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Top 5 moments in the history of soon-to-be closed Kings arena

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Sleep Train Arena - formerly known as Power Balance Pavilion, and before that, ARCO Arena - will host its final Sacramento Kings game on Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 28-year-old building doesn't have the prestige of Madison Square Garden or the venerability of the old Chicago Stadium, but when the Kings have been good - and at times even when they've been dysfunctional garbage fire - few professional sports venues have rocked like it.

The secret probably lies in the fact that at just over 17,000 seats, it's considerably smaller than the average NBA arena, and its basketball-first layout kept Sacramento's passionate fans close to the action.

The Kings will move into the new Golden 1 Center next season. Ahead of Saturday's curtain call, here are the top five moments in the arena's history.

5. LeBron James' 1st NBA regular-season game

It will stand as a trivia question for a long time. An 18-year-old LeBron James made his NBA debut at ARCO Arena on Oct. 29, 2003. He scored 25 points, dished out nine assists, and grabbed six rebounds in a 106-92 Cleveland Cavaliers loss to the Kings.

4. Sets Guinness World Record for loudest arena

In 2013, the home of the cowbell set the Guinness World Record for loudest indoor arena.

3. Tyreke Evans' buzzer-beater

O.J. Mayo had just given the Memphis Grizzlies the supposed win on Dec. 29, 2010, when reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans provided an alternate ending.

2. The night everyone thought the Kings were moving to Anaheim

As the Kings wrapped up the 2010-11 season with a home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, a dark cloud hovered over Sacramento. The owners of the team, the Maloof brothers, were widely expected to move the franchise to Anaheim. Throngs of Kings fans remained in the arena well after the game, leading to a clearly emotional moment from broadcasters Grant Napear and Jerry Reynolds.

While the relocation talk didn't end for another two years (Seattle was later considered a likely option), the sale of the team to Vivek Randadive in 2013 came with plans to build the Golden 1 Center and keep the team in the California capital.

1. Mike Bibby's Game 5 winner

It remains the high-water mark for the Kings franchise. Mike Bibby's game-winning jumper with 8.2 seconds left in Game 5 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals gave Sacramento a 3-2 edge over the Lakers. However, the Kings would not win another game in the series.

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