After a year of negotiations, economic reports and financial cartwheels by city officials and Sacramento Kings owners, NBA Commissioner David Stern said it appears the deal for a new Sacramento arena is dead. “I am extremely disappointed on behalf of both the Maloofs and the city of Sacramento,” Stern said at a New York press conference Friday, “but I think there is nothing further to be done.” Stern said the NBA Board of Governors met Thursday with the Sacramento Kings team owners, the Maloofs, and – after hearing a “detailed and thorough” presentation – Stern said the board came to some simple conclusions. “(In Orlando) we had an agreement in principle – a framework, a handshake deal

Sacramento Kings owners and their attorneys told media Friday that not only was there never a solid deal with the city for a new arena, but – if the mayor isn’t willing to negotiate – there never will be one. “The mayor said he’s not negotiating? Then he killed the deal on his own terms,” team owner George Maloof said at a press conference in New York. “It’s over.” The morning press conference opened with Kings attorney Barry McNeil giving a detailed timeline of events in the “arena saga,” starting with the Maloofs’ initial proposal to move the Kings to Anaheim in 2010. “We want to demonstrate to you that the Kings have exercised their best efforts over the past 12 months to get a new a

Mayor Kevin Johnson headed back to Sacramento Monday from Orlando with news that an agreement has been reached to keep the Kings in Sacramento. "Today is a new day for Sacramento and a defining moment for our community,” Johnson said in an email statement Monday. The terms of the agreement include an upfront contribution of nearly $75 million from the Kings’ owners, the Maloof family, and an additional $75 million over the life of the deal through ticket surcharges. The exact terms of the agreement are expected to be made public by Thursday – the original deadline set by the NBA to have a deal in place. Johnson, the Maloofs and NBA representatives had been in discussions throughout the

Mayor Kevin Johnson held an impromptu press conference Wednesday to give an update on progress with discussions between Sacramento, the NBA and the Sacramento Kings’ owners, the Maloof family. “There are great discussions going on between the city and the NBA and we are confident that we, as a city, are doing our part to make (a deal) happen,” Johnson said. Johnson appeared at the press conference flanked by City Manager John Shirey and City Council members Jay Schenirer, Angelique Ashby, Darrell Fong, Rob Fong and Bonnie Pannell. “We’re closer than we’ve ever been before, and the bottom line is – the city controls its own destiny,” Johnson said. Earlier Wednesday, Johnson and NBA Comm

Mayor Kevin Johnson and NBA Commissioner David Stern released a joint statement today outlining an updated timeline for finalizing terms of a new arena deal for Sacramento. According to the release, the city of Sacramento and the NBA are continuing “constructive discussions” on the details of a financing plan for a new entertainment and sports complex. Johnson said at his weekly press conference Tuesday that details of a completed financing term sheet were expected to be available to the public by Thursday, in advance of a Feb. 28 City Council discussion and vote on the plan. Wednesday’s press release, however, offers an adjusted timeline in an effort to “ensure adequate time for public

Mayor Kevin Johnson emphasized on the need for a completed term sheet and signs of commitment from interested companies in order to finish the new arena project in 2015. Johnson gave a progress report on the plans to build this new arena in Sacramento at Tuesday’s weekly press conference. Johnson said that there were many questions still in the air that were being discussed even as he stood in City Hall, mainly questions on what companies will contribute to the arena project, and how. Johnson said that his hope is that by Feb. 28, all stakeholders involved will be in agreement on a term sheet that outlines all financial areas of the project – a sort of rough draft for the budgeting plans

Editor's Note: A correction has been made to one of the quotes in this story after it was published.   Kings past and present were reunited on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Power Balance Pavilion, the latest in a series of events showing appreciation for potential and current season ticket holders. An estimated 6,000 fans filed in to the dimly-lit arena and stood in line for their complimentary barbeque lunch and hours of entertainment that would follow, a bigger showing than some games last season. Former NBA all-star Mitch Richmond, lock-down defender Doug Christie, Brad Miller and fan-favorite Bobby Jackson all made appearances, as well as current players Tyreke Evans and Donte Gre

The Sacramento Kings' majority owners reacted positively to a new plan for a proposed $387 million arena project unveiled Thursday, but admitted they're anxious to see whether the plan can be turned into reality. Developers told the Sacramento City Council a $241 million arena, with a total project cost of $387 million, could be built by early 2015 if a mix of public and private funding can be pulled together. During a two-and-a-half-hour presentation, ICON Venue Group President Tim Romani, Sacramento developer David Taylor and others on an arena development team provided the public with many details of the plan. Afterward, team co-owners Gavin and Joe Maloof told reporters they have a

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

With just three days to go before the Kings' deadline to file for relocation, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said Friday he's not sure who has the ball – but Sacramento officials hope a regionally coordinated effort to build an arena will make enough of a difference that the National Basketball Association and the Kings' owners keep the team here another year. Billionaire Henry Samueli, whose company manages Anaheim's Honda Center, upped the ante Wednesday when he offered to personally invest more than $70 million for improvements at the Honda Center and provide a personal loan of at least $75 million to the Maloofs. Samueli, who owns the Anaheim Ducks hockey team, also revealed $30 mill

