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NBA Franchise Notes: Kings' Home Opener At New Golden 1 Center Still Not Sold Out

In Sacramento, Kasler & Bizjak note the Kings' opener tomorrow night against the Spurs at Golden 1 Center still "wasn’t a sellout" as of yesterday. According to Ticketmaster, around 260 seats were "still available ... including about 145 seats in the lower bowl." But despite the unsold tickets, a Kings official said they "anticipate a sellout." Kasler & Bizjak note the remaining tickets "aren’t cheap." Seats in the last row of the upper bowl were "priced at $145 apiece, plus $28.10 in taxes and fees." Seats in the fourth row behind the baskets were for sale at $530 each, "not counting $67.50 in taxes and fees" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 10/26). 

SOUND CLOUD: In Oklahoma City, Darnell Mayberry notes the Thunder have a "new sound system" in Chesapeake Energy Arena this season. The new PA system now includes "state-of-the-art technology that will make it among the most customizable systems in the country." Thunder Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Brian Byrnes said that the city "funded the project," which carried a $3M price tag and "replaced what had been the original sound system that was installed when the arena opened" in '02 (OKLAHOMAN, 10/26). 

HEAT CHECK: In Miami, Greg Cote wrote the Heat suddenly are a "team without a star." As the team "begins its 29th season, it is without a pedigreed all-star for the first time since year five." With the Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh a "memory, the Heat is a team in flux, feeling its way in search of a new identity, a new direction, a new star." The Heat upon landing James "became the glamour franchise," as they "flexed and preened and rose to be the biggest thing in South Florida sports." But there has "been a stink to the way the Big 3 dissolved and Heat found itself here" (MIAMI HERALD, 10/25). 

TECH SAVVY: In Philadelphia, Jonathan Takiff noted the first startup at he 76ers Innovation Lab "has a strong sports-tech connection." Innovation Lab Managing Dir Seth Berger "couldn't resist helping" a startup called AND1Analytics. Now "newly renamed and online as Monster Roster, the recommend service is targeted to the 'hundreds of thousands of players' who make weekly investments in payoff pools" at sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, which Monster Roster links to. Berger said that though initial promotion has been "limited to 'some Twitter buzz and word-of-mouth,' nearly 5,000 customers are already poneying up" the $20 monthly fee. Venture backing is "coming from a 76ers affiliate called '1776'" (PHILLY.com, 10/24). 

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