The 1994–95 NBA season was the Kings' 46th season in the National Basketball Association, and tenth season in Sacramento.[1] In the 1994 NBA draft, the Kings selected Brian Grant out of Xavier University with the eighth pick.[2] During the off-season, the team signed free agent Frank Brickowski, who missed the entire season with a preseason shoulder injury, and never played for the team during the regular season.[3] With the arrivals of Grant, and second round draft pick Michael Smith, and replacing Lionel Simmons in the lineup at small forward with Walt Williams, the Kings had an improved defense which held opponents at 99.2 points per game (8th best in the NBA). On the offensive side, the Kings were led by Mitch Richmond, who averaged 22.8 points per game while winning the All-Star MVP award in the 1995 NBA All-Star Game.[4] He was also named to the All-NBA Second Team. The Kings played above .500 for the first half of the season with a 28–20 record in mid February. However, they struggled with a 7-game losing streak afterwards and began to slip under .500.[5]
On the final day of the regular season, the Kings faced the Denver Nuggets at McNichols Sports Arena for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Nuggets would win 102–89 as the Kings went home with a 39–43 record, fifth in the Pacific Division, missing the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season.[6] Williams showed improvement finishing second on the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game, while Grant averaged 13.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, Spud Webb contributed 11.6 points and 6.2 assists per game, and Olden Polynice provided the team with 10.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.[7] Following the season, Webb was traded back to his former team, the Atlanta Hawks,[8] while Brickowski re-signed as a free agent with the Seattle SuperSonics, and Randy Brown signed with the Chicago Bulls.
For the season, the Kings revealed a new primary logo with the team name on a purple ribbon with a silver crown and jousting sticks,[9] and changed their uniforms adding purple and black to their color scheme,[10][11] plus adding new half black, and half purple alternate road uniforms with checkered flag side panels.[12] The home and road jerseys both lasted until 2002, while the primary logo lasted until 2016, and the alternate jerseys lasted until 1997.