Anaheim City Officials Go To New York To Back Bid For Kings' Move
ANAHEIM (CBS) — Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait will fly to New York City Wednesday to throw his support behind the Sacramento Kings' owners and their proposed move to Anaheim.
The NBA Board of Governors will meet Thursday and Friday in New York City, where Kings owners Gavin and Joe Maloof are expected to present their case to get the required majority vote from the governors to approve the move.
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KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports.
"It will be my honor to represent the city of Anaheim as I proudly let them know that this city is NBA ready," Tait said at Tuesday's City Council meeting. "I look forward to a positive outcome in New York City."
Anaheim City Manager Tom Wood is scheduled to join Tait on the flight, which is being paid for with funds from a city enterprise fund that helps promote sports and entertainment in Anaheim. Honda Center officials will also join Wood and Tait, in case the governors have any questions.
The Anaheim City Council voted unanimously March 29 to issue up to $75 million in bonds for improvements at Honda Center to help induce the Kings to move.
The deadline is Monday for the Kings owner to apply to move.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, a former star NBA guard, wrote on his blog last month that the Kings are likely in their "final weeks in Sacramento."
The potential move is likely to draw opposition from the Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. A third team in the market could lessen the value of the Lakers' 20-year deal with Time Warner Cable for the broadcast rights to their games and provide additional competition for the Clippers.
Honda Center officials have been actively interested in trying to lure an NBA team to Anaheim for several years. The then-Vancouver Grizzlies were one possibility, but the team moved to Memphis in 2001.
Anaheim was a potential temporary home for the New Orleans Hornets after Hurricane Katrina forced their temporary move in 2005, but they chose Oklahoma City instead.
The Clippers played several regular-season games at Honda Center, then known as the Arrowhead Pond, each season from 1994-99, but ended that when Staples Center opened in 1999.
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