After 10 seasons, G League's Bighorns leaving Reno for Stockton

The Reno Bighorns, the franchise that helped make Northern Nevada a minor-league sports destination, are no more.

The Sacramento Kings, the parent club of Northern Nevada's NBA G League team, announced Monday it will move the franchise to Stockton, Calif. The move is pending league approval, which is expected to be a formality.

The team would begin play next season at Stockton Arena, which is 45 minutes south of the Kings' offices in Sacramento.

“Thank you to the Reno community, Bighorns fans, and dedicated staff for supporting NBA G League Basketball for more than a decade," the Sacramento Kings said in a statement to the Reno Gazette Journal. "The Bighorns served an integral role in the development and growth of the players that were privileged to play in Reno.

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"The foundation built by our partners Herb Santos and Adams brothers, Jeff and Steve, created a strong network of support for our team and we thank them for their leadership in Reno and continued support. Our time connected to the Reno community remains important to our team and will continue to be a part of our franchise history.”

When it was founded in 2008, the Bighorns were Reno's first affiliated minor-league team in more than 15 years after the city lost the Reno Silver Sox in 1992. The Bighorns preceded the Reno Aces, a Triple-A baseball team, by one season and sparked a renaissance of minor-league teams moving to Northern Nevada. The franchise had four ownership groups in its 10-year run in Reno.

Sports executive David Khan, who went on to become the Minnesota Timberwolves general manager, was the original owner. In 2009, Kahn sold to SK Baseball, owners of the Reno Aces. Longtime Reno attorney Herb Santos Jr. bought the franchise in 2011 before Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé took majority ownership in 2016. Rumors started circulating thereafter Sacramento would move its minor-league squad closer to the parent team.

Reno won the Pacific Division this season behind a 29-21 record. The Bighorns lost to the South Bay Lakers, 126-109, in the conference semifinals last Tuesday. Three Reno players were called up to the NBA this season, including Reggie Hearn to Detroit, David Stockton to Utah and Aaron Harrison to Dallas.

In 10 seasons, Reno went 254-246 in the regular season and 5-10 in the playoffs. The franchise won three division titles and reached the playoffs five times.

Its best season came in 2010-11 when Eric Musselman, now the head coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack, led the team to a franchise-record 34-16 season. Reno's lone playoff round win also came that season. That team helped propel Jeremy Lin, Danny Green and Steve Novak to successful NBA careers.

Stockton is California’s 13th largest city. Stockton Arena, which opened in 2005, is located in the city’s downtown waterfront and entertainment center. On April 17, the Stockton City Council will review and vote on the agreement that will allow the team to use the arena.

“Our NBA G League team has been an incredible asset to help prepare players for NBA action and bringing the team closer to Sacramento will allow us to continue to build on that success and increase efficiency to this valuable development tool,” Sacramento Kings General Manager Vlade Divac said in a news release. “Kings fans in Stockton will now have an opportunity to see the next-generation of NBA players each week.”

Added Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs: “It is my honor to welcome the Kings organization to Stockton and I look forward to watching NBA G League action at the Stockton Arena. The Kings have been known for their tremendous impact in the community and we’re excited to have their support as we continue to reinvent Stockton.”

The G League, initially called the NBA Development League (or D-League), was founded in 2001 before Gatorade bought naming rights in 2017. Reno was the 22nd franchise in league history. The team, which played at the Reno Events Center since its inception, struggled to fill even a fraction of the 7,000-capacity arena.

“With the addition of NBA G League Basketball in the Central Valley, each of California’s NBA franchises have a powerful asset within an hour of their headquarters to help develop their players and expand their fan bases with elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere," NBA G League President Malcolm Turner said in a news release.

Reno still has two minor-league franchises in the Reno Aces and Reno 1868 FC, a USL team. In recent years, the city has looked into potentially adding minor-league hockey at the Reno Events Center, although that remains unlikely in the short term.