Sacramento Kings Might Have New Billionaire Buyer

We may have been premature in saying last night's game at Arco Arena was the Kings' last in Sacramento.

Mayor Kevin Johnson tweeted on Thursday that the city may be receiving help to keep their beloved basketball team.

Burkle, who is worth more than $3 billion is a co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The NBA can't force the Maloofs, who currently own the Kings, to sell. But the league can force them to take on another partner and keep the team in Sacramento. Johnson went to New York to pitch Burkle to the league as a potential franchise savior.

That may have been part of the reason George Maloof was reportedly "somber-looking" after making a pitch to the NBA's Board of Governors. According to the Sacramento Bee, Maloof said that nothing's done yet.

"Nothing is a sure thing until it is voted on," he said. He said the Maloofs plan to talk with their fellow NBA owners again Friday.

While the Lakers and Clippers have been against the move from the start, it looked as though the Maloofs might have the rest of the league's owners line up with them to approve it. But reports have surfaced in recent days that there may not be as much support for the move as originally suspected.

So it looks like there may still be life left in the saga of the Sacramento Kings. With still raw wounds in Seattle being recently reopened, the NBA may want to avoid a similarly nasty breakup in another of its long devoted markets.

(H/T Jose3030 and Business Insider)

Episode 24: One Mo' 'Gin

This week the N.E.R.D.'s have the limits of their attention tested by college basketball. KGPE-TV's George Takata stops by to eulogize the Sacramento Kings. Robert Dobucki of HoopsJournal.com helps preview the NBA playoffs. And somewhere, several people are (sorta) having sex with Miley Cyrus right now.

Episode 23: Nobody Beats The Biz

This week...The Guy On The Couch pinch hits for Cacique; David Stern gives Sacramento the middle finger; Marcas sings the hits of Biz Markie in honor of MLB Opening Day; the guys drink a big glass of Boston haterade and why Twitter > iTunes.

Lakers, Clippers To Block Kings Move To Anaheim?

Last week, we mentioned the Sacramento Kings proposed move to Anaheim and wondered whether or not the two teams currently playing in Southern California would have anything to say about it.

According to Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, they do:

The move to Anaheim will be opposed by the Lakers and Clippers, who see it as an encroachment on their territory. But sources close to the Maloofs say they're willing to pay the two L.A. teams whatever it takes to relocate. That would be in addition to the league's relocation fee of $30 million.

Neither the Lakers nor the Clippers have given any indication on how much it will take for them to allow the Kings to settle into Orange County. Whatever the initial number is, you can expect the always avaricious Donald Sterling to bump that number up. Even so, the Maloofs already have an offer to help with paying the added costs thanks to billionaire Henry Samueli, who owns both the Anaheim Ducks and the Honda Center where the Kings propose to play.

If Samueli believes this show of generosity will help him get a piece of the club, he'll have to rethink that. The Maloofs have said that they have no intention of selling the club, even a portion of it.

Fans in Sacramento have done their best to show support for the club in hopes of keeping them in the Capital City, but most news outlets (and even the mayor) are resigned to the idea that they are losing the team. Ownership still has until April 18th to make a final decision and it must still be approved by the NBA Board of Governors. Plus, there's still that pesky little detail of a lockout and how it would affect any franchise moves.

(H/T ProBasketballTalk)

Kevin Johnson: Anaheim is where the Kings want to be

This wasn't how Kevin Johnson wanted to spend his 45th birthday. The former Cal and NBA star who became Sacramento's first African-American mayor addressed reporters on Wednesday about the likelihood of the Kings moving to the Honda Center in Anaheim. Early on in his remarks, Johnson acknowledged that team owners Joe and Gavin Maloof were very interested in moving the team to Orange County, but Johnson stressed that no deal had been completed yet and the city was doing everything it could to keep the team in the state capital.

The full press conference is below. H/T to News10.net...

The Kings' potential move is just the latest in a slew of issues Johnson's deal with since being elected in 2008. Johnson's campaign platform included attempts to improve the city's school system and reduce crime while dealing with budget issues (like so many other cities). Unfortunately it appears that in this instance, Johnson and the city of Sacramento are fighting a losing battle since Anaheim has one thing that Sacramento doesn't - an updated arena.

It also doesn't bode well for the city that the Maloofs are unwilling to provide a local arena exploratory committee with financial documents that could help determine the viability of a new arena in Sacramento. Kings ownership has also been unwilling to meet with the group.

Surprisingly, Lakers' owner Jerry Buss and Clippers' owner Donald Sterling have remained quiet on the subject of another team moving into their backyard. The Lakers wouldn't have nearly as much to worry about since their popularity in the market is well established, although they'd likely lose a small portion non-Laker NBA fans who would likely have a better chance to see the league's marquee teams in Orange County than they would at Staples Center.

