60 Years Ago: Kings Beat 76ers with Sensational Leap Day Stats
The special day of leap day comes only once every four years - and on this day in Sacramento Kings history, two Kings put up a legendary stat line.
On February 29, 1964, the Cincinnati Royals (now the Kings) took on the Philadelphia 76ers, where teammates Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas put up a 40-40 game combined. Big O had 43 points, and Lucas had a staggering 40 rebounds as the Royals took down the 76ers 117-114.
Robertson also had 10 rebounds and 10 assists, because why wouldn't Mr. Triple Double secure a triple-double? Lucas also had the second-highest 28 points in the game, tied with 76ers' Hal Greer. Lucas' 40 rebounds are tied for 19th most in a game in NBA history, with the games above it largely being shared between Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.
This was the 76ers' first season in Philadelphia after relocating from Syracuse, New York. The Kings would remain in Cincinnati until 1972 when they moved to Kansas City and Omaha, where they split games between the two locations as the Kansas-City Omaha Kings before eventually moving to Sacramento in 1985.
That season, Roberston would go on to win NBA MVP, averaging 31.4 points, 11.0 assists, and 9.9 rebounds per game. Jerry Lucas would win Rookie of the Year averaging 17.7 points and 17.4 rebounds per game.
While the leap day is uncommonly once every four years, maybe even rarer are teammates putting up a 40-40 stat line in points and rebounds.
Follow Inside The Kings on Facebook and X.
Subscribe on YouTube for breaking Kings news videos and live-stream podcasts!
