Sacramento Kings

Don't. The comments that you leave there will be treated as though you posted them here. In the past 24 hours, we have banned two StR members for leaving comments at SR that were so over the top, we banned the members here as our way of showing that we do not condone that sort of behavior. Comments that were absolutely beneath contempt. If this thing had swung the other way, you would not want to hear at all from a Sonics fan right now. So leave it alone and leave them alone. If you insist on posting there, it better not even hint of trolling or douchebaggery, or you will run the risk of a timeout/ban here. I apologize to the 99% of our membership that is classy and does not need this reminder. I just wasted your time, and for that I am sorry. To the other 1%, knock it the fuck off and/or get out of here. You're giving Sacramento Kings fans and StR members a bad name. Don't. The comments that you leave there will be treated as though you posted them here. In the past 24 hours, we have banned two StR members for leaving comments at SR that were so over the top, we banned the members here as our way of showing that we do not condone that sort of behavior. Comments that were absolutely beneath contempt. If this thing had swung the other way, you would not want to hear at all from a Sonics fan right now. So leave it alone and leave them alone. If you insist on posting there, it better not even hint of trolling or douchebaggery, or you will run the risk of a timeout/ban here. I apologize to the 99% of our membership that is classy and does not need this reminder. I just wasted your time, and for that I am sorry. To the other 1%, knock it the fuck off and/or get out of here. You're giving Sacramento Kings fans and StR members a bad name.

The push to sell tickets for the 2013-14 Sacramento Kings season has begun.  Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson announced yesterday that beginning Tuesday at 9 am, the team would begin accepting deposits for next year. A letter from new Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé went out to current season ticket holders yesterday, encouraging them to renew.  This is what it said. Via Niko Rust.

Sales for 2013-14 Sacramento Kings season tickets will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, the team announced on Friday. The franchise is staffing up and The Bee has reported that the NBA is sending a swat team out to help Sacramento catch up. (Most teams began season ticket renewal drives months ago.) Also on Friday, Vivek Ranadivé sent a letter to season ticket holders thanking them and inviting them to renew. Niko Rust, also known as Mr. Sign Lady, tweeted a photo of the letter he and Sign Lady received. Here's an excerpt: Long Live the Kings! The Kings are here today because of the unparalleled support this community has provided since the team arrived in 1985. The passion and dedication of Kings fans over the years is what inspired me to buy this team. I am excited and proud to say my fellow owners and I now have the privilege of being your stewards. We applaud your unwavering commitment to this team. You fought, you cheered, you rallied, you believed and even traveled thousands of miles to support the cause -- we cannot thank you enough. Today we begin a new era in Sacramento Kings history: new ownership, a new arena and a new Kings community. We will do everything in our power to make this organization one that you can be proud of, both on and off the court. We will bring winning basketball back to Sacramento, alongside an organization that will achieve global and technological excellence. As expected, part of the team's marketing pitch is that becoming a season ticket holder for the next three seasons at Sleep Train Arena will get you a spot in the new arena in 2016.

There are a LOT of interesting tidbits in The Bee's next-day story. I encourage you to read it all. One I found particularly interesting as we post-mortem this thing. The sweetened offer leaves the Sacramento purchase, on its face, $59 million short of Seattle's. But the true gap between Seattle's bid, and what the Maloofs will take away from selling to [Vivek] Ranadive, is just a few million dollars. Why? If the Seattle deal had been approved, the Maloofs would have put $25 million of their payout toward the relocation fee owed to the NBA, the source said. In addition, although the Seattle deal is dead, the Maloofs get to keep the $30 million nonrefundable deposit Hansen and Microsoft CEO Ballmer gave them in early February. That shaves the effective difference to about $5 million. So Vivek quickly agreed to up the valuation to $535 million, resulting in an extra $6.5 million to the Maloofs. That's the valuation that gets them $59 million away from what the Maloofs would have taken home on close of escrow if Seattle had been approved. But Hansen had already given $30 million and wasn't getting it back. And Hansen wanted $25 million from the Maloofs for relocation. So when the Maloofs agreed quickly to take Vivek's deal, they were only really giving up on the last $4 million in the gap. And one more time: Chris Hansen was a freaking brilliant spinmaster. A big deal was made of the $115 million relocation fee offer and the $625 million valuation. But $25 million of that was hocus pocus money: cash he'd pay the Maloofs for the team that'd be transferred to the relocation fee. Really brilliant accounting. So we can either drop the actual valuation by $38 million (since the $25 million to the Maloofs is in payout, not valuation) to $587 million or drop the relocation fee to $90 million. And that $30 million that had already been paid out: if we would have considered that a sunk cost, that drops the valuation by $46 million. So let's call this a $541 million valuation and $115 million relocation fee. Somewhat less impressive than what Hansen trotted out. Still impressive. But man, I really enjoy his math. No sarcasm: brilliant ploys all around.