But Sterling who has learned how to make several hundred million without even trying to field a competitive team should be very concerned that a team in Anaheim could seriously erode his fanbase. It might even force him to *gasp* treat players like Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon well in an effort to keep them around long-term. However, it wouldn't be surprising if Sterling turns into the ultimate NBA NIMBY very soon. Considering he's already reportedly punked David Stern at least once, there's no reason to believe Sterling won't try to flex on the Commish again.

Tuesday's Birthday Shout-Out: Chris Webber Gets Gangsta

I am not rational when it comes to Chris Webber. I owned his Golden State Warriors #4 jersey during his rookie season and constantly mimicked his dunk over Charles Barkley.

I don't believe in role models...but you're mine!

There was no denying that Webber was the natural heir to the Run TMC throne that was going to take the W's to the next level. Then when he feuded with Don Nelson and forced the team to trade him to the Washington Bullets. From that moment, everything bad that happened to the Warriors I laid at his feet.

• Don Nelson's deepening into madness.
• Latrell Sprewell's pouting and eventual choke-out of P.J. Carlesimo.
• The bad draft picks (Todd Fuller with the 11th pick?!?)

When he made his return to Oakland midway through the 2007-08 season, my friends tried to convince me that it was time to let bygones be bygones and admit that Webber could probably helped the squad. I scoffed. That was the same argument that fooled me into rooting for Jim Druckenmiller. I felt vindicated when Webber retired after nine games. 

Over the years, continued Warriors front-office ineptitude have forced me to give up on my grudge against C-Webb. Losing Webber hurt the franchise, but the Warriors' suckitude is reaching Ruthian proportions. I've even let go of my jealousy over Webber dating my one-time celeb crush Tyra Banks now that we know Tyra's carrying more than a touch of krayzee. 

So instead of harboring bitterness and reliving The Timeout or something equally non-flattering, I instead bring you Chris Webber at the height of his powers - enjoying a gangsta's lifestyle with the help of Kurupt and several other recognizable rappers.

As far as athlete rap songs go, it's not bad. Do we need to revisit this? 

Thursday's Birthday Shout-Out: Vlade Divac, King of the Floppers

While it may be hard to remember nowadays, the Sacramento Kings were for a number of years a serious contender for an NBA title, led in part by Vlade Divac.

Raised under the cruel tutelage of Pai Mei Magic Johnson in Los Angeles, Divac played in only one All-Star game but spent the 1990s as one of the NBA's most dynamic big men. But the most enduring part of Vlade's legacy is that most European of sports traditions...the flop.

The sight of a 250+ pound man crashing to the ground with just the slightest passing breeze is an annoyance to opponents, coaches, officials and fans alike but became another potent weapon in the "Old Man Basketball" defensive arsenal. So in honor of Vlade's 43rd birthday, we remember his contribution to the NBA with a tribute his fellow players gave him on the occasion of his retirement...

As a bonus birthday shout-out, I can't forget NER's own Cacique Vargas-Pile, who thinks he turns 33 today. But because he failed to celebrate his birthday a couple of years back, he can't quite be sure. Either way, hit him up on Twitter to wish him a Happy Happy! Don't be afraid to throw us a follow while you're at it.

Sacramento Kings' Arena To Be Named After Scam Product

Power Balance apparently can't brighten DeMarcus Cousins' disposition

For years now, the Sacramento Kings have been looking for a new arena to replace their current 23-year old venue, even exploring at times the possibility of a move to Las Vegas.

Instead, they have tried the next best thing - change the name and hope everyone thinks you've moved. After playing in two different buildings known as Arco Arena since their move from Kansas City in 1985, the Kings will now welcome fans and opponents to the new Power Balance Pavilion.

That's right, the Kings have signed a naming-rights deal with the nifty little bracelets that claim to prevent you from tipping over when you're pretending you're little teapot. Perhaps it's to stop Sacramento from being pushed around by just about every team in the league.

The deal comes in the wake of a class-action lawsuit being filed against the makers of Power Balance after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission raised some doubts about the validity of the product's claims. Power Balance hasn't been helped by reports that the company itself admitted that the product was a scam. However, on its website, Power Balance stands by its initial claims that its products are effective.

Regardless of the lawsuit's outcome, I'm sure this will be a long, profitable partnership for both sides. Look at some of the other epic stadium naming rights deals. Who could imagine the Astros playing anywhere but Enron Field? Or the Titans outside of Adelphia Coliseum? And certainly no one walks into Land Shark Stadium expecting to beat the Dolphins. There's no way this can backfire, right?

(H/T: Gawker)