Nate ‘Tiny’ Archibald, having gone through four different iterations of the Kings, takes the top spot as their PPG leader.
The Sacramento Kings have had a number of dynamic scorers suit up in the purple and black throughout their 78 years in the NBA. This article will dig into the greatest scoring seasons in franchise history, from Jack Twyman and Oscar Robertson to Tiny Archibald.
Nate ‘Tiny’ Archibald – 1973, 34.0 PPG
Archibald went through four different iterations of the Kings after being drafted 19th overall by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1970 NBA Draft. He played his first six professional campaigns with the franchise, from ‘70 to 1976, but his 1972-73 season stands out among the rest. ‘Tiny’ led the league in scoring with a career-high 34.0 points per game, tallying 15 outings with at least 40 points and another three games with 50 or more. Archibald also led the NBA in assists (11.4), minutes played (46.0), field goals attempted (26.3), and, for the second straight year, free throws made (8.3) and attempted (9.8). He earned a First Team All-NBA selection and an All-Star nod while finishing third in the MVP vote, and his 2,719 total points are still the most in Kings’ history. ‘The Roller Skate’ was a six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, a member of the Boston Celtics 1981 championship team and the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.
Oscar Robertson – 1964, 31.4 PPG
In 1963-64, in his age-25 season, Robertson produced a career-best 31.4 points with 9.9 rebounds and a league-leading 11.0 assists per game in 79 appearances. He led the NBA in made free throws (10.1) and free-throw percentage (85.3), helping the ‘Big O’ earn a fourth consecutive All-Star and First Team All-NBA selections while being named MVP of the league. Robertson enjoyed ten highly successful seasons with the Cincinnati Royals, from 1960 to 1970, compiling averages of 29.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 10.3 apg across 752 total contests.
Oscar Robertson – 1966, 31.3 PPG
Two years later, Robertson continued his run as one of the most lethal scorers in the league by putting up 31.3 points per game, adding 7.7 boards while leading the NBA again with 11.1 assists across 76 outings. Over his first six professional seasons, ‘Ozzie’ reached the 30.0 ppg mark and led the league in dimes five times, only failing to do so in 1962-63. The dynamic point guard extended his personal First Team All-NBA and All-Star streaks to six and finished third in the MVP race for the third time.
Jack Twyman – 1960, 31.2 PPG
The 10th overall pick in the 1955 NBA Draft by the Rochester Royals, Twyman spent his entire 11-year career as a pro with the franchise, from ‘55 to 1966. In 1959-60, he erupted for a career-high 31.2 points and 3.5 assists with 8.9 rebounds per game in 75 outings, earning him a fourth consecutive All-Star selection and the first of two career All-NBA Second Team honors. When he officially retired, Twyman was a six-time All-Star who collected averages of 19.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 2.3 apg across 823 total appearances, garnering a Hall of Fame induction in 1983.
Oscar Robertson – 1962, 30.8 PPG
Robertson, who owns eight of the top ten single season points per game entries for the Kings, rounds out their list today with the 30.8 points he tallied during his sophomore campaign in 1961-62. He also grabbed a career-best 12.5 boards and dished out an NBA-best 11.4 dimes a night over 79 contests, marking an incredible run, in which Robertson averaged a triple-double. ‘Mr. Triple Double’, who amassed 181 throughout his 14-year career, set the franchise record with 41 triple-doubles that year. Following his time in Cincy, Robertson played four seasons with the Bucks before retiring in 1974, winning the 1971 NBA title in Milwaukee. He was a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, six-time assist champ, the 1960-61 Rookie of the Year, one-time MVP, a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980.
