In years past, the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings rivalry was one of the best in the Western Conference, if not the entire NBA.
Fueled by Shaquille O’Neal‘s constant chatter about Los Angeles being the actual capital of California to him dubbing them the “Sacramento Queens,” the rivalry had all the pieces necessary for must-see-TV: a distraught ex-Laker in Vlade Divac, the Rick Fox and Doug Christie dynamic, and Kobe Bryant‘s subtle usurping of the throne.
These days, when the two teams play, the game is often moved to the back burner in fan’s minds.