The 1980–81 NBA season was the Kings 32nd season in the NBA and their ninth season in the city of Kansas City. The Kansas City Kings made the playoffs with a 40–42 win-loss record and appeared in the Western Conference finals where they lost to the also 40–42 Houston Rockets. This is the only time two NBA teams with losing records have made it to the conference finals.
Draft picks
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
Notes
z, y – division champions
x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
Game log
Regular season
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | October 11, 1980 | Utah | W 98–91 | | | | Kemper Arena | 1–0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | October 12, 1980 | @ Phoenix | L 100–109 | | | | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 1–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | October 14, 1980 | @ San Antonio | L 103–109 | | | | HemisFair Arena | 1–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 4 | October 15, 1980 | Los Angeles | L 107–112 (OT) | | | | Kemper Arena | 1–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 5 | October 17, 1980 | @ Dallas | W 103–91 | | | | Reunion Arena | 2–3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 6 | October 18, 1980 | Seattle | L 122–127 | | | | Kemper Arena | 2–4 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 7 | October 21, 1980 | Golden State | L 111–116 | | | | Kemper Arena | 2–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 8 | October 23, 1980 | @ Houston | W 105–96 | | | | The Summit | 3–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 9 | October 25, 1980 | Denver | W 125–122 | | | | Kemper Arena | 4–5 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 10 | October 28, 1980 | @ Atlanta | L 109–119 | | | | The Omni | 4–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 11 | October 29, 1980 | Portland | W 115–98 | | | | Kemper Arena | 5–6 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 12 | October 31, 1980 | @ Boston | L 110–115 | | | | Boston Garden | 5–7
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 13 | November 1, 1980 | Phoenix | L 100–127 | | | | Kemper Arena | 5–8 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 14 | November 4, 1980 | @ Utah | L 104–107 | | | | Salt Palace Acord Arena | 5–9 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 15 | November 5, 1980 | New York | W 111–102 | | | | Kemper Arena | 6–9 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 16 | November 7, 1980 | @ Philadelphia | L 100–117 | | | | The Spectrum | 6–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 17 | November 8, 1980 | Cleveland | W 111–106 | | | | Kemper Arena | 7–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 18 | November 11, 1980 | @ Portland | W 102–101 | | | | Memorial Coliseum | 8–10 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 19 | November 12, 1980 | @ Golden State | L 101–111 | | | | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena | 8–11 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 20 | November 14, 1980 | @ Seattle | L 125–127 | | | | Kingdome | 8–12 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 21 | November 15, 1980 | @ San Diego | W 96–94 | | | | San Diego Sports Arena | 9–12 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 22 | November 18, 1980 | @ Los Angeles | L 94–107 | | | | The Forum | 9–13 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 23 | November 21, 1980 | @ Denver | L 121–134 | | | | McNichols Sports Arena | 9–14 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 24 | November 26, 1980 | New Jersey | W 118–100 | | | | Kemper Arena | 10–14 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 25 | November 28, 1980 | @ Detroit | L 94–104 | | | | Pontiac Silverdome | 10–15 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 26 | November 29, 1980 | San Antonio | L 104–106 | | | | Kemper Arena | 10–16