Sleep Train Arena

sacjwise

-- Event to Include Access to the Arena, Memorabilia, Outdoor Party with DJ, Food Trucks, Photo-Ops and More --

Today the Sacramento Kings announced plans to host a final farewell to their former home, ARCO Arena (also known as Sleep Train Arena and Power Balance Pavilion) on Saturday, March 19.

“As we close the final chapter of the arena in Natomas, we welcome fans to pay one last visit to the old barn,” said Sacramento Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “That arena was widely known as the loudest place to play in the NBA, and the memories created there will last forever because one thing that remains consistent is the passion and devotion of our fans.”

This all-ages event will be free and open to the public, with tickets required for admission. Starting Monday, March 7, fans can reserve up to four general admission tickets at Kings.com/ARCOFarewell. The celebration will include early access to Season Ticket Members at 12 p.m. and general admission from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Fans will be greeted by a DJ, food trucks for purchase and be able to take one last visit inside the arena for photo-ops. They will also be invited to write a farewell in the arena that will be included in the redevelopment construction, ensuring that memories remain on site. Once back outside, fans will have the opportunity to take home complimentary memorabilia including t-shirts and fan gear, promotional items, posters, autographed items and more.

On April 9, 2016, the Sacramento Kings played the last game at the arena, following 28 seasons at the location. The arena, which opened in November 1988 and sat approximately 17,000 fans, hosted the team during eight winning seasons and nine playoff appearances.  The game took place in front of a packed venue when the team outscored the Oklahoma City Thunder, 114-112.  During the game, more than 50 former Kings and Monarchs players were on hand and the arena was “retired” as the seventh man of the team. Following the game, fans were able to go on the court.

In almost three decades, the arena saw more than 4,800 events, hosted nearly 43 million people and served as both the home to the Sacramento Kings and Monarchs. Since the last Kings game, the arena has had a variety of uses, all while working toward redevelopment on the property. Jr. Kings camps/ clinics have been held at the Natomas Practice Facility. Multiple concerts have also used the site for concert rehearsals. The Stockton Kings use the Natomas Practice Facility and when the city had to close the convention center, the Kings hosted the Jehovah’s Witness 3-day convention in June-August with over 100,000 guests. In April 2020, the arena was activated as an Alternate Care Facility to provide bed and media care as part of the statewide effort to expand hospital capacity and relieve projected pressure on the health care delivery system due to COVID-19.

In June 2021, the Sacramento Kings, in partnership with the City of Sacramento and California Northstate University announced redevelopment plans for Natomas. The plan includes 35 developable acres of land donated to California Northstate University for the construction of a medical school and state-of-the-art teaching hospital, creating an innovation hub. In February, Sacramento City Council unanimously voted to approve the zoning and design guidelines for the redevelopment of the site. Demolition of the arena is set to take place within the next six months.

For more information or to register for the event, visit Kings.com/ARCOFarewell. 

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Sacramento Kings Invite Fans to Say Final Farewell to ARCO Arena

Jordan Ramirez

Extending a partnership to protect public health and safety in the Sacramento region, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Sacramento Kings today announced the lease for the Sleep Train Arena and practice facility which housed Alternate Care Facilities have been amended by reducing the rental rate from $500,000 per month to no cost.

The arena, which the state opened in April for medical surge capacity in the region, will remain under state control through October 31.

With this agreement now in place and local hospitals no longer facing an immediate threat of being overwhelmed by COVID-19, the arena will be placed in a warm shutdown status effective the end of May. The arena site will then remain available through the Fall to support hospital surge capacity should there be a need. The practice facility will continue to remain operational to support COVID-19 patients through at least June 30.

The Sleep Train Arena Alternate Care Facility was operationalized in record time in April to provide up to 400 beds and medical care as part of a statewide effort to expand hospital capacity and relieve projected pressure on the health care delivery system.

“I am grateful to the Kings for their continued partnership. Maintaining this facility allows the state and the region flexibility to safeguard the health and safety of the entire Northern Sacramento Valley,” said Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci.

“Governor Newsom’s a leadership has helped to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives in Sacramento and across California,” said the Sacramento Kings. “Today’s announcement represents the progress we have all made together to flatten the curve. We remain committed to continuing to use our platform for good and to help support the needs of our community.”

When the facility was announced in April, the team committed to donate $250,000 to support area community organizations providing essential services and supplies to families and individuals in need along with the donation of 100,000 non-medical masks to local front-line workers.

View a copy of the amended lease agreement here.

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Update Regarding Sleep Train Arena Alternate Care Facility

Sydney Zuelke

Nuro, a Mountain View based robotics company, has a mission to accelerate the benefits of robotics for everyday life. The bread-and-butter of its operation is the development of autonomous vehicles, intended for public road grocery delivery. Today, with a global pandemic affecting the everyday life it sought to optimize, Nuro has implemented a new use for their technology.

