Mayor Johnson: Sacramento Is 'Ideal Location' For Kings
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - The day after the owners of the Sacramento Kings fueled speculation they are looking at moving the NBA franchise out of the Capital City, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson tried to reassure Kings' fans that he is working hard to keep the team here.
Yesterday, after a Southern California newspaper reported the team could move to Anaheim, Kings owner Joe Maloof responded to the speculation by saying, "We are looking at all options to ensure the long term viability of this franchise."
Along with Anaheim, other cities have also been reportedly courting the Kings including Seattle and Las Vegas.
It's the first time the Maloofs have backed off their assurances the Kings wouldn't leave Sacramento.
At a press conference this morning, Mayor Johnson was bombarded with questions about the Kings leaving Sacramento, a possible new arena, how he plans on keeping the Kings in town and about the Maloofs "considering all options".
"That is good business. You have to look at all options but the Maloofs want to be in sacramento," said Mayor Johnson. "This is their ideal location."
The mayor remains confident after private talks with the Maloofs last week, that the Kings owners remain committed to keeping the franchise here.
But are they growing tired of waiting for a new arena?
Mayor Johnson says there's no line in the sand; no specific deadline.
But he also knows it's going on a decade's worth of waiting.
And at some point, the Maloofs' patience could run out.
After a complex land swap deal to build a new arena fell through,
the mayor says several new developers have come forward with promising plans for a new entertainment complex.
The major question is how to pay for it.
