NBA Kings officials yesterday said that they are receiving season-ticket renewal requests at an "average of one seat per minute," according to Lillis & Bizjak of the SACRAMENTO BEE. Kings PR Dir Chris Clark said, "That's a frenzied pace." Clark said that the team's ticket sales operations will broaden at 9:00am PT today to "include accepting reservations for full-season tickets from fans who currently are not season ticket holders." The team is expected to "launch sales sometime this summer for partial season tickets." Clark said that people who sign up for season tickets now will have their names "placed on a priority list for tickets to the planned downtown arena, which is scheduled to open" for the '16 season. Meanwhile, a rally to "celebrate the team's future in Sacramento has been moved to Thursday" and will feature Managing Partner Vivek Ranadive (SACRAMENTO BEE, 5/21). Clark said, "We haven't seen anything close to this since the glory years, back when we had a waiting list." In Sacramento, Ailene Voisin notes approximately 12 of the NBA's N.Y.-based marketing and sales department execs are "en route to Sacramento to temporarily assist with hiring about five full-time and 35 part-time sales employees" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 5/21).
NOT DONE YET: Former Kings bidder Chris Hansen said that he was "disappointed in the league's decision and vowed continued dedication to 'bringing the NBA back to Seattle.'" Hansen said that the possibility of the NBA expanding to Seattle is "unclear." In Seattle, Percy Allen notes Hansen gave "no specifics on his next step while noting the process is difficult and requires patience." Hansen still has a five-year "memorandum of understanding with the city of Seattle on a financing plan for a multipurpose sports arena in the Sodo neighborhood, just south of Safeco Field." However, construction "cannot begin until he secures an NBA team" (SEATTLE TIMES, 5/21).
