The Sacramento Kings are going to stay in Sactown.
In a short statement issued a little bit ago, the National Basketball Association revealed that its Relocation Committee has unanimously voted to recommend rejection of the Kings’ application to move to Seattle.
(The Kings are currently owned by the Maloofs, who struck an agreement to sell the team to a group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer back in January).
The NBA’s full Board of Governors (consisting of the league’s existing owners) will meet on May 13th to consider the matter. The board is expected to adopt the Relocation Committee’s recommendation.
The rejection of the application does not mean that the Maloofs have to sell to the ownership group organized by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.
However, if they want to sell the franchise and cash out, they don’t appear to have any other options at this point.
The decision is a defeat for the Maloofs (who tried to sell the team to an ownership group that wanted to move it away out of spite) and for Chris Hansen, whose ambition collided with the determination and persistence of the denizens of Sacramento, led by Mayor Kevin Johnson, himself a former NBA player.
Johnson lauded the recommendation with a series of tweets congratulating Sacramento and applauding the enthusiasm of fans in Seattle:
That’s what I’m talking about SACRAMENTO!!!!! WE DID IT!!!!!
— Kevin Johnson (@KJ_MayorJohnson) April 29, 2013
I’ve never been prouder of this city. I thank the ownership group, city leaders, but most of all the BEST FANS IN THE NBA!!!
— Kevin Johnson (@KJ_MayorJohnson) April 29, 2013
I want to take my hat off to Seattle. You’re a great city,had a great proposal, unbelievable fans & no doubt deserve a team in the future.
— Kevin Johnson (@KJ_MayorJohnson) April 29, 2013
5:00PM @firestonepublic! Be there!
— Kevin Johnson (@KJ_MayorJohnson) April 29, 2013
Kings fans reacted on Sactown Royalty, a leading Sacramento Kings fan blog, with jubilation and contempt for the Maloofs. (And that might be an understatement).
“The second I saw the news go up on Twitter, I started bawling all over my computer,” one fan wrote. “A glorious moment and I’d just like to wave as the Maloofs walk away and contemplate how they failed at failing a city.”
“If anything, in the end, I thank Hansen for taking the Maloofs out of our lives,” said another, contemplating the victory. “In reality, without him, we wouldn’t be where we are today, feeling the way we do today.”
A few self-professed Sonics fans joined in the celebration as well.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled for Sacramento Kings fans,” a fan styling him or her self as UniversalGuru wrote. “You are a testament to true fandom and an example of what every fanbase should strive to achieve.”
“I hope that Kings fans will support Seattle in their effort to rejoin the NBA (hopefully through expansion),” UniversalGuru added.
“Congratulations are not enough to describe how you must feel. I know, because it’s the antithesis of what we went through in 2008. I know that I’ll be rooting for you during the 2013–2014 season.”
That last comment sums up our sentiments.
We at NPI would like to see men’s professional basketball return to Seattle, but only through an expansion franchise. That’s why we’re very glad that Sacramento has succeeded in its efforts to keep the Kings. All of our other pro teams (Mariners, Storm, Sounders, Seahawks) truly can be called hometown teams, because they started play in Seattle and have always belonged to Seattle.
Had Chris Hansen succeeded in his efforts to take Sacramento’s team and bring it here, it would not have meant the return of the SuperSonics. It would have meant the transformation of the Sacramento Kings into the Seattle Kings. It would have meant that Seattle would have stolen another city’s team, just as the Sonics were taken from Seattle five years ago by Clay Bennett and his henchmen.
The NBA would now be wise to award Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer an expansion franchise. In Hansen and Ballmer and the Nordstroms, the league has an enthusiastic ownership group who are passionate about bringing the NBA back to Seattle and have forged a partnership with Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and King County Executive Dow Constantine to make it happen.
McGinn and Constantine both depicted their resolve and enthusiasm as unchanged despite the NBA’s recommendation against the relocation.
“I’m proud of how Sonics fans have rallied together to help Seattle get a team,” McGinn said. “We’re going to stay focused on our job: making sure Seattle remains in a position to get a team when the opportunity presents itself.”
Constantine agreed.
“I’m disappointed, but undeterred in our quest to bring NBA basketball back to the Pacific Northwest. Today’s decision doesn’t mean this effort is over. From what I saw at the presentation in New York, Chris Hansen and his team have made the superior offer and the best pure business case for the NBA to return to Seattle.”
