NBA Commish David Stern Says Fans Helped Keep Kings In Sacramento

Apr 17, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings fans hold up a sign during the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Sleep Train Arena. The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Sacramento Kings 112-108. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

When the Maloof family sold the Sacramento Kings franchise to an investment group hoping to relocate the franchise to Seattle earlier this y ear, pretty much everybody outside of the California capital felt it was a done deal. Hell, there were people in Sacramento and the surrounding areas that felt it was a done deal.

But along with Mayor Kevin Johnson, there were multiple “grassroot” groups like Here We Stay, Crown Downtown, the Playing To Win tour and more who spent countless hours doing their part to keep the Kings in Sacramento, something that new owner Vivek Ranadive said helped him make the decision to purchase the Kings franchise.

In addition to that, speaking on a Sacramento radio show today, NBA Commissioner David Stern said that the “grassroot” campaigns did indeed help keep the Kings in Sacramento, despite many saying otherwise.

Per Stern, via the Grant Napear show:

"Grant Napear: Did the grassroots and all the fan efforts, did it end up making a difference?David Stern: Yes, because I think that the assurances that the Mayor made, which were more in the nature of projections and some might say wishes were actually supported by a sense that this was a unique community."

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