SACRAMENTO, CALIF. ? Mike Bibby signed a seven-year, $80 million contract with the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof announced the signing during a celebratory news conference with Bibby at The Palms casino in Las Vegas, which is owned by the Maloof family.

“This was the best situation for me,” Bibby said. “This team plays the style of game that I like and that I have fun with. I’ve never been on a team that played like this before. We have so much fun. I don’t play the game just for the money. I love the game, and I love how our team plays.”

Though Bibby, a restricted free agent, was never seriously thought to be leaving Sacramento, his signing keeps the entire nucleus intact from the team that finished with the NBA’s best regular-season record at 61-21. Except for Vlade Divac, every starter is signed beyond the 2003-04 season.

Bibby and his agent, David Falk, originally sought a deal worth more than $100 million, but the NBA’s decreasing salary cap and Bibby’s strong desire to stay in Sacramento led him to take less money.