The Kings–Warriors rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors. The rivalry takes geographic influence as the two teams share the Northern California region since San Francisco and Sacramento are approximately 86 miles apart. The rivalry extends back to 1985 in which the Kings relocated to Sacramento from Kansas City. Both teams had historically struggled in an effort to appear in the postseason for the duration of their history in California. As such; neither would face each other in the playoffs until 2023, where they faced off in the first round. In a fashion similar to the 49ers–Raiders rivalry of the NFL, fans between both sides have formed a recent history of violence between each other. The Warriors lead the regular season series 221–199 while the postseason series is tied 4–4.

History Geographic origins Both teams had historically been two of the oldest franchises in league history, with the Kings having been founded in 1923 as the Rochester Seagrams. The Warriors later joined the NBA in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors. Despite the early history; the Kings endured a lengthy title drought since 1951 that persists to this day. The Warriors, (inspired by the Giants' relocation to California in 1957) later sought to relocate to California in an effort to increase their market share. The Kings endured unstable ownership during the same stretch of time; relocating to Cincinnati in 1957, Kansas City and Omaha in 1972, and finally to Sacramento in 1985; joining the Warriors as the two NBA franchises splitting the Northern California Market. In the 1988 season, the Kings were moved to the Pacific Division, leading to a divisional rivalry between the Kings and Warriors. Due to the close proximity of the two cities, just 87.5 miles apart by road, an in-state divisional rivalry developed between the teams, fueled by both fans and players. With both teams being located in Northern California, this led to some nicknaming this rivalry the "Northern California series".

Matchups

Throughout their history, the Warriors and Kings have had many intense moments with each other. One notable game was on January 23, 2015, in Oakland, where Klay Thompson set an NBA record 37 points in a quarter en route to scoring 52 points in a 123–101 win. Three notable games happened in the 2015–16 season. One game was on November 28, 2015, the Warriors defeated the Kings 120–101, extending their undefeated start to 18–0. The second game happened on December 28, 2015, where a shootout duel of three pointers at the end of the second quarter between MVP Stephen Curry and Kings player Omri Casspi, who scored a career-high 36 points in the game. However, the Warriors won 122–103 to win their 29th straight game. On January 9, 2016, Stephen Curry had a double-double of 38 points and 11 assists in a 128–116 win. A notable moment was where Stephen Curry hit a no look three in the fourth quarter.

In the 2018–19 season, former Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins signed with the Warriors. During the season, all the Warriors-Kings matchups were very close but all four games ended in Warriors victories. Two of those games had major moments. On November 24, Klay Thompson hit a game winning layup to defeat the Kings 117–116. On January 5, the Warriors and Kings set a then NBA record 41 threes in a game. Stephen Curry scored 42 points in a 127–123 Warriors win.

Since the 2022 season, both teams have reignited their rivalry as they became competitive once again, contending for the division title and a playoff berth. This led to them meeting in the playoffs for the first time.

In the 2023–24 season, the teams hit clutch shots against each other. During the preseason, Stephen Curry hit a game-winning three en route to a 116–115 Warriors victory. On November 1, Klay Thompson hit a game-winning jumper on the way to a 102–101 Warriors victory. It was his third game winner against the Kings. On November 28, Malik Monk on the Kings hit a game-winning jumper to defeat the Warriors 124–123 to secure a spot in the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals. On January 25, former Golden State Warriors player Harrison Barnes scored 39 points in a 134–133 win for the Kings, with De'Aaron Fox stealing the ball from Curry in the final seconds to win the game.

Postseason meetings The Warriors managed to rebuild the franchise during the late 2000s in the form of drafting future star players such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. It was after the hiring of head coach Steve Kerr that the Warriors began a famed dynasty through the late 2010s and early 2020s; winning four championships. Meanwhile; the Kings endured numerous failed rebuilds following several powerful contending teams in the early 2000s. It began with the hiring of former Warriors' assistant Head Coach Mike Brown in 2022 that helped return the team to their first postseason appearance in 16 years, winning their first division title since 2003 in the process. The two teams met each other in the postseason for the first time; in the opening round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, however; the Warriors had come off of the prior season as defending champions. During game 1 in Sacramento, Vallejo-based rapper E-40 was ejected after a confrontation with a Kings fan at his courtside seat. In game 2, a rough play occurred, with Draymond Green stomping on Domantas Sabonis's chest after he grabbed Green's leg, resulting in Green being suspended for game 3. Despite the Warriors experiencing numerous injuries to star players such as Draymond Green, they managed to defeat the Kings in 7 games. Stephen Curry scored 50 points in game 7, marking the first time a player scored more than 50 points in a game 7 during a playoff series. The series drew the highest first- and second-round playoff TV ratings for the NBA since 1999, with game 7 peaking at 11.9 million viewers on ABC.

