Sacramento Kings unveil new alternate uniforms. Here’s how they honor the franchise’s past
.jpg "The Sacramento Kings on Thursday unveiled their Nike “City Edition” retro uniforms designed to pay homage to their days as the Cincinnati Royals from 1957 to 1972, modeled here by Keegan Murray.")
The Sacramento Kings on Thursday unveiled new royal blue alternate uniforms that give a nod to their past.
Their latest Nike “City Edition” uniforms are inspired by their days as the Cincinnati Royals from 1957 to 1972, when their colors were blue and red.
The uniforms will be worn for the first time Saturday when the Kings host the Utah Jazz at Golden 1 Center.
They will be worn for five home games and four road games throughout the regular season.
“This uniform is not just about honoring our past as one of the oldest teams in the NBA — it’s about embracing the journey that has brought us here and looking forward to an even brighter future,” said Kings president of business operations John Rinehart in a news release. “Our fans are an integral part of this legacy, and we’re proud to celebrate this moment with them.”
The retro uniforms are similar to the color scheme of last year’s iteration that were blue and red with a vertical word mark down the right side of the jersey. The team said this year’s uniform connects the Kings to their past while “emphasizing the evolution of the team’s identity.”
The sides of the jerseys feature subtle crowns that are designed to trace the development of the team’s logo history from the ‘50s to its current form. The shorts have a reinterpretation of the Royals’ logo from the 1950s with the shape of California as the face’s hairline, and a crown representing Sacramento’s downtown skyline.
In addition to the uniform, the Kings unveiled a new mascot to accompany the uniforms named, Roy Al, who is inspired by the team’s old logo.
Roy Al will be alongside the team’s current mascot, Slamson, during games when the team dons its “City Edition” uniforms. There will also be a matching alternate court at Golden 1 Center similar to the one used last year.
The Kings moved to Sacramento for the 1985-86 season and kept their blue and red color scheme until 1994 when they switched to their current black-and-purple look. The Kings this season will also wear purple “Classic Edition” throwback uniforms modeled after their 2002-2008 jerseys with a “Sacramento” word mark across the chest.
The Kings currently have five sets of uniforms for the 2024-25 season: “Icon” black uniforms, “Association” white uniforms, “Statement” purple-and-black gradient uniforms, blue “City Edition” uniforms and purple “Classic Edition” uniforms.