After the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, in collaboration with the Kings, turned the Natomas arena into a surge hospital, Nuro saw an opportunity to help.

Nuro has been testing its prototypes at the former home of the Kings since October of 2017, and was able to witness the transition first-hand.

“We were on-site, we were told that this was happening, and obviously we wanted to help,” said Stephanie Henning, Technical Program Manager.

In the span of just over two weeks, the team members at Nuro worked to create a completely new use case for its vehicles.

The new mission is to help the state of California with touchless vehicles, moving and deploying medical goods throughout the facility. This enables a decrease in the touch-points between people – ultimately in hopes to reduce the spread of the virus on-site.

“What this really means to me is an opportunity amidst a pandemic to truly make a difference to those on the front lines,” said David Syverud, Head of Robot Operations.

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Nuro Develops Autonomous Vehicles to Aid Natomas Arena Surge Hospital

Katie Cracchiolo

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Gallery: Kings Pokémon Go Meetup

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Kings Honor Team Legends at Halftime

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Sleep Train Arena Finale Tease

Kyle Ramos

For 28 seasons and 1,157 games, the Kings have called their current building home. On Saturday, the squad will play for the final time in a place that holds many memories for players, coaches, staff and fans alike.

When the Kings first moved to Sacramento, they resided in a temporary arena (ARCO Arena I) for three seasons while the team’s long-term venue was being constructed. Since the doors of ARCO Arena II first opened in 1988, the Kings and basketball fans in this region have made the building their home away from home.

The combination of entertaining basketball and immeasurable passion from the Sacramento faithful created a raucous and electric atmosphere throughout the building’s 28-year history.

Not only has the team’s home arena been regarded as the loudest place to play in the NBA, but it has also been recognized by Guinness World Records as home of the loudest indoor crowd roar.

During a Nov. 2013 game against the Detroit Pistons, Kings fans obliterated the previous record of 106.6 decibels set by Milwaukee Bucks in 2008 by reaching a deafening level of 124.9 decibels.

However, this era in Kings history will come to an end as the fans and organization bid Sleep Train Arena farewell on Saturday.

There will be surely be some smiles, cheers, and tears throughout the festivities scheduled to be held before, during, and after the final game.

Besides the action on the court, there will also be special appearances from a number of people who made the building special, including players, coaches, and executives from every Kings era, as well as members of the 2005 WNBA Champion Monarchs.

These honorable guests will be featured at halftime and some will appear before the game at the MillerCoors Fan Zone from 4-7 p.m. PDT. In addition, there will also be interactive games, giveaways, and a beer garden for fans to enjoy leading up to the exciting conclusion of the final game at Sleep Train Arena.

Once the final buzzer sounds, there will also be opportunities for fans to soak in the atmosphere and reminisce one last time in the arena with a postgame presentation, on-court photo opportunities, and much more.

All information for Saturday’s events can be found by clicking here.

As for what lies ahead for the purple and black on the court, the Kings will be taking on the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder for their fourth and final meeting of the season.

This will be a fitting final home opponent for Sactown, as the first game ever played in Sleep Train Arena pitted the Kings against the Seattle SuperSonics - who moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 to become the present-day Thunder.

In the opening game of ARCO Arena II on November 8, 1988, the Kings fell to the Sonics 97-75 before a sell-out crowd of 16,517 – seating was later increased to its current capacity of 17,317.

There’s no doubt that all in attendance on Saturday will be making their presence felt within these walls for one last time.

As this organization, this team, and this city prepare to open a new and exciting chapter in Kings history, they can look forward to be one last hurrah in the place that’s been home for so many years.

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Preview: Kings (31-48) and Fans (17,317) vs Thunder (54-25)

Game time is more than an hour away, but Nick Bryant’s eyes are transfixed on the Sleep Train Arena court, where various Sacramento Kings are performing their pregame shooting ritual in preparation for the March 30th game against the Washington Wizards.

Dressed in a vintage Kevin Martin, No. 23 Kings jersey and wearing a “Vote for Boogie” sweat-stained headband, Bryant and approximately 120 fans have converged behind the courtside seats to get a close-up look at their basketball heroes.

Like most of the fans, the 23-year-old Bryant will try to secure autographs and perhaps banter briefly with a player, then make the long trek to his seat located high in the second level of the aging arena.

“The Kings are my team and this will be the last game I will ever see them play in Sleep Train Arena,” says Bryant, who became a Kings fan when he moved to Antelope nine years ago. “I come to the games and support them because I’m a diehard fan. I love this building, but it’s been here since 1988. The arena is old; it’s time for a change.”

