The NBA G League is home to some of the most exciting games of junior league basketball around. Many of the best players in the NBA today have earned their stripes and skills by playing for the many teams of the G league. And there are plenty of success stories that have started with the Stockton Kings. Ever since their 2008 debut, the Stockton Kings have had a tremendous history of thrilling games filled with incredible drives down the court, heavy dunks into the net, and some of the most thrilling defensive plays around.
That’s why tickets are hard to come by. But you don’t have to miss out when the Stockton Kings come home to Stockton Arena. Bookmark this page and check back often for the best tickets and info for upcoming Stockton Kings home games.
About Stockton Arena
The Stockton Kings play their games out of Stockton Arena, an indoor arena located in Stockton, California. The venue first opened to the public in December 2005 and proudly boasts a capacity for 12,000 fans. Today it serves as the home arena for the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League. But over the course of its history, it has been home to several famous teams across multiple leagues listed below.
Stockton Arena Tenants
- California Cougars (MISL/PASL-Pro) (2005–2011)
- Stockton Thunder (ECHL) (2005–2015)
- Stockton Lightning (AF2) (2006–2009)
- Stockton Wolves (Independent) (2011)
- California Eagles (AIF) (2012)
- Stockton Heat (AHL) (2015–2022)
- Stockton Kings (NBAGL) (2018–present)
- Stockton Rush (M2) (2018–2019)
The venue is part of a downtown, waterfront entertainment center which includes Banner Island Ballpark, the University Plaza Waterfront Hotel, and is part of the Stockton Waterfront Events Center.
The arena first opened its doors to the public on December 2, 2005 with a Neil Diamond concert serving as the inaugural event. After that, the first sporting event was held at the new venue with a Stockton Thunder hockey game held on December 10, 2005. This game was played before a sold out crowd of 10,117 spectators and resulted in the Thunder defeating the Phoenix RoadRunners 4-0.
Kings Summary
The Stockton Kings are an American professional basketball team playing in the NBA G League. They were founded in 2008 and are based in Stockton California. As you can guess, the team is affiliated with the Sacramento Kings. Currently the Stockton Kings play their home games at the Stockton Arena and compete in the league’s Western Conference Pacific Division.
The team wasn’t always affiliated with the Sacramento Kings however. When they were first formed, in the 2008-09 season, they were based in Reno, Nevada as the Reno Bighorns. They later moved to Stockton and changed their name in 2018.
Here is a brief list of the teams the Stockton Kings were affiliated with since that first season in Reno.
As Reno Bighorns
- Atlanta Hawks (2011–2012)
- Golden State Warriors (2010–2011)
- Memphis Grizzlies (2011–2013)
- New York Knicks (2008–2009)
- Orlando Magic (2009–2010)
- Sacramento Kings (2008–2018)
- Utah Jazz (2012–2013)
As Stockton Kings
- Sacramento Kings (2018–present)
Recent History
The decision to move the Bighorns to Stockton was announced on April 9, 2018 when the Sacramento Kings revealed the plan to move the club. This announcement came while awaiting league approval for the move. Then, on April 17, the lease for use of the Stockton Arena was approved and the new team name, The Stockton Kings, was revealed. Former Northern Arizona Suns head coach, Tyrone Ellis was announced as the first head coach for the relocated team on August 13.
Ellis went on to lead the team to a postseason appearance following the 2018-19 season, but the following season was stopped short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This occurred while the Kings were in first place in the Pacific Division.
Ellis left the team in 2020 and the Sacramento Kings chose to not have their affiliate participate in the abbreviated single-site 2020-21 NBA G League season. Later, on May 27, 2021, the Sacramento Kings appointed their assistant and player development coach, Bobby Jackson, as the new head coach for the Stockton team.
Basketball Achievements
Given the teams’ short history, you might expect the Stockton Kings to not have a storied history. However, it has managed to have a handful of strong seasons that established it as a team to watch. And though the COVID-19 Pandemic has slowed them down, there’s no telling how the team will explode onto the league this season.
But to give you a hint, here’s a brief list of the teams’ current achievements and best seasons.
3 Division/Conference titles: (2011, 2016, 2018)