Free agency, those two words can bring both pure joy and demoralizing agony to sports team front offices and their fans.
In the U.S. the free agency period of the four major team sports each have their own unique charms. However it is the free agency period of the National Basketball Association that is the best compared to the other sports. Here are the reasons why when comparing to the other sports:
In the National Football League free agent contracts are not guaranteed, meaning that teams can get out of a bad deal with only losing about half of the amount that the contract was worth (half being the usual amount teams guarantee.)
The National Hockey League is still recovering from losing a season due to a lockout. That leaves them in a position where signings of their biggest stars don't have a big ripple effect outside of die hard fans.
In Major League Baseball there really is no salary cap, meaning that the big spenders are usually the same teams (New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox) with a couple of surprises every few years. The Miami Marlins being that in 2011.
Now looking at these reason one can think the NFL has the best free agency since teams tend to have smaller risks of franchise-impacting mistakes. However, that doesn't take into account the very nature of both sports.
Unlike football, basketball is the one sport where one player can have the biggest impact on a team. This is particularly true in the NBA. When forward LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with the Miami Heat, it turned the Cavs from having the best record in the NBA to a lottery team with the #1 draft pick.
It is also that very nature that causes NBA front offices to make grave mistakes when free agency comes up. Then there are the franchises that somehow turn nothing into gold during this time. Those are the reasons that make NBA free agency the best. This ongoing free agency period is a perfect example of this. Here are some of the more prominent free agency moves so far:
The Brooklyn Nets coming to terms with forward Gerald Wallace at $40 million over four years, pulling off a trade with the Atlanta Hawks that sent guard Joe Johnson to Brooklyn, and coming to terms with guard Deron Williams at $98+ million over five years.
The Houston Rockets reaching an agreement with restricted free agent center Omer Asik for $25.1 million over three years, and reaching an agreement with restricted free agent guard Jeremy Lin for $30 million over four years (the fourth year being a team option.)
The Portland Trail Blazers reaching an agreement with restricted free agent center Roy Hibbert for $58 million over four years.
The Phoenix Suns reaching an agreement with restricted free agent guard Eric Gordon for $58 million over four years, and coming to terms with guard Goran Dragic for $34 million over four years.
The Toronto Raptors reaching an agreement with restricted free agent guard Landry Fields for $20 million over three years, and acquiring guard Kyle Lowry from the Rockets via trade.
The Los Angeles Clippers coming to terms with guard Jamal Crawford for $25 million over four years, coming to terms with guard Chauncey Billups for $4.3 million over next season, and acquiring forward Lamar Odom from the Dallas Mavericks.
The Boston Celtics coming to terms with guard Jason Terry for $15 million over three years, and coming to terms with forward Brandon Bass for an undisclosed amount over three years.
The New York Knicks coming to terms with guard Jason Kidd for $9 million over three years.
The Los Angeles Lakers acquiring guard Steve Nash via sign-&-trade at $27 million for three years.
Free agency only started on July 1 & there are still major moves to be made mainly involving the deals mentioned above.
The main dominoes mainly deal with the restricted free agents. Due to their restricted status these guys can agree to deals with other teams, but their current teams can match the deal. That has put some deals in limbo. The New Orleans Hornets have vowed to match any offer made to Gordon. The Knicks have said similar statements regarding Lin. The Pacers have to think before matching Hibbert's offer knowing they can acquire a cheaper option in center Chris Kaman. The Chicago Bulls have a tough choice when it comes to Asik whom they want to keep, but not in the deal that the Rockets made with him. The only restricted guy that most likely will be on the move will be Fields. The Raptors offered Fields their deal as a strategic move to get the Knicks off the Nash chase. With Nash now being a Laker the move doesn't look so bright.
Of course the Raptors haven't had as horrible of a free agency as the Mavs.
After winning the 2010-2011 NBA title Mavs owner Mark Cuban watched his team be dismantled via free agency by his own design. His plan was simple, free up as much cap space to after Williams and Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard. This was virtually a copy of how the Miami Heat landed their Big 3. Unfortunately for Cuban this plan has fallen apart. After Williams decided to stay with the Nets, He focused on Nash, and when that failed he focused of retaining Kidd. It looked like Kidd was going to stay until today when he decided to become a Knick
There are still some dominoes left to fall. Guard Ray Allen is now deciding on either returning to the Celtics or joining the Heat. He is currently meeting a Heat contingent for dinner as of 10 pm tonight. Then there is the cruel and unusual punishment that the Magic are going through with Howard. With his eyes set on the Nets, Howard has put the Magic in the position of both trying to get equal value for him and trying to get rid of forward Hedo Turkoglu's contract at the same time.
