They landed halfway to nowhere in a converted warehouse surrounded by sheep pastures in North Natomas. They were vagabonds, unloved and undistinguished, bouncing westward from Rochester, N.Y., to Cincinnati, Omaha and Kansas City.
Now, as they begin their 20th season in Sacramento, the Kings are like favored children. They have waiting lists for season tickets and some of the highest prices in the NBA. Their fan base is among the most passionate in the nation.
As the Kings kick off the regular season Tuesday in Dallas, it's worth looking back more than two decades when the annual Pig Bowl football game between the Sacramento police and sheriff's departments was the zenith of local spectator sports.
It was then that the idea of bringing a major league team to Sacramento was met by scoffs and resistance.
"In those days, everyone knew you couldn't do that kind of stuff in Sacramento," said Greg Van Dus...
