Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson will represent the Kings at the National Basketball Association draft lottery next week, team owners and the mayor announced at a Tuesday rally. Johnson and developers representing the ICON-Taylor arena team will meet in Las Vegas Wednesday with George Maloof, whose family controls a majority share of the team, to discuss the arena project. The Maloof family owns the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. On stage at a Kings rally in Cesar Chavez Plaza, Gavin and Joe Maloof asked the former NBA All-Star player to step up for them next Tuesday at the draft lottery at the NBA Entertainment studio in Secaucus, N.J. "I accept! I accept! I accept!" Johnson yelled in

Forces now allied behind the Sacramento Kings gathered steam Tuesday in their collective bid to build a more successful team and move the region closer to constructing a new arena. That effort will be aided by retired Kings player Chris Webber, who said on television Monday night he's lined up private investors to fund a new arena in place of taxpayers. "Within the year, we're going to make some special things happen," Webber said on TNT's "Inside the NBA." "The goal is to keep the team there." Webber hinted about his involvement on Twitter Monday after the Kings' owners announced they'd leave the team here for at least one year to give Sacramento more time to pursue building a new spor

In the world of professional basketball, Northern California is set to take on Southern California in two heated matchups over the next 24 hours. Only one of the competitions will take place on a basketball court. Representatives from Sacramento and Anaheim are expected to appear before the National Basketball Association Board of Governors Thursday to discuss a Kings move to Anaheim and the future of basketball in Sacramento – just hours after the Sacramento Kings are set to go up against the Los Angeles Lakers at Power Balance Pavilion Wednesday night. At the same time, different groups are working on efforts to keep the Kings in Sacramento or form an ownership group for a new team if

Now that the Maloof family has been granted an extension on the deadline to file paperwork to move the Kings – possibly to Anaheim – it seems the professional sports team’s tenure in Sacramento is coming to an end. The possibility of losing the Kings has been the topic of several press conferences from Mayor Kevin Johnson, and fans are doing all they can to keep the Kings in Sacramento with the “Here We Stay” campaign, but we likely won’t know their fate until mid-April. We asked some of The Sacramento Press staffers to share their memories of attending Kings games. Their responses are below. Feel free to share some of your Kings memories in the conversation at the bottom of the story.

The new 2010-11 Sacramento Kings Dance Team is set and ready to entertain and reach out to its Kings fans this upcoming season. Several dancers inclduding the manager/coach share their thoughts on the upcoming season, their favorite moments being on the dance team and other passions and hobbies they enjoy besides dancing. Don't forget to click on the settings to watch this video in 720p HD! Or click here: www.youtube.com/watch

 Celebrity athletes are just like you and I. Well, maybe not just like you and I, but similar. They are like richer, better-dressed, more-fit versions of us (Or, in Scot Pollard's case, just richer). The similarities were on display at the second annual Athletes vs. Cancer golf tournament at the Woodcreek Golf Club, hosted by Matt Barnes on Saturday. Barnes founded the AVC to honor his mother, who passed away from cancer in 2007. Their mission is to "support research, create awareness, provide screening opportunities and deliver support to cancer patients." The tournament featured many athletes with local ties, among them former Kings Chris Webber, Scot Pollard, Bobby Jackson, Doug Chri

At the end of every season, the NBA Rookie of the Year (ROY) Award is awarded to the best rookie of the season. Don Meineke was the first to win the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy in the 1952-53 season. Of the 56 ROYs, 21 basketball hall-of-famers, from Oscar Robertson to Michael Jordan, have emerged. More than 53 percent of retired ROYs were voted into the hall of fame. The next trophy could be coming to Sacramento as Kings guard Tyreke Evans tries to make history becoming the fourth rookie to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists for a season. The first three were Robertson, Jordan and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James. Portland Trail Blazers Television Analyst Mike Rice kn

It was Bobby Jackson night at Arco Arena, but that celebration wasn't enough to distract Manu Ginobili and the San Antonio Spurs. Ginobili struggled through three quarters and then scored 11 points during a five-minute fourth-quarter spurt to lead the Spurs to a 95-86 victory before a crowd of 11,732. The defeat was Sacramento's eight straight and fifth consecutive at home. Once again, the Kings (24-54) played well until the game was up for grabs. The score was tied at 79-79 midway through the fourth quarter until the Spurs ran off 12 straight points to take control of the game. Ginobili, who entered the fourth quarter having made one of six field-goal attempts and with just five points

Sacramento Kings rookie guard Tyreke Evans led the Rookies team to its first win in eight years, beating the Sophomores 140-128 on Feb. 12. Evans earned the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge Most Valuable Player award, posting 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Although fans voted Evans as the MVP, he didn't want to keep it for himself. Evans shared the spotlight with San Antonio Spurs rookie big man DeJuan Blair, who finished with 22 points, a game-high 23 rebounds and 4 assists. "I think we did a good job of getting the ball and pushing it," Evans said after the game. "But DeJuan Blair set the tone. He got the points and he got the rebounds. I'm (going to) share this MVP with him

Sacramento Kings rookie swingman Omri Casspi will be a participant in H.O.R.S.E., presented by Geico at the NBA 2010 All-Star Weekend in Dallas on Saturday, according to a report by J.E. Skeets of Yahoo! Sports. The event is this Saturday at 4 p.m. on TNT. The report also indicates that last year's H.O.R.S.E. champion, Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant, and Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo will also compete for the title. Casspi has already been selected to the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, where he will play for the rookie team along with rookie teammate Tyreke Evans. The game is this Friday at 6 p.m. on TNT. Evans will also compete in the Haier Shooting

Despite the fact that the Sacramento Kings (16-34) are slumping, its rookie guard, Tyreke Evans, has a bright weekend ahead of him during the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas, Texas. Evans, along with fellow rookie teammate Omri Casspi, will represent the Kings on the Rookies team in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam at the American Airlines Arena, home of the Dallas Mavericks. The Rookie Challenge is a game where the league's best first-year players (Rookies) of this season compete against the best of the second-year players (Sophomores), who have won the past seven games. The game will be televised on TNT Friday at 6 p.m. Evans will also compete in the Haier Shooting Stars

By Andrew Thomas Fans from all over Northern California gathered to see Bay Area rap legend Too Short perform Friday night at former Sacramento Kings Chris Webber's club Center Court in Natomas. Patrons were in good spirits all night long with hip hop music filling the air as the drinks poured from the bar. TV screens wrapped the walls showing music videos, many of which were from Too Short to get the crowd ready for the legend's appearance. “I’ve been a fan of Too Short since ‘Don’t Fight the Feelin,’” said club promoter Tina Cris from Keen Management. “Don’t Fight the Feelin” was a single off of the rapper's 1988 album “Life Is… Too Short.” This shows how loyal Too Short fans are in Nor

Last Saturday, as a friend and I wandered around the enormous shopping center in Roseville called "The Fountains," we came across a familiar face. It was Brad Miller of the Sacramento Kings. I wanted to say hello, but he was with his wife and daughter so I decided to leave him to his own business. This encounter, brief as it was, caused me to reflect on Sacramento's forgotten franchise. I have lived in Sacramento for 20 years and for as long as I can remember this team has been the celebrated identity of our city. People loved this team. I've even seen tattoos bearing the Kings emblem on the skin of die-hard fans.  Nowadays, you might be hard pressed to see someone in town wearing a King