Sacramento: Don’t Put Your Hope in Stern

Yesterday was a huge day for both Seattle and Sacramento NBA fans. All parties involved with the transaction of selling the Kings came to New York for a meeting to delve deep into the issues and present their case for why their city was the best and most profitable place for the Kings.

Now, as you know by reading anything on this site, my brother and I are Seattle Sonics fans. So I will admit that I am biased both to moving the team to Seattle and that David Stern is a troll. Back in 2008 when the Sonics were in the same position as the Kings (well a little different in that the new owner lied to the city) we looked to the NBA for help. Surely, Commissioner David Stern would rescue us from the tyranny of Clay Bennett and save our beloved Sonics by denying the relocation to OKC. Well, that didn't happen.

Instead of Stern rescuing us and helping us keep our team, he actually helped Bennett. Stern was hostile and rude to our city, county, and state officials. He put up the front of trying to work with the government, but he would not compromise in any way what he and Bennett wanted. They held our team hostage to set a dangerous precent of power. If you didn’t do things the way they wanted, Stern would take your team away. One could see that he did not want to help, at least not us. We fought hard to keep our Sonics, but alas we lost and they moved to OKC becoming the Thunder.

We know how Sacramento feels. And as I read articles and watch fans’ reactions from months ago till now I find something very disturbing. Every where I look I see Kings fans hoping and begging David Stern to let their team stay in Sacramento. I hear things like, “Stern will never let it happen” and “Stern wants to make everyone happy.” This simply is not true, just look at how he answers questions at press conferences. My advice as an NBA fan who hoped in Stern and still lost his team is to not set your hope in David Stern. Stern is a lawyer and a very good one at that. He does not make decisions based on who will be upset, he makes decision on what is best for the NBA and thus for himself. If there’s more money to be made somewhere else than that’s where he will go.

To Sacramento fans, DO NOT PUT YOUR HOPE IN DAVID STERN. He does not truly care about you. He does not care that you have supported the NBA for so many years. He cares about money and he cares about showing the power of the NBA. Instead of putting your hope in a man like Stern, put your hope in your mayor. Kevin Johnson has done so much for you in this ordeal. I wish our mayor would have stepped up like Kevin Johnson has for Sacramento. Johnson single-handedly put together a plan to keep the Kings by getting a huge investor group in just a matter of weeks. His plan just might work. There is hope for Sacramento, but it definitely should not be in David Stern.

- Dean

Dean is the Editor at The Dean and Dan Show

A Seattle Sports Show about two brothers