The National Basketball Association apparently continued weighing Sacramento and Anaheim as markets for the Kings Thursday. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson jumped off a stage to take a phone call at a groundbreaking ceremony for railyards railroad track relocation Thursday morning. He later said he wouldn't comment on whether the call came from NBA Commissioner David Stern. Shortly after finishing the call, Johnson told reporters he didn't have any word on a Kings decision, from either Stern or Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett, who chairs the league's Relocation Committee. "I have not gotten an update," said Johnson, who described the call as "private." "I haven't heard from Clay

Sacramento has gotten no word from the National Basketball Association that the Kings are staying in town – but the league doesn't have plans yet to visit Anaheim, an NBA official said Friday. League staff members will be in Sacramento Monday to collect more detailed information about financial support for the Kings and a new arena following a two-day visit Thursday and Friday by an NBA attorney and NBA Relocation Committee Chair Clay Bennett, who owns the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bennett will report back to his committee next week, said Tim Frank, the NBA's senior vice president of Basketball Communications. However, NBA officials have not scheduled a similar fact-finding mission to Sout

A National Basketball Association committee will arrive in Sacramento this week to study the possibility of keeping the Kings here. Reports surfaced Monday that a group of six would be coming here Tuesday to get more information about new financial support for the Kings. On Friday at the NBA Board of Governors meeting in New York, NBA Commissioner David Stern said team owners agreed to learn more about corporate sponsorships and other money that may be available to help the Kings make more money in Sacramento. The only information that could be confirmed was that Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett, who chairs the board's Relocation Committee, and NBA Executive Counsel Harvey Benjam

I wish someone could tell me why it came to this. Out of all the places to move to, it ends up being where our arch rival dwells. To leave a fan base that has given unconditional support for a team that hasn't been great for much of the time since they've graced us with their presence says a lot. Speaking of “saying a lot,” many diehard Kings fans have begged and pleaded for the Maloofs to reconsider their stance with the franchise. I remember writing about them making an idiotic move like this in my last piece, but I never thought it would happen so soon. Ever since writing the first part of this article (which can be read here), I have committed myself to following the business side of

Mayor Kevin Johnson on Thursday sounded resigned to the idea Sacramento may soon lose its professional basketball team. A day after his first conversation with the Sacramento Kings' owners in more than a month, Johnson said Anaheim and its city-owned arena, the Honda Center, have this city beaten on too many fronts. Anaheim has a lucrative TV market and the Walt Disney Company’s Disneyland and other Fortune 500 companies that can buy sponsorships and luxury boxes and suites – critical revenue streams for basketball teams, in addition to ticket sales. Sacramento's economy is struggling and its arena is outdated, he said. "It's a business decision and the economics of Anaheim are better t

A development team spearheading the process to build Sacramento a new arena has been talking with the Kings' owners but has been unable to meet with them – even as a deadline for the team's possible move draws near. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson would like to talk with the Maloofs as well, after not speaking with them in a month. A process to build a new facility to replace Arco Arena, the current home of the Kings basketball team, is underway. Communication from the Maloofs appears limited. But the Kings' owners have not tried to leverage the possibility of moving to another city like Anaheim to get a better deal in Sacramento, said Bob Graswich, special assistant to the mayor. "They

I've been a Kings fan for a long time, and I never had a chance to attend regular-season games until I started going to college. I frequently watched Kings games on local TV and saw many calls that would make you scratch your head more times than a kid with lice. Many of those calls took me back to the 2002 Western Conference Finals where the Kings were royally robbed of the championship. After attending many games last year and becoming a first time season ticket holder this year, I've come to see too many foul calls that are blatantly wrong and unjustified. As I look around at all the obstacles that the Kings organization is facing thus far, I can't help but believe that there is some co

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson advice on what makes other cities successful at a meeting in New York City. Johnson also met with NBA Commissioner David Stern and Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren. "You have to be responsive to the needs of your city," Johnson said that Bloomberg told him.  "You have to not only prioritize, but you have to be able to implement, execute and actualize whatever those happen to be." Johnson listed public safety, education, job creation and economic development as the city's top priorities. There are other issues that Johnson will be looking at. "Then he said that (there are) things that aren't your priorities that you shou

A consultant for the National Basketball Association pressed the City Council earlier this week to back its proposal for a new arena in Sacramento. The NBA, developer Gerry Kamilos and the Maloofs are working together on the proposal, which is led by Kamilos. John Moag, a consultant for the National Basketball Association, expressed his preference for the NBA/Kamilos plan in a Feb. 9 letter sent to Mayor Kevin Johnson and City Council members. “We expect the City of Sacramento will be the lead agency on the convergence project with a major role being played by the state of California,” Moag wrote. “We urge you to make the review and consideration of the convergence plan a priority of th

Sacramento City Council members and the National Basketball Association are angry or unhappy with comments made Tuesday by the mayor's arena team leader. Several council members are upset after Sacramento First Task Force co-chair Chris Lehane seemed to be speaking on behalf of the city when he called the NBA's previous attempts to get an arena built here "air balls" and made other comments on the organization's website blog Tuesday morning. Council members Ray Tretheway and Rob Fong responded to Lehane's comments at the end of Tuesday night's City Council meeting. "I was terribly embarrassed by the disrespectful message that publicly humiliated the commissioner of basketball that came