G League season canceled, ending Stockton Kings’ year
STOCKTON — The Stockton Kings promising season officially ended on Thursday.
NBA G League President Shareef AbdurRahim announced that the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA G League season has been canceled. The regular season was suspended on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and was originally scheduled to conclude on March 28.
The G-Kings, an affiliate of the Sacramento Kings, were in first place in the Pacific Division at the time that play was suspended, and very likely to advance to the postseason for the second time in their two seasons in Stockton.
“While we are disappointed that the Stockton Kings will not have the opportunity to complete the season, the health and safety of our players, fans and staff is of utmost importance,” said Dustin Toms, Stockton’s vice president of business operations. “As a franchise,
we are so proud of what we accomplished on and off the court this season. These are uncertain times but the one thing we know for sure is
that we are all in this together to keep our community safe.”
The decision was expected for weeks. The NBA is making plans to resume play in July.
“While canceling the remainder of our season
weighs heavily on us, we recognize that it is the most appropriate action to take for our league,” said AbdurRahim in a statement. “I extend my sincere gratitude to NBA G League players and coaches for giving their all to their teams and fans this
season. And to our fans, I thank you and look forward to resuming play for the 2020-21 season.”
The G-Kings were in great shape as far as securing a post season berth. Stockton had a record of 24-19, and held a two-and-a-half game lead in the Pacific Division with seven games to play.
But they didn’t get a chance to put the finishing touches on what would have been their first division at Stockton Arena.
“We all wish we could have finished out the season, but we are in full support of the NBA G League’s decision and look forward to next season,” Stockton coach Ty Ellis said. “The team played hard every game and left it all out on the court to make Stockton proud.”