Menu
Franchises

Columnist: NBA Kings Need To "Spill The Goods" And Clarify Plans For Franchise

NBA Kings Owners Joe and Gavin Maloof "have no idea how to save this marriage" between the team and the city of Sacramento, according to Ailene Voisin of the SACRAMENTO BEE. They "attend all home games but decline to speak publicly about the arena situation" and are "paralyzed by a fear of stumbling into another political and public relations quagmire." While "evaluating options elsewhere -- and, yes, Virginia Beach, Va., is a serious possibility -- they are searching for reasons to remain and survive here financially, but their ongoing silence only furthers suspicion about the team's future and alienates a once-robust, if undeniably jilted, fan base." It is "time to talk, to spill the goods, to lay it all out there." The Maloofs "need to address these latest developments in a public conversation." Team co-Owner George Maloof -- the "architect behind the near-move to Anaheim in 2011 -- is particularly intrigued with a proposed arena deal in Virginia Beach that would be 90 percent publicly funded, with $195 million coming from the city, $35 million from developer Comcast-Spectator and another $150 million from the state." Family members and/or their representatives also "have had recent talks with officials in Seattle, San Diego, Kansas City, Mo., and St Louis." The Maloofs are "united in their refusal to sell the team, which means the folks in Seattle might look elsewhere." Their preference has "always been to remain at their present location in Natomas, with downtown or the railyard a second choice." While a number of "major companies -- including Jiffy Lube and Thunder Valley --  have ended their partnerships because of the team's uncertain future, the number of sponsorships (at lower prices) has increased, and the naming rights deal with Sleep Train is regarded as a major achievement for the business and marketing department" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 12/2).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2012/12/03/Franchises/NBA-Kings.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2012/12/03/Franchises/NBA-Kings.aspx

CLOSE