William E. Ricks12:11 AM ET4 Minute Read
Sacramento Kings fans, rejoice!
Sacramento secured a spot in the NBA playoffs with a 120-80 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
It’s been a while since Sacramento qualified for the postseason – 2006 to be exact. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Kings’ playoff berth is experiencing a 16-year postseason drought, the longest streak in NBA history. Before Monday, it was the longest active playoff drought in the four major American sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL).
Much has changed in sports and society during the Kings’ absence from the playoffs. The iPhone had yet to take the world by storm, former Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade was poised to make an NBA Finals appearance for the ages, and two prominent social media platforms were yet to exist.
Here’s a look at some notable events in sports and society since the Kings last made the playoffs.
The birth of the iPhone
When the Kings last made the playoffs, little did the world know that the iPhone would become one of the most desirable phones of all time. The former Apple CEO and the late Steve Jobs unveiled the smartphone in January 2007 and, according to the company’s website, called the device a “revolutionary and magical product that’s literally five years ahead of any other mobile phone.”
Dwyane Wade Leads Incredible NBA Finals Comeback
Heat guard Dwyane Wade led his team back from 0-2 to win the franchise’s first championship. Jesse D Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images
Sacramento’s last appearance in the playoffs was short-lived as the San Antonio Spurs eliminated them in the first round. Fast forward to that year’s NBA Finals: Wade and the Heat were down 2-0 against the Dallas Mavericks. Wade was on the brink of extinction, carrying his roster to his first NBA title.
Wade averaged 39.2 points per game over the next four competitions, all wins. In a crucial Game 6, “Flash” dropped 36 points along with 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks in a 95-92 win to secure his first championship. His sensational streak earned him Finals MVP honors. He became the fourth player to score more than 35 points in four consecutive Finals games. Michael Jordan (1993), Rick Barry (1967) and Elgin Baylor (1962) are the others.
“Wade is the greatest player ever,” Shaquille O’Neal said of Wade after the game, according to NBA.com.
No Twitter, no Instagram
Twitter and Instagram have become huge social media platforms, but they didn’t exist when the Kings last played the postseason. Twitter only started in July 2006, originally under the name “Twttr”, and Instagram didn’t launch until 2010.
#8 Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant wore the number 8 the last time the Kings made the NBA playoffs. Andrew D Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images
The Kings have had many fights over the years with the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, but Bryant rocked the No. 8 jersey the last time Sacramento saw the postseason.
Bryant was ranked 8th in his final season as the Kings made the 2006 playoffs when he changed his number to 24 ahead of the 2006-07 season. Bryant played 639 games in the No. 24 jersey, scoring 16,777 points and winning two NBA championships. He also added a regular season MVP and two Finals MVPs during his No. 24 era.
Continue reading: Insights into Kobe Bryant’s two legendary careers
young kings
The current Kings players were all in their youth when Sacramento last made the playoffs. The Kings’ oldest player, Matthew Dellavedova, was 15 years old, and the team’s youngest player, Keegan Murray, was just 5 years old.
Stars De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk were both 8 and years old.
Daniel Powter tops the Billboard charts at year-end
It can be argued that the kings have had many bad days during their post-season drought. Speaking of bad days, Canadian musician-songwriter Daniel Powter’s hit “Bad Day” was the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at the year-end when Sacramento last sampled the postseason. Other notable songs that ranked #1 in 2006 include Rihanna’s “SOS,” D4L’s “Laffy Taffy,” Mariah Carey’s “Don’t Forget About Us,” and Beyonce’s “Check On It” featuring Slim Thug.
ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this story.