This free agency period has been a roller-coaster so far with it promising to get even wilder once the moratorium on signing contracts is lifted on July 11. Fans and journalists will love every minute of it.
Madness, pure madness.
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA. Show all posts
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Where Sports Meets Porn: #TeamBJNBA
Sports and entertainment have blended for some time. Slowly however that blend has taken a stop once in a while towards the adult entertainment industry in recent years. There was the very public relationship between MMA fighter Tito Ortiz and former porn star Jenna Jameson (they have two children, twin boys.) More recently there was the incident where New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski spent his bye week last NFL season with porn star BiBi Jones (she also claims Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla among her sports conquests.) These events have been mainly found out through social media for the masses to enjoy and laugh about.
Then there are events like this.
On June 21 as Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder was less than an hour from starting Billy Corben, a well known Miami film director (his credits include ESPN's 'The U' and 'Cocaine Cowboys') tweeted a story from the website Busted Coverage. The story was about a promise made by two Miami porn stars (& noted Heat fans) Angelina Castro and Sara Jay. The two porn stars promised that if the Heat won the NBA championship they would provide 'oral services' to their combined Twitter followers, whose count stands at 328,758 as of June 23. They made the promise into a Twitter campaign under the hashtag #TeamBJNBA along with making an announcement video on Sara Jay's YouTube page (the video along with Sara's page have now been terminated by YouTube.) It is safe to say that as soon as Game 5 was over with the Heat clinching the title, the Twitter mentions of the two ladies regarding #TeamBJNBA exploded. Sara at one did complain about the mentions.
Now, one can look at this story and assume that #TeamBJNBA was just a publicity stunt by the two ladies to boost their follower count on Twitter. Logic would dictate that with Twitter being a global social media network there would be no way that what the two ladies promised would be dared to be attempted.
Surprise, the two ladies will ACTUALLY attempt to do this!
Both Angelina and Sara tweeted that they will keep their word and will fulfill their promise to their followers. On Tuesday they will announce the time and location where their followers can cash in on #TeamBJNBA.
This event is most likely going to be 1.) a social media bonanza, and 2.) a possible logistical nightmare. Either way the fact that the two ladies are going to do this is astounding. Can't really knock their hustle.
Just hope that they call the Guinness Book of World Records first.
UPDATE: The ladies have set a date for #TeamBJNBA along with a website stating the initial ground rules for the event. The website is www.teambjnba.com
UPDATE 2 (July 6): It looks like David Stern has caught up with #TeamBJNBA and is trying to stop it.
In a statement obtained by the website Black Sports Online the NBA has issued a cease-&-desist order claiming that Sara and Angelina have used the intellectual property of the league and violated their rights. The league points to the website www.teambjnba.com, the Twitter account @TeamBJNBA, and a photos shopped picture featuring the ladies donning Heat gear in front of the Heat Big 3 (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh) as some of their evidence. The NBA has demanded that the website and Twitter account for #TeamBJNBA be taken down from the Internet and for ownership of both entities to be transferred to the league.
As of 3 pm today both the website and the Twitter account are still up.
The NBA is within its rights in doing this. They, like other major sports leagues, will do whatever is necessary to protect their image. The NBA is especially sensitive to this due to events such as the infamous Malice in The Palace and the referee scandal set off by Tim Donaghy. This is also happening as Stern is polishing up his immediate and long term legacy. Stern has stated in various interviews that he won't be NBA commissioner when the time comes for a new collective bargaining agreement to be negotiated. The current CBA is a ten year deal with the option that the players and owners can opt out of it in six years.
More likely than not the event will go on as planned. It will just require more legal gymnastics than expected.
Then there are events like this.
On June 21 as Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder was less than an hour from starting Billy Corben, a well known Miami film director (his credits include ESPN's 'The U' and 'Cocaine Cowboys') tweeted a story from the website Busted Coverage. The story was about a promise made by two Miami porn stars (& noted Heat fans) Angelina Castro and Sara Jay. The two porn stars promised that if the Heat won the NBA championship they would provide 'oral services' to their combined Twitter followers, whose count stands at 328,758 as of June 23. They made the promise into a Twitter campaign under the hashtag #TeamBJNBA along with making an announcement video on Sara Jay's YouTube page (the video along with Sara's page have now been terminated by YouTube.) It is safe to say that as soon as Game 5 was over with the Heat clinching the title, the Twitter mentions of the two ladies regarding #TeamBJNBA exploded. Sara at one did complain about the mentions.
