Wikilmages (DR) / NBA (DR)
A planetary shock wave, the disappearance of Elizabeth II, which occurred on Thursday, turned many athletes and sports federations upside down. The NBA could notably see its hierarchy upset, according to a crazy theory defended by an Internet user!
An event of this magnitude, although far from the world of sport, can still have some repercussions on it. The death of Queen Elizabeth II has not only reacted to many star athletes around the world, but also has an impact on certain leagues. Starting with the English Premier League, whose weekend matches have been postponed, but also possibly… the NBA.
Queen Elizabeth dead, the Kings back on top?!
In a lengthy Reddit post titled “Why the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III to the throne herald great things for the Sacramento Kings,” a user responding to the handle Araidernomore advances a somewhat crazy hypothesis. According to him, the disappearance of the monarch should allow Sac-Town to return to the fore in the league! A speech that he justifies with a bit of history:
The Sacramento Kings began playing in the NBL in the 1945-46 season as the Rochester Royals. This debut stands as the most successful period for the franchise, as the team won the NBL title in its first season in the league. They went to the NBL Finals two more times before the league joined forces with the BAA to become the NBA at the dawn of the 1949-50 season.
A new context which had not prevented the Royals from continuing to amass good results, they who won their second title in 1951… before a tragic event linked to the British royal family:
The Royals started the 1951-52 season strong, going 28-16 and emerging as serious contenders for their succession. And then King George VI died, and Queen Elizabeth took the throne on February 6, 1952.
The franchise has never been the same again. The Royals went downhill in 1952, finishing the season with 13 wins and 9 losses before falling to the Minneapolis Lakers in the Conference Finals. After playing 4 Finals in 6 years during the reign of George VI, the Royals never returned during Queen Elizabeth’s tenure.
A rather crazy coincidence, which the Internet user supports by comparing the balance sheets of the Royals under the reigns of George VI (264-114) and Elizabeth II (2489-3112). The sequence of events therefore seems obvious to Araidernomorewhich however perhaps lacks a bit of lucidity:
Clearly, now that a King reigns over Great Britain and Northern Ireland once again, the Kings are freed from the evil influence of Elizabeth II and will resume their place in the top tier of the NBA. The team will return to their former glory as the Brits sing ‘God Save the Kings’, and ‘Kinggan’ Murray will be crowned MVP, Finals MVP, Rookie of the Year and season high scorer. The only advice I can give you is “be prepared”.
Minor franchise in the league for many years, the Kings could benefit from the end of the reign of Elizabeth II to return to the fore. That’s all Sacramento fans could wish for, despite how wobbly this thesis looks!