“We have a documented fan and business base ready to step forward when the time comes. We are patient, but determined. I look forward to continuing our work with the Hansen group to return NBA basketball to the major media market and loyal fans of Seattle, King County, and Washington State.”
Monday, April 29th, 2013
Kings set to stay in Sacramento after NBA committee unanimously rejects relocation
The Sacramento Kings are going to stay in Sactown.
In a short statement issued a little bit ago, the National Basketball Association revealed that its Relocation Committee has unanimously voted to recommend rejection of the Kings’ application to move to Seattle.
(The Kings are currently owned by the Maloofs, who struck an agreement to sell the team to a group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer back in January).
The NBA’s full Board of Governors (consisting of the league’s existing owners) will meet on May 13th to consider the matter. The board is expected to adopt the Relocation Committee’s recommendation.
The rejection of the application does not mean that the Maloofs have to sell to the ownership group organized by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.
However, if they want to sell the franchise and cash out, they don’t appear to have any other options at this point.
The decision is a defeat for the Maloofs (who tried to sell the team to an ownership group that wanted to move it away out of spite) and for Chris Hansen, whose ambition collided with the determination and persistence of the denizens of Sacramento, led by Mayor Kevin Johnson, himself a former NBA player.
Johnson lauded the recommendation with a series of tweets congratulating Sacramento and applauding the enthusiasm of fans in Seattle:
Kings fans reacted on Sactown Royalty, a leading Sacramento Kings fan blog, with jubilation and contempt for the Maloofs. (And that might be an understatement).
“The second I saw the news go up on Twitter, I started bawling all over my computer,” one fan wrote. “A glorious moment and I’d just like to wave as the Maloofs walk away and contemplate how they failed at failing a city.”
“If anything, in the end, I thank Hansen for taking the Maloofs out of our lives,” said another, contemplating the victory. “In reality, without him, we wouldn’t be where we are today, feeling the way we do today.”
A few self-professed Sonics fans joined in the celebration as well.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled for Sacramento Kings fans,” a fan styling him or her self as UniversalGuru wrote. “You are a testament to true fandom and an example of what every fanbase should strive to achieve.”
“I hope that Kings fans will support Seattle in their effort to rejoin the NBA (hopefully through expansion),” UniversalGuru added.
“Congratulations are not enough to describe how you must feel. I know, because it’s the antithesis of what we went through in 2008. I know that I’ll be rooting for you during the 2013–2014 season.”
That last comment sums up our sentiments.
We at NPI would like to see men’s professional basketball return to Seattle, but only through an expansion franchise. That’s why we’re very glad that Sacramento has succeeded in its efforts to keep the Kings. All of our other pro teams (Mariners, Storm, Sounders, Seahawks) truly can be called hometown teams, because they started play in Seattle and have always belonged to Seattle.
Had Chris Hansen succeeded in his efforts to take Sacramento’s team and bring it here, it would not have meant the return of the SuperSonics. It would have meant the transformation of the Sacramento Kings into the Seattle Kings. It would have meant that Seattle would have stolen another city’s team, just as the Sonics were taken from Seattle five years ago by Clay Bennett and his henchmen.
The NBA would now be wise to award Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer an expansion franchise. In Hansen and Ballmer and the Nordstroms, the league has an enthusiastic ownership group who are passionate about bringing the NBA back to Seattle and have forged a partnership with Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and King County Executive Dow Constantine to make it happen.
McGinn and Constantine both depicted their resolve and enthusiasm as unchanged despite the NBA’s recommendation against the relocation.
“I’m proud of how Sonics fans have rallied together to help Seattle get a team,” McGinn said. “We’re going to stay focused on our job: making sure Seattle remains in a position to get a team when the opportunity presents itself.”
Constantine agreed.
“I’m disappointed, but undeterred in our quest to bring NBA basketball back to the Pacific Northwest. Today’s decision doesn’t mean this effort is over. From what I saw at the presentation in New York, Chris Hansen and his team have made the superior offer and the best pure business case for the NBA to return to Seattle.”
“We have a documented fan and business base ready to step forward when the time comes. We are patient, but determined. I look forward to continuing our work with the Hansen group to return NBA basketball to the major media market and loyal fans of Seattle, King County, and Washington State.”
# Written by Andrew Villeneuve :: 4:22 PM
Categories: Breaking News, Policy Topics, Public Planning
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