Now, one can look at this story and assume that #TeamBJNBA was just a publicity stunt by the two ladies to boost their follower count on Twitter. Logic would dictate that with Twitter being a global social media network there would be no way that what the two ladies promised would be dared to be attempted.
Surprise, the two ladies will ACTUALLY attempt to do this!
Both Angelina and Sara tweeted that they will keep their word and will fulfill their promise to their followers. On Tuesday they will announce the time and location where their followers can cash in on #TeamBJNBA.
This event is most likely going to be 1.) a social media bonanza, and 2.) a possible logistical nightmare. Either way the fact that the two ladies are going to do this is astounding. Can't really knock their hustle.
Just hope that they call the Guinness Book of World Records first.
UPDATE: The ladies have set a date for #TeamBJNBA along with a website stating the initial ground rules for the event. The website is www.teambjnba.com
UPDATE 2 (July 6): It looks like David Stern has caught up with #TeamBJNBA and is trying to stop it.
In a statement obtained by the website Black Sports Online the NBA has issued a cease-&-desist order claiming that Sara and Angelina have used the intellectual property of the league and violated their rights. The league points to the website www.teambjnba.com, the Twitter account @TeamBJNBA, and a photos shopped picture featuring the ladies donning Heat gear in front of the Heat Big 3 (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh) as some of their evidence. The NBA has demanded that the website and Twitter account for #TeamBJNBA be taken down from the Internet and for ownership of both entities to be transferred to the league.
As of 3 pm today both the website and the Twitter account are still up.
The NBA is within its rights in doing this. They, like other major sports leagues, will do whatever is necessary to protect their image. The NBA is especially sensitive to this due to events such as the infamous Malice in The Palace and the referee scandal set off by Tim Donaghy. This is also happening as Stern is polishing up his immediate and long term legacy. Stern has stated in various interviews that he won't be NBA commissioner when the time comes for a new collective bargaining agreement to be negotiated. The current CBA is a ten year deal with the option that the players and owners can opt out of it in six years.
More likely than not the event will go on as planned. It will just require more legal gymnastics than expected.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
A Study in Making a Bad Situation Worse: Dwight Howard
There is a reason why LeBron James's 'The Decision' is synonymous with infamy.
It wasn't the actual act of joining the Miami Heat on the one hour ESPN special in the Summer of 2010 that was the infamous event. It was the show itself that was infamous. Despite generating millions of dollars for the Boys & Girls Club, 'The Decision' only made James look like a selfish and arrogant person. Its' effect of turning James from one of the most beloved to one of the most despised players in the NBA has been turned into a lesson on what not to do when it comes to maintaining player popularity.
That lesson apparently hasn't been learned by Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.
The journey that Howard, arguably the best center in the league, has had this season is similar to the one that Carmelo Anthony had last before he was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks.The main differences between the two is that Anthony didn't make his situation worse with every move he made before the trade. Howard on the other hand, by either purpose or accident, has done exactly that.
Since the beginning of the NBA season the main speculation among front offices, media, and fans has been whether the Magic would adhere to the trade request Howard gave them. As the drama has unfolded there have been small incidents along the way.
There was Howard's battle with the Orlando Sentinel over their coverage of him. There was the rumor that his Adidas contract was the reason he didn't include the Chicago Bulls on his list of trade destinations. There was the rumor around the March 15 trade deadline of a rift with Kobe Bryant that pushed the Los Angeles Lakers from his trade list. These incidents didn't affect Howard as much as it affected the Magic.
During this time the Magic were faced with the nightmare scenario of a 'Shaq incident', in which their franchise center leaves them in free agency, happening again unless they traded Howard. Up until near the trade deadline the spotlight, both good and bad, was squarely on the franchise.
Then Howard decided to change that.
Amid reports around the trade deadline that Magic ownership was willing to give Howard the power to decide the fate of general manager Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy, he told the media that the Magic should 'roll the dice' on the prospect of him resigning with the team long-term. No one actually bought that statement. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports exposed Howard's real intentions of signing with the New Jersey Nets during the off season so they wouldn't have to give up assets in a trade with the Magic.
