1989–90 Sacramento Kings season

Dick Motta Gregg Lukenbill

The 1989–90 Sacramento Kings season was the 41st season for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association, and their fifth season in Sacramento, California. The Kings won the NBA draft lottery, and selected power forward Pervis Ellison from the University of Louisville with the first overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft. During the off-season, the team acquired former All-Star center Ralph Sampson from the Golden State Warriors, and later on signed free agent Greg Kite in November.

However, during the off-season, the Kings were hit with tragedy when last year's top draft pick, Ricky Berry, committed suicide on August 14, 1989, at the age of 24; Berry died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at his suburban home in Sacramento, after an argument with his wife, Valerie. Berry had just completed a stellar rookie season with the Kings, in which he averaged 11.0 points per game, and shot .406 in three-point field-goal percentage in 64 games during the 1988–89 season.

Prior to the start of the regular season, Ellison underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from his right foot and ankle, then later on suffered tendinitis in the toe on his right foot, as he only appeared in just 34 games. After a 6–10 start to the season, the Kings struggled and posted a 10-game losing streak in December. Head coach Jerry Reynolds was fired after a 7–21 start to the season, and was replaced with former Dallas Mavericks coach Dick Motta, who came out of his retirement. The Kings posted a six-game losing streak between January and February, and held a 12–34 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded Kenny Smith to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Antoine Carr, and Sedric Toney. The Kings lost 13 of their final 14 games of the season, which included a 7-game losing streak between March and April, and six straight losses to close the season, finishing in last place in the Pacific Division with a 23–59 record.

Wayman Tisdale averaged 22.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, while Carr averaged 18.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 33 games after the trade, and Danny Ainge provided the team with 17.9 points, 6.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and also led them with 108 three-point field goals. In addition, Rodney McCray provided with 16.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, while second-year guard Vinny Del Negro contributed 9.7 points and 3.3 assists per game, and Harold Pressley averaged 8.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Ellison averaged 8.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, Toney contributed 5.5 points and 3.8 assists per game in 32 games, but only shot .320 in field-goal percentage, Sampson provided with 4.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in only just 26 games, and Kite averaged 3.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Miami Arena in Miami, Florida, and before the mid-season trade, Smith participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Carr finished in sixth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting. Following the season, Ellison was traded to the Washington Bullets in a three-team trade, and after only one season with the Kings, while Ainge was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, McCray was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks, Kite signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic, and Del Negro, Pressley and Toney were all released to free agency.