and was named All-NBA First Team. He averaged 9.7 assists per game in his first season, which was the highest mark in the NBA. He would eventually lead the league in assists per game in five of his first six seasons in the league. He would top out, with a career high 11.5 assists per game in 1964-65, and finish second in MVP voting after having won the award the season prior.
Oscar Roberston – 1962, 11.4 APG
The 1961-62 season was just Robertson’s second in the NBA. He appeared in 79 games, averaging 44 minutes. In addition to leading the league with his average of 11.4 assists per game, Robertson also averaged 30.8 points and 12.5 rebounds. He made the All-Star team, was named All-NBA First Team, and finished third in MVP voting.
Tiny Archibald -1973, 11.4 APG
The Royals selected Nate ‘Tiny’ Archibald in the second round of the 1970 Draft. In his rookie season, he averaged 16.0 points and 5.5 assists over 35 minutes per game. In 1972-73, he led the league by averaging 46 minutes per game. The result was him leading the NBA in both points per game (34.0) and assists per game (11.4). He made the All-Star team, was named All-NBA First Team, and finished third in MVP voting. Archibald spent the first six seasons of his career with the franchise, averaging 25.2 points and 8.1 assists over 433 games. Those stats helped him make three All-Star teams and finish inside the top 10 in MVP voting three times.
Oscar Roberston – 1966, 11.1 APG
The 1965-66 season marked the fifth time that Robertson led the league in assists per game. It was also the third straight season in which he averaged at least 11.0 assists per game. He made the All-Star team, was named All-NBA First Team, and finished third in MVP voting. Across 10 total seasons with the Royals, Robertson led the league in assists seven times. Over 752 games with the franchise, he averaged 29.3 points, 10.3 assists, and 8.5 rebounds. Robertson played the final four seasons of his career with the Bucks.