The NBA Draft Lottery is less than a week away and the Sacramento Kings have an open invitation to New York.  Who should represent the franchise at next Tuesday’s gathering out east?  There are numerous options and in no particular order, we’ve compiled a list below with some suggestions. Vivek Ranadivé Why? The leader of the new ownership group. Ranadivé has major plans of revamping the franchise and revitalizing California’s state capital with his fellow private investors. Mayor Kevin Johnson Why? Without him, the Kings probably would’ve bolted Sacramento two years ago. As a point-guard-turned-politician, Johnson had the connections to the NBA, local and state legislators and big business leaders to end this saga with a happy ending for Sacramento. Carmichael Dave Why?  For a month, he drove cross country to NBA cities in an RV, spreading the word about Sacramento’s story. Despite losing his radio job a year ago, Dave didn’t let that setback stop him growing his online presence to help lead the fan grassroots movement. Grant Napear Why?  One of the faces of Kings’ broadcasts for the last two-plus decades. He used his radio platform to energize the fanbase and they followed suit by taking action and not giving up. Barbara Rust AKA the Sacramento Kings Sign Lady Why?  An icon of Kings fans. Jason Thompson told Rust and her husband recently that he would campaign for her to represent the team in New York. But if you ask Rust, she’d humbly defer the honor to Ranadivé. Kevin Fippin and Ed Montes Why?  The Kings of social media. These two fans came up with the idea to send underprivleged youth to two Kings games this season and used social media to turn the effort into a reality. Also, hilarious tweets would ensue from the Sactown Royalty Twitter account if Fippin somehow made it out to New York. Mitch Richmond Why?  Part of the old guard and new guard (no pun intended). Richmond played the prime of his career in Sacramento and now is part of the ownership group that’s helped keep his legacy intact. Mike Tavares Why?  The general of Crown Downtown. Their white shirts have become synonymous with the grassroots movements in Sacramento.  You’d likely see Tavares sporting one along with his signature military cap on the ESPN broadcast. Gary Gerould Why?  Napear may be one of the faces of Kings’ broadcasts, but the G-Man is the voice.  The radio play-by-play man has called over 2,000 games in his illustrious career, which ranks him in the top five in longevity among NBA broadcasters. Jerry Reynolds Why? No one has been with the franchise longer. Reynolds came with the Kings from Kansas City and has become a beloved figure in the Sacramento community. Honorable mentions: Isaiah Thomas (if there was no resolution on the Kings’ future, would’ve ideally represented both Sacramento and Seattle), Mark Mastrov (one of the original “whales”), Phil Oates (an enthusiastic and passionate local investor), Jason Thompson (the Kings’ longest-tenured player) Do you agree with the list or did we miss anyone?  Feel free to leave suggestions below.

As we all know, Vivek Ranadive has purachased the Kings. He said that he wanted to globalize the Kings into other markets (India). I think since we are starting a new age, we should get rid of every thing that reminds us of the Maloofs; a fresh start. For example, getting new floorbaords at arco, and going back to the old ones in the early 2000's. One of the biggest changes that I think should happen is getting new jerseys. Lets be honest, the jerseys right now just aren't fun to look at. We need something that catches someones eyes and they say, " I want one of those". Maybe bringing back the black Kings jerseys from the early 2000's or the ones in the 2005 time period. Or sketch one on your own and post it. Lets have fun and make some ideas on this thread. As we all know, Vivek Ranadive has purachased the Kings. He said that he wanted to globalize the Kings into other markets (India). I think since we are starting a new age, we should get rid of every thing that reminds us of the Maloofs; a fresh start. For example, getting new floorbaords at arco, and going back to the old ones in the early 2000's. One of the biggest changes that I think should happen is getting new jerseys. Lets be honest, the jerseys right now just aren't fun to look at. We need something that catches someones eyes and they say, " I want one of those". Maybe bringing back the black Kings jerseys from the early 2000's or the ones in the 2005 time period. Or sketch one on your own and post it. Lets have fun and make some ideas on this thread. Poll What type of Jerseys do you want for next year? Baby Blue c. 1985 The ones now Early 2000's white ones Early 2000's black ones c. 2005 with purple stripe on the side Half black/Purple Other 1 votes | Results

