Kings strike deal with Seattle group, will become Sonics

***zaga_fan*** · 01-21-2013, 01:23 PM

The Seattle group led by hedge fund manager Chris Hansen, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and the Nordstrom family has finalized a deal to buy a controlling interest in the Sacramento Kings, two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed to...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba...s/1850631/

**RunItUpTheGut** · 01-21-2013, 01:51 PM

Whats the point of going back to Seattle?
More than likely, thats where this is headed.

***zaga_fan*** · 01-21-2013, 02:38 PM

I just don't get it...
why do teams continue to go to where other teams have failed?

**Strikeout King** · 01-21-2013, 03:04 PM

Oh dear god. I feel sorry for LWC.

McCameraMan · 01-21-2013, 03:51 PM

This is sooooo stupid

***Wildcatk23*** · 01-21-2013, 05:53 PM

LOVE IT! Nba jam Seattle supersonics was a beast team.

**RunItUpTheGut** · 01-22-2013, 01:57 AM

^

nicker:

The days of the super nintendo and N64 are over.
The Seattle Kings will suck on the PS3

***Wildcatk23*** · 01-22-2013, 11:33 AM

Lol I have an emulator on my pc and play people on nba jam online.

**RunItUpTheGut** · 01-22-2013, 01:15 PM

^
Can you play the old madden on it to?

***Wildcatk23*** · 01-22-2013, 02:35 PM

RunItUpTheGut Wrote:^
Can you play the old madden on it to?

Never tried it, Ill check and get back with you,

Which year?

**Stardust** · 01-22-2013, 02:40 PM

zaga_fan Wrote:I just don't get it...
why do teams continue to go to where other teams have failed?

Inaccurate! The Sonics did not fail in Seattle! The Sonics averaged 95% capacity, ranking them in the top 10 in the league in filling their arena. The Seattle fans have historically supported all of their sports teams and have been among the league leaders in attendance in all sports.

The leadership in Seattle had been pressing city officials for a new arena for over 10 years. Key Arena was the smallest arena in the NBA, holding close to 5,000 fewer seats than the rest of the arenas in the NBA. The sale and move of the Sonics was a result of the failed arena deal.

The City of Seattle has already approved plans for what will be the largest arena in the NBA as long as an acquisition of an NBA team can be completed.

Sacramento is averaging 4,000 fewer fans than what the current Key Arena holds today, thus an immediate increase in revenue from the current conditions in Sacramento. This is a no brainer!

**LWC** · 01-22-2013, 10:01 PM

Not a done deal yet.

Remember, Larry Ellison was the HIGHEST bidder for the Golden State Warriors when they were sold. They had a deal in place and ready to go. However, Ellison made no bones about wanting to move the team to San Jose. The NBA Board of Governors (mostly current owners) chose to allow a lower bid from a buyer that wanted to KEEP THE TEAM IN PLACE. I suspect the same can happen here.

The Mayor of Sacramento, former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson has been negotiating with David Stern for about 2-3 years because the NBA world has known how dirty the Maloof family has been and about their intentions to move the team, sell the team, or anything to get money. When an almost done deal was in place to move to Anaheim, major Johnson stepped up and got an arena deal done in Sacramento with AIG as the main sponsor.

David Stern personally asked AIG if they would still support an arena deal in Sacramento, to which they said yes. This has been since the Seattle news came out. Also, Mayor Johnson asked David Stern if he could present a local buyer to the Board of Governors because the Maloofs refuse to listen to him. David Stern said yes again.

Remember this, the Seattle deal is worth $525 million. $125 million is a relocation fee. $30 million is a non-refundable deposit to the Maloof family. $70 million is a loan that must be paid immediately back to the City of Sacramento. So, $225 of that $325 is fees that a local owner would NOT have to pay. (The $70 million to the city could be paid back, interest free for as many years as the Kings remain in the new arena that has already been agreed upon.)

Thus, a buyer that would keep the Kings in Sacramento could propose a $400-$425 million offer and give more money to the Maloof family, thus being a better offer with less dollars. Also, one HUGE difference in this sale and the Charlotte and Seattle sales is that Sacramento has agreed to a new arena deal.

What I believe would work best for everyone is for Sacramento to keep the Kings and for Seattle to be granted an expansion team. Sacramento deserves a team, Seattle deserves a team.

**LWC** · 01-22-2013, 10:08 PM

Stardust Wrote:Inaccurate! The Sonics did not fail in Seattle! The Sonics averaged 95% capacity, ranking them in the top 10 in the league in filling their arena. The Seattle fans have historically supported all of their sports teams and have been among the league leaders in attendance in all sports.

The leadership in Seattle had been pressing city officials for a new arena for over 10 years. Key Arena was the smallest arena in the NBA, holding close to 5,000 fewer seats than the rest of the arenas in the NBA. The sale and move of the Sonics was a result of the failed arena deal.

The City of Seattle has already approved plans for what will be the largest arena in the NBA as long as an acquisition of an NBA team can be completed.

Sacramento is averaging 4,000 fewer fans than what the current Key Arena holds today, thus an immediate increase in revenue from the current conditions in Sacramento. This is a no brainer!

Remember, before the Maloofs sandbagged this team with no payroll support (27th or lower team payroll AND 27th or lower coach payroll since 2006) Arco Arena (now Sleep Train Arena) was a every game sellout. The Kings sold out every game for 5-6 straight seasons.

There is a website that I am trying to find that shows 8,000 people have already pledged season tickets (had to give credit card information, but no immediate purchase required) for next season if the team stays. 3,000 of them are people that did NOT have season tickets this season.

People have said for years that if the Maloofs left and ANY support from the ownership was shown, they would return. The Kings were selling at almost capacity with Mitch Richmond and Kenny "The Jet" Smith, lol.

If the Kings move to Seattle, David Stern retires with the egg on his face that the 20th largest media market (with no other pro sports team) no longer has a team, AND he killed a franchise, WITH a local buyer willing to match the offer OR exceed it. He may clear up the Seattle fiasco, BUT he will have created another disaster.

**RunItUpTheGut** · 01-23-2013, 12:52 AM

I could google this, but im lazy, where exactly is Golden State located? Isnt it Oakland?
I thought it was San Fran for a long time.

**RunItUpTheGut** · 01-23-2013, 12:54 AM

Wildcatk23 Wrote:Never tried it, Ill check and get back with you,

Which year?

I was just asking, no need to look it up. I just wondered if you could play the old madden games, as ive never had an emulator. I remember playing it on the ole nintendo and it was move left and move right with stick figures.

Sadly, with all of this new technology and wonderful graphics on gaming systems, i still enjoy playing mario on the super nintendo the best.