Sacramento Kings Owners: The Story Of The Maloof Brothers
The saga of the Sacramento Kings is inseparable from the Maloof family, whose two-decade tenure defined a era of promise, controversy, and eventual transition. Joe and Gavin Maloof inherited a struggling franchise and invested heavily, chasing relevance amid persistent playoff frustration and front-office turbulence. Their ownership culminated in the controversial attempt to relocate the team to Anaheim, a move that ultimately unraveled and paved the way for the franchise’s sale to hedge fund investors in 2013. This is the story of how the Maloof brothers ascended to power, navigated the turbulent economics of the NBA, and left a complicated legacy in Sacramento.
The Maloof name entered the NBA landscape in 1998 when the family acquired a controlling stake in the Vancouver Grizzlies. The team, an expansion franchise launched in 1995, had struggled to find an audience in Canada, and the Maloofs saw an opportunity to stabilize and grow the business. Their tenure in Vancouver was marked by modest on-court improvement but was ultimately defined by the challenge of building a viable franchise in a market that never fully embraced the Grizzlies. The decision to relocate the franchise was inevitable, and in 2001, the Maloofs executed a strategic move, shifting the team to Memphis, where it was rebranded as the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Memphis chapter proved to be a valuable learning experience for the family. The Grizzlies became a staple of the Mid-South, cultivating a loyal fanbase and developing a distinct identity under the leadership of Jerry West, who served as executive vice president of basketball operations. The team made its first playoff appearance in 2004 and steadily grew its value. During this period, Joe Maloof, the family patriarch, began to focus his attention on the struggling Sacramento Kings, seeing potential in the league’s westernmost city. In March 2002, the Maloof family’s trajectory shifted again when they purchased the Kings from the struggling ownership group led by Hunt Sports Group, bringing the franchise back to its original home and setting the stage for a new, complex chapter.
The acquisition of the Kings positioned the Maloof brothers—Joe, Gavin, and younger brother Phil—as the public faces of a franchise desperate for stability and success. Joe, the elder brother, took on the role of lead owner, while Gavin, known for his more outspoken and flamboyant style, became the de facto general manager, at least in the public eye. Phil operated more behind the scenes. Their tenure in Sacramento was defined by a series of high-profile player acquisitions, most notably the drafting of Jason Williams in 1998 and the acquisition of Chris Webber from the Washington Wizards in 1998. These moves, combined with the drafting of Brad Miller and the development of Vlade Divac, created a formidable core that promised sustained contention.
However, on-court success proved elusive. The Kings reached the Western Conference Finals in 2002, pushing the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers to seven games, but they could not convert that momentum into a championship challenge. Subsequent seasons were marred by inconsistency and injury, leading to mounting frustration from fans who filled ARCO Arena to capacity. The Maloofs responded by cycling through head coaches, including Rick Adelman, who delivered the 2002 run, and later, Eric Musselman, who implemented a more uptempo style. Despite the competitive volatility, the business side of the franchise flourished, with the Kings posting some of the highest attendance figures in the league and securing lucrative local and national television deals.
The Maloof brothers’ ownership was perhaps most defined by their ambitious and ultimately catastrophic attempt to relocate the franchise to Anaheim. Frustrated by what they described as a lack of public support for a new arena and facing a league that was pressuring them to find a viable long-term solution, the Maloofs began exploring options in Southern California. In January 2013, the league’s owners voted 22-8 to approve a proposal to sell the Kings to a group led by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen, with the intention of moving the team to Anaheim’s Honda Center. The decision triggered a legal battle and a wave of public outcry in Sacramento. Local investors, led by tech entrepreneur Vivek Ranadivé, organized a rival bid to keep the franchise in the city.
The turning point came in May 2013, when the Maloof brothers announced they had reached an agreement to sell the team to the Ranadivé group, effectively ending their 11-year tenure. In a statement at the time, Joe Maloof acknowledged the complexity of the situation, noting the pressure the family had faced and the desire to move forward. “We had some great times and we had some challenges,” he remarked, encapsulating the mixed emotions of their departure. The sale to Ranadivé’s consortium for a then-record $535 million marked the end of an era. The Maloof brothers left behind a team that had been a financial powerhouse but had failed to deliver a championship, a legacy that continues to be debated by fans and historians alike.
