Get a sneak peek at the Sacramento Kings’ custom court design for the NBA Cup
A gold trophy at center court and a crown beneath their feet: the Sacramento Kings will debut a bold custom floor Friday as they begin NBA Cup group play, part of the league’s mid-season tournament meant to add meaning—and marketing power—to November basketball.
The Kings, like the other 29 teams, have new floor designs outlined by artist Victor Solomon.
Each court has a unique floor for the in-season tournament, featuring a full-court gradient rooted in the team’s core color. For Western Conference teams like the Kings, the gradient is angled left to right, part of a symbolic design structure tied to conference alignment, according to the NBA.
The Kings’ court design is a gradient gray with Golden 1 Center Credit Union labeled on the floor and prominently displays the city name in a royal purple font overlaying an NBA Cup trophy logo at half court.
A personalized detail that is sacred to Sacramento and the Kings’ identity, a crown, is outlined on the Golden 1 Center court as an underlay that surrounds center court, enclosing the team name and trophy logo.
Each free throw line is also in the shape of the NBA Cup trophies, with the “Kings” team name marked at each baseline.
Along the sideline is the Kings’ “Sac Proud” logo, which features the word “proud” and has a “Sac” Kings logo in place of the O in proud, over a checkered purple and black pattern that mirrors the side of the team’s 2023-24 statement jerseys. On the opposite sideline is the NBA logo.
Over the last two iterations of the in-season tournament, the shift from traditional hardwood to full-court painted designs hasn’t come without criticism. Several NBA players raised safety concerns during the tournament’s 2023 debut, citing slippery conditions and inconsistent ball bounce.
According to The Washington Post, the league commissioned the tournament courts to help fans and TV viewers quickly distinguish an in-season tournament game from a typical regular season game and to help convey the event’s elevated stakes.
Reception of the courts has been mixed across the league. CBS Sports ranked the Kings’ court 18th out of 30, writing, “Again, this court should be purple! The Kings do get some points for all the lines forming a crown which is a pretty nice touch.” The outlet named Indiana’s bold blue-and-yellow court the best of the tournament designs.
And fans, so far, seem to agree. When the court’s look was leaked online last year, fans online were immediate in their praise, saying on Reddit and elsewhere, “This is in upgrade in every regard” and “Top 3 of the Sacramento Kings NBA Cup courts over the years.”
One fan echoed what many said for other teams that took a less-subtle approach: “I’m relieved. That won’t be as bad on the eyes as some of them have been.”
The Kings will debut their floor design when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. Friday in the first of four in-season tournament group play matches to determine whether they will advance to the Knockout Rounds in December.
Other group play opponents include the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 14, Phoenix Suns on Nov. 26 and Utah Jazz on Nov. 28.
Eight teams will advance to the knockout rounds, followed by the semifinals and finals in Las Vegas on Dec. 13 and 16.