No one seemingly disagrees about the arena that made its NBA debut Nov. 8, 1988 and houses 17,317 fans when filled to capacity. Still, fans like Bryant, current players, ex-Kings, and even opposing coaches have cherished memories of Sleep Train, which was formerly known as ARCO Arena.

A smile comes to the face of Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle when he’s asked about his reflections of Sleep Train Arena.

“This is one of the few arenas left where I played – here, the Palace (Detroit) and the (Madison Square) Garden, that’s it,” Carlisle said. “This building has enjoyed a good run for a nice period of time when it was one of the loudest, raucous places to play. But we’ve driven downtown and gone by the new arena. It looks like something out of the Jetsons (a futuristic, animated 1960s TV sitcom).”

Kings Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Vlade Divac has his jersey proudly hanging in the rafters at Sleep Train Arena. He experienced many exhilarating games at the arena, first as a youthful rookie with the Lakers and later when he was a vital cog for six glorious seasons when the highly successful Kings were among the best teams in the NBA.

“Sleep Train will always hold a special place in my heart, and I’m sure fans feel the same about the building,” Divac said. “The memories created there will last forever. But as the door closes here a beautiful one opens at Golden 1 Center – one of the best arenas in the world.”

In his first season as a member of the Sacramento Kings, Kosta Koufos chose to live downtown and has taken a keen interest in the progress of Golden 1 Center.

“The players are excited about the arena. It will be the start of a new basketball era in Sacramento,” Koufos said. “The new building looks fabulous and will have all kinds of new technology. But we will miss Sleep Train. Not a lot of arenas have great history – this one does.”

Ex-Kings guard Reggie Theus will be one of the 40 or more former players who will return to the arena for the final game Saturday (April 9) against Oklahoma City. Theus was a member of the first Kings team in 1985-86 and had the Sacramento-era single-season assist record until it was broken this year by Rajon Rondo.

Theus, who later coached the Kings, can recall many proud moments in the powder-blue uniforms that have returned this season for Friday home games. He can also recollect some off-the-court pursuits as well, which included pheasant hunting in what was then rural North Natomas. Driving to practice in his red convertible, he would sometimes spot pheasant in the surrounding fields near the arena.

“When it was pheasant season, I would shoot a few on my way to practice, bring them to Jonesie (trainer Bill Jones) and he would clean them and they would be ready for me afterward,” Theus said. "That was incredible!”

When it comes to memories, no one has more than Jerry Reynolds, who arrived with the team in 1985 and has never left the organization. Reynolds started as an assistant coach, became head coach, director of player personnel, served in the scouting department, was General Manager of the Sacramento Monarchs, and has been a TV color analyst for more than a decade.

“At one time or another I’ve had about every office in this building,” jokes Reynolds.

Although Reynolds says there are numerous special moments at the arena, one really stands out. In 1996, the George Karl-coached Seattle SuperSonics came to the arena for a playoff game. The Sonics won 64 games that season and were the top-seed in the Western Conference. But the inspired Kings were in a 1-1 tie when the best-of-five series switched to ARCO Arena, which was hosting its first playoff game in 10 years.

“I think that was the most fun game we ever had here,” Reynolds said. “It was the loudest I ever heard it. The noise was off the charts. Fans were screaming a half hour before the game even started.”

Peja Stojakovic was a star-struck, 21-year-old from Yugoslavia when he made his NBA debut in a 1998 preseason game against the Warriors. Kings fans were anxious to get their first glimpse of the sharp-shooting rookie, who was unaware a packed arena was not the preseason norm.

“It was sold out – a preseason game! I didn’t know how unusual that was. But that’s how Kings fans are; they really support the team,” said Stojakovic, who played seven and a half years in Sacramento and has returned this year as director of player personnel. “Sacramento is one of the best NBA cities to play. No matter what the record the fans support the Kings every year. Vlade and I want to put a good team back on the court and hopefully we can do that in the new arena.”

Cynthia Skoglund of Citrus Heights wanted one final memory at Sleep Train Arena. A Kings fan since 1990, she’s attending the late March game with her daughter and grandchild.

Situated a foot from the court, Skoglund is happily wearing a Kings jersey, is holding a “Go Kings” sign, and is among a throng of people watching the Kings go through their pre-game shooting an hour before tip off. Like thousands of Kings fans, in good seasons and bad Skoglund says her support has never wavered.

“I come to about six or seven games a year and support the Kings as much as possible,” Skoglund said. “We’ve been coming to this arena since 1990. It will be very sad to see them leave. It’s such an intimate place to watch a game. We’ll miss it here. But we can’t wait to watch them in the new building.”

Jeffrey Weidel is a freelance writer who has covered the Kings for the Associated Press for nearly two decades.