May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors vice chairman Vivek Ranadive (left) talks to Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson (right) during the second quarter in game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports A palpable collective sigh of relief was felt across Sacramento as news about the sale of the Sacramento Kings to the Sacramento investment group was announced last night by Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis, and Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee. This followed the announced rejection by the NBA on Wednesday, May 15, for the Sacramento Kings to relocate to Seattle. While I cannot speak for all Sacramento Kings fans, for myself, this has been an emotionally draining process, especially this past year. The news, while not totally unexpected, still feels surreal. It was by no small feat that we can share in this historic occasion. For loyal fans of the Kings, this means a new beginning and an end to the torturous dismantling of the team we love. It is fair to say, basketball news per se took a backseat this season, as the political news about the sale of the team took priority. Somehow, news about the team was empty when the very future of the team was clouded in uncertainty. Overhanging every discussion of a player, game, or possible trade was the omnipresent possibility the team could be gone next year – Sacramento could lose its team. Without a team there is no basketball, at least in Sacramento. So, it comes with tremendous relief, pleasure, and joy to know Sacramento keeps its team. We can again speak of basketball; we can again debate the merits of one draft prospect over another; and we can again dream of owning a particular player. With new ownership, we can set the bar higher, dream bigger, with full knowledge of the possibliiies. Mayor Kevin Johnson is our hero. He pulled himself up from defeat to achieve success through perseverance. He brought together a fantastic investment group to negotiate effectively with the NBA to keep the team here. NBA owners showed their support by overwhelmingly voting to keep the team here. Vivek Ranadivé, head of the Sacramento group saw the value of investing in Sacramento, bringing a vision to transform our team and community. Yet, who could have imagined ten years ago that it would the fans of the Sacramento Kings who would prove to be pivotal in the future direction of Sacramento? Ten years from now, we can look back and acknowledge that each one of us played a part of this. As fans we supported one another. The grassroots’ involvement by Crown Downtown, founded by Mike Tavares, tenaciously supported Mayor Johnson’s vision to revitalize downtown, while Here We Stay, founded by Blake Ellington, was the initial grassroots movement, which provided fans the blueprint to organize themselves. Carmichael Dave, now a popular folk hero, used his platform to galvanize fans. Sactown Royalty, founded by Tom Ziller, became an Internet fan community, where dialogue translated into brainstorming of ideas, spilling over into every facet of the efforts to keep the team here. Local businesses, including Jiffy-Lube, stepped up support to keep the team. Twitter, our highway of communication, notified thousands of fans in seconds. It was a single tweet which set off the flurry of events to save the team. Without the leaking of the projected sale of the team to Seattle investor, Chris Hansen, Sacramento might have been caught flat-footed, without time to navigate. Local news stations, including News 10 California and Fox 40, have not only reported the news but became invested in the story as a part of the fabric of the community. There are countless people to acknowledge. This truly is a victory for Sacramento.

Nearly five months to the day that a deal to sell and move the Sacramento Kings to Seattle was announced, the community once again gathered this morning at city hall.  Not to announce an ambitious effort to keep the Kings, but this time to celebrate victory. Here are some notable quotes and images of those who spoke at today’s gathering at city hall chambers this morning. Mayor Kevin Johnson While there are a lot of people to thank, and I’ll be able to do that over the next few days, today is about one big thank you, and that’s to the fans and community of Sacramento.  The fans – you never gave up, you never lost hope, you supported us.  The owners that stepped up, the people who are here today is why the owners stepped up.  Our new ownership group is because of what you did.  They know how deep your love is for the Kings and this community.  Every time we fell down, the fans, you picked us up.  And you said keep fighting, you said we can do it, our voices will be heard, we will not be ignored.  The fans of Sacramento – this is your moment, truly your moment.  The NBA supported our work because of you.  The owners came together and stepped up because they knew what you could do as a community.  And I never stopped fighting because you wouldn’t let me, so thank you for not giving up. California State Senator Darrell Steinberg (D) No one else could’ve taken a situation where we were, okay it is basketball, we’re 15 points down in the fourth quarter with about five minutes left to play and engineered the kind of comeback that leads us here today than Kevin Johnson.  Incredible. California State Senator Ted Gaines (R) I’m very excited about the fact that we’ve had season tickets for I think 26 years and I now have six children.  I’m done, not having anymore.  But my children are going to have the opportunity to be season ticket holders here in Sacramento.  It’s because of Kevin Johnson, the leadership team behind me, the locals in Sacramento that have stepped up with money and the diverse nature of the investment group that helped this all come together. Sacramento Councilman Allen Warren Yesterday and last night we jumped some very significant hurdles, but we cannot lose sight of what’s yet to come.  We still have to build this facility downtown.  We want it to be a world-class facility.  We want it to set the standard for the NBA.  We have a leadership group that I believe will be trendsetters.  We have a lot of confidence in our investors and the owners of our team.  We have had a tremendous amount of unity around this issue.  And as the mayor just requested of both Senator Steinberg and Senator Gaines, we need to take that energy and move that throughout our community to other things as well.  There are a lot of things that need attention here in this city and let’s let this be the catalyst.  Let’s continue to build. Sacramento City Manager John Shirey You know, we’ve used a lot of sports metaphors here this morning.  We’ve talked about “come-from-behind”, “playing catch-up”.  I think those are actually understating the situation.  We easily forget that there was a time when we didn’t even know the game was being played.  We had to find out about the game and show up with our pickup crew and show who’s really king of the court. West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon When someone casts doubt on the progress that we have to make on this complex project, delivering this on time, on budget for the people of this community and this region, remember how you feel now.  Remember the steadfast leadership that Mayor Johnson has provided on this project when almost everyone else – thankfully not 80 percent all at once – but when almost everyone else wasn’t so sure, he did.  He believed.  He knew the heart of this community.  He knew our assets and he knew how to win and he d

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