Once that cat was let out of the bag Howard scrambled to find a way to avoid the infamy of LeBron. Ultimately Howard decided right at the trade deadline to waive the opt-out clause in his contract which would've made him a free agent this summer. That followed a week of him waffling back and forth about the choice. It also had his agent refuse to sign the proper paperwork to make the decision official with the league, but it was approved anyway.
Then on Thursday came the reports that Howard has asked the Magic on several occasions to have Van Gundy fired. In the press briefing Van Gundy had during the Magic's shoot around before their game against the Knicks he confirmed those reports citing people in management that told him of Howard's requests. That produced what is arguably the most awkward moment of the season when Howard joined Van Gundy in the briefing:
This incident has shown how much of a circus the Magic and Howard had let this become.
Howard's known desire to be liked, be the main superstar on a team, and his dislike of confrontation may have exposed his real character for all to see.
The Magic ownership have let their desire to keep Howard and not see him walk away like Shaquille O'Neal did hinder their front office's efforts to get reasonable assets via trade. Even as reports are coming out that the Magic forced Howard into waiving his opt-out clause by threatening a trade to the Lakers, the team only did so knowing Howard doesn't want to be a Laker.
The drama that Howard and the Magic have created was even analyzed by the very man that left the team in shambles and got Van Gundy to step down as coach of the Miami Heat, Shaq himself:
Howard will have to live with the circus he has become the ringmaster of. While trying to avoid the backlash similar to what 'The Decision' earned LeBron, he may have warranted worse for himself. Sadly, Howard won't get as much backlash as LeBron has gotten and still gets.
Even though Howard probably deserves more.
It wasn't the actual act of joining the Miami Heat on the one hour ESPN special in the Summer of 2010 that was the infamous event. It was the show itself that was infamous. Despite generating millions of dollars for the Boys & Girls Club, 'The Decision' only made James look like a selfish and arrogant person. Its' effect of turning James from one of the most beloved to one of the most despised players in the NBA has been turned into a lesson on what not to do when it comes to maintaining player popularity.
That lesson apparently hasn't been learned by Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.
The journey that Howard, arguably the best center in the league, has had this season is similar to the one that Carmelo Anthony had last before he was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks.The main differences between the two is that Anthony didn't make his situation worse with every move he made before the trade. Howard on the other hand, by either purpose or accident, has done exactly that.
Since the beginning of the NBA season the main speculation among front offices, media, and fans has been whether the Magic would adhere to the trade request Howard gave them. As the drama has unfolded there have been small incidents along the way.
There was Howard's battle with the Orlando Sentinel over their coverage of him. There was the rumor that his Adidas contract was the reason he didn't include the Chicago Bulls on his list of trade destinations. There was the rumor around the March 15 trade deadline of a rift with Kobe Bryant that pushed the Los Angeles Lakers from his trade list. These incidents didn't affect Howard as much as it affected the Magic.
During this time the Magic were faced with the nightmare scenario of a 'Shaq incident', in which their franchise center leaves them in free agency, happening again unless they traded Howard. Up until near the trade deadline the spotlight, both good and bad, was squarely on the franchise.
Then Howard decided to change that.
Amid reports around the trade deadline that Magic ownership was willing to give Howard the power to decide the fate of general manager Otis Smith and head coach Stan Van Gundy, he told the media that the Magic should 'roll the dice' on the prospect of him resigning with the team long-term. No one actually bought that statement. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports exposed Howard's real intentions of signing with the New Jersey Nets during the off season so they wouldn't have to give up assets in a trade with the Magic.
Once that cat was let out of the bag Howard scrambled to find a way to avoid the infamy of LeBron. Ultimately Howard decided right at the trade deadline to waive the opt-out clause in his contract which would've made him a free agent this summer. That followed a week of him waffling back and forth about the choice. It also had his agent refuse to sign the proper paperwork to make the decision official with the league, but it was approved anyway.
Then on Thursday came the reports that Howard has asked the Magic on several occasions to have Van Gundy fired. In the press briefing Van Gundy had during the Magic's shoot around before their game against the Knicks he confirmed those reports citing people in management that told him of Howard's requests. That produced what is arguably the most awkward moment of the season when Howard joined Van Gundy in the briefing:
This incident has shown how much of a circus the Magic and Howard had let this become.
Howard's known desire to be liked, be the main superstar on a team, and his dislike of confrontation may have exposed his real character for all to see.