The two teams met in the 2024 Play-In Tournament, where the Kings got their revenge on the Warriors 118–94 in the first game. However, they were eliminated from playoff contention by the New Orleans Pelicans in the following tournament game.

Season-by-season results

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Royals, | The National Basketball League (NBL) merged with the Basketball Association of America (BAA), merging the Royals and Warriors in the same league. Royals are placed in the Western Division.Royals finish with the best record in the league ().

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Royals, | The Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball Association (NBA).Royals temporarily move to the Central Division.

| style=";" | Warriors | style=";" | | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Warriors, | | style=";" | Royals, | Warriors win their first season series against the Royals.Royals move back to the Western Division.Royals win 1951 NBA Finals, their first and, so far, only NBA championship.

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Warriors, | | style=";" | Royals, | Royals finish with the best record in the league ().

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Warriors, | | style=";" | Royals,

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Royals, | Neutral site game was played at Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

| style=";" | Warriors | style=";" | | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Royals, | Neutral site games were played at Madison Square Garden (III), New York, New York Sports Arena, Toledo, Ohio Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York Convention Hall, Saratoga Springs, New York New Haven Arena, New Haven, Connecticut

| style=";" | Warriors | style=";" | | Tie, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Royals, | Neutral site games were played at: Madison Square Garden (III) New Haven ArenaRoyals open Rochester Community War Memorial (now known as Blue Cross Arena).Warriors finish with the best record in the league ().Warriors win 1956 NBA Finals.

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | style=";" | Royals, | Tie, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Royals, | Neutral site games were played at Hershey Sports Arena, Hershey, Pennsylvania Madison Square Garden (III) Camden Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey Final season Royals played as a Rochester–based team.

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | Tie, | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Royals, | Neutral site games was played at Madison Square Garden (III) Royals relocate to Cincinnati and play at Cincinnati Gardens.

| style=";" | Warriors | style=";" | | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Warriors, | Tie, | style=";" | Royals, | Neutral site games were played at Madison Square Garden (III) Camden Convention Hall

| style=";" | Warriors | style=";" | | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Royals, | Neutral site games were played at Madison Square Garden (III) Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri First series sweep for the Warriors against the Royals.

| style=";" | Warriors | style=";" | | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Warriors, | Neutral site games were played at Hershey Sports Arena Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Detroit Olympia, Detroit, Michigan Warriors take the lead in the series for the first time. Oscar Robertson makes his debut for the Royals.

| style=";" | Warriors | style=";" | | Tie, | style=";" | Warriors, | | style=";" | Warriors, | Last season the Warriors played as a Philadelphia team.

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Warriors, | Neutral site games were played at: Boston Garden Oakland Civic Auditorium, Oakland, California Warriors relocate to San Francisco and play at the Cow Palace. Warriors were moved to the Western Division while the Royals were moved to the Eastern Division.

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | style=";" | Warriors, | Tie, | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Warriors, | Neutral site games were played at: Madison Square Garden (III) Cleveland ArenaWarriors lose 1964 NBA Finals.

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Royals, | | style=";" | Royals, | Royals re-take the series lead.

| Tie | | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Warriors, | Tie, | style=";" | Royals, | Neutral site game were played at: Oakland Civic Auditorium Dayton Fieldhouse, Dayton, Ohio Ball State University Fieldhouse, Muncie, Indiana Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Rick Barry makes his debut for the Warriors.

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | Tie, | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Royals, | Neutral site game was played at Cleveland Arena.Rick Barry leaves the Warriors at the end of the season.Warriors lose 1967 NBA Finals.

| style=";" | Royals | style=";" | | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Royals, | Neutral site game was played at Cleveland Arena.

| Tie | | Tie, | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Royals, | Neutral site game was played at Cleveland Arena.

| style=";" | Warriors | style=";" | | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Royals, | | style=";" | Royals, | Last season Oscar Robertson played for the Royals.

| style=";" | Warriors | style=";" | | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Warriors, | style=";" | Royals, | style=";" | Royals,