Professional basketball not returning to Cincinnati.
The Cincinnati Royals, the city’s only professional basketball team, was one stop in a well-traveled franchise. Started as the Rochester Royals, the franchise moved to the Queen City in 1957, where they played at Cincinnati Gardens.
With standout play by NBA greats Oscar Robertson, Jack Twyman, Jerry Lucas, and Maurice Stokes, the Royals were contenders in the 1960s but never won a championship.
After their stars were traded, the Royals moved to Kansas City in 1972 and became the Kansas City Kings. The Kings then moved to Sacramento in 1985.