The Magic ownership have let their desire to keep Howard and not see him walk away like Shaquille O'Neal did hinder their front office's efforts to get reasonable assets via trade. Even as reports are coming out that the Magic forced Howard into waiving his opt-out clause by threatening a trade to the Lakers, the team only did so knowing Howard doesn't want to be a Laker.
The drama that Howard and the Magic have created was even analyzed by the very man that left the team in shambles and got Van Gundy to step down as coach of the Miami Heat, Shaq himself:
Howard will have to live with the circus he has become the ringmaster of. While trying to avoid the backlash similar to what 'The Decision' earned LeBron, he may have warranted worse for himself. Sadly, Howard won't get as much backlash as LeBron has gotten and still gets.
Even though Howard probably deserves more.
Monday, March 5, 2012
The Clipper Darell Saga: Loving a Team But Hating The People in Charge of it
The Los Angeles Clippers were actually a decent story this season. With the acquisition of guard Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets and claiming guard Chauncey Billups off amnesty waivers prior to opening the season, it seemed like the Clippers were taking a big step in the right direction. With Paul and Billups joining human dunk machines Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers were launched into somewhere they have never been before. That place is relevance.
Suddenly the Clippers were considered NBA playoff contenders, some like ESPN's Chris Broussard had them as their dark horse to come out of the Western Conference. That thinking hasn't stopped even after Billups was lost for the season due to injury.
Yet amidst this celebratory mood for a franchise that were considered permanent participants in the NBA draft lottery there was a sense that somehow the Clippers would find a way to mess it up.
Last Wednesday, that actually happened.
On February 28, the Clippers front office told Darrel Bailey, known to NBA fans as Clipper Darrell, to drop the 'Clipper' from his stage name in a manner that has people saying 'only the Clippers...' Bailey made the announcement on his Twitter page and his blog the next day.
That announcement spurred a huge reaction in social media against the Clippers from fans, journalists, and even their own players. Clipper players such as Paul, Griffin, and Jordan tweeted their support for Bailey in the hours after the announcement (Grffin & Jordan's tweets have since been deleted while Paul's still stands.) Sports writers such as SBNation.com contributor Andrew Sharp took this as a chance to remind people of Clipper owner Donald Sterling's notorious history which includes public trysts with prostitutes (he actually sued one) and claims of racism involving his real estate interests.
In the middle of this storm the Clippers put out a statement whose language only served to make things worse for them in the realm of public relations.
Today there is a divide among fans and journalists due to the growing scope of this story, but the clear majority still backing Bailey.
From a business sense the Clippers have a point. They have every right to protect their brand from unauthorized use. To be fair Bailey's blog does have a contact link to get him to make appearances, advertisements from a sports restaurant and a real estate company, and a page of apparel with 'Clipper Darrell' or his likeness on them.
Those advertisements however, may come from connections to his car customization shop. The apparel doesn't have the Clippers logo on them. As far as appearances he doesn't seem to make any that can be considered nefarious.
While this has been happening Bailey has kept silent until Saturday, March 3. In an interview with Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel, he expressed his sadness about the ordeal along with giving his side of the story. In a television interview on the Los Angeles ABC affiliate yesterday he broke down in tears after being read the statement from the Clippers.
Between those two interviews the most striking line was Bailey's last quote from the Yahoo story.
“Can you still love a team and hate the organization?”
The answer from most sports fans is yes. Three great examples of this type of relationship are Miami Dolphins fans, New York Mets fans, and Washington Redskins fans. Yet, neither one of the franchises have done what the Clippers have done. That is to publicly excommunicate their most well known fan.
Only the Clipper can ruin their own feel good story.
Suddenly the Clippers were considered NBA playoff contenders, some like ESPN's Chris Broussard had them as their dark horse to come out of the Western Conference. That thinking hasn't stopped even after Billups was lost for the season due to injury.
Yet amidst this celebratory mood for a franchise that were considered permanent participants in the NBA draft lottery there was a sense that somehow the Clippers would find a way to mess it up.
Last Wednesday, that actually happened.
On February 28, the Clippers front office told Darrel Bailey, known to NBA fans as Clipper Darrell, to drop the 'Clipper' from his stage name in a manner that has people saying 'only the Clippers...' Bailey made the announcement on his Twitter page and his blog the next day.
That announcement spurred a huge reaction in social media against the Clippers from fans, journalists, and even their own players. Clipper players such as Paul, Griffin, and Jordan tweeted their support for Bailey in the hours after the announcement (Grffin & Jordan's tweets have since been deleted while Paul's still stands.) Sports writers such as SBNation.com contributor Andrew Sharp took this as a chance to remind people of Clipper owner Donald Sterling's notorious history which includes public trysts with prostitutes (he actually sued one) and claims of racism involving his real estate interests.
In the middle of this storm the Clippers put out a statement whose language only served to make things worse for them in the realm of public relations.
Today there is a divide among fans and journalists due to the growing scope of this story, but the clear majority still backing Bailey.
From a business sense the Clippers have a point. They have every right to protect their brand from unauthorized use. To be fair Bailey's blog does have a contact link to get him to make appearances, advertisements from a sports restaurant and a real estate company, and a page of apparel with 'Clipper Darrell' or his likeness on them.
Those advertisements however, may come from connections to his car customization shop. The apparel doesn't have the Clippers logo on them. As far as appearances he doesn't seem to make any that can be considered nefarious.
While this has been happening Bailey has kept silent until Saturday, March 3. In an interview with Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel, he expressed his sadness about the ordeal along with giving his side of the story. In a television interview on the Los Angeles ABC affiliate yesterday he broke down in tears after being read the statement from the Clippers.
Between those two interviews the most striking line was Bailey's last quote from the Yahoo story.
“Can you still love a team and hate the organization?”
The answer from most sports fans is yes. Three great examples of this type of relationship are Miami Dolphins fans, New York Mets fans, and Washington Redskins fans. Yet, neither one of the franchises have done what the Clippers have done. That is to publicly excommunicate their most well known fan.
Only the Clipper can ruin their own feel good story.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Congratulations Sacramento Kings Fans, You Did it
It normally doesn't happen, not in the sports business.
Normally when a sports franchise demands a new stadium or arena and they don't get it, it's only a matter of time before they leave and the fans of that team are left with a feeling of dejection. The process is long and painful, a cloud of inevitability hanging in the air the entire time.
Tell that to the city of Sacramento, CA.
Today Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, the Maloof brothers, and the NBA reached a tentative agreement on an arena deal that would keep the Sacramento Kings in the city. This caps an improbable push by a city to keep its only major sports team amidst the deck stacked against them.
A year ago this would be seen as impossible.A year ago the King were all but gone.
Around this time last year the Maloof brothers, who own the Kings, were trying to work out a deal to move to Anaheim, CA. They implied that the Arco Arena, where the team plays, was just too old of a venue to remain competitive in the league. The Maloofs even went as far as trademarking the term 'Anaheim Royals' before formally filing a relocation bid with the NBA Board of Governors.
To say that this provoked a response from Kings fans would be an understatement.
Spearheaded politically by Mayor Johnson and on the ground by people such as radio host Carmichael Dave along with former Kings players such as Mitch Richmond and Chris Webber, a campaign was launched to keep the Kings in Sacramento. Mayor Johnson prepared to formally plead the case for his city in front of the NBA while Carmichael Dave helped to launch a grassroots effort called 'Here We Stay.' Businesses such as Jiffy Lube publicly supported the 'Here We Stay' effort. Soon the social media front was opened with Kings fans showing support on Twitter using the hashtags #HereWeStay and #HereWeBuild. Webber on a broadcast of TNT Network's 'Inside The NBA' made a public plea to keep the team in Sacramento.On the last home game of the Kings' 2010-2011 season fans held a 'Here We Stay' rally inside Arco Arena after the game.
Even with all this happening there was a sense that it was all for naught. That started to change.
During the April 14 NBA Board of Governors meeting concerning the potential move Johnson, a former NBA player, made a strong case not only with coming up with a $10 million commitment from local businesses to support the team, but also with a potential buyer of the team in billionaire Ron Burkle. That push was enough for the NBA to not approve the move then. The Maloofs were given two extensions to their bid while the league investigated both their and Mayor Johnson's proposals.
On April 29 The Maloofs chose to withdraw their relocation bid and on may 2 announced that they stay in Sacramento for one more season while working with Mayor Johnson in coming up with a plan for a new arena.
Now today, after so many doubters told Kings fans that it was useless, they have plan. It's not all done yet though.
The city council of Sacramento still has to vote on a provision of the proposal that would lease public parking lot space to a private company. If it passes then only a few procedural votes would stand in the way on the Kings fans and victory.
This is something special and rare. A city fought tooth and nail to keep their team and actually won. Risky as it was for a first term mayor like Johnson to do it, he and his city stood tall and now stand last.
Sacramento, I tip my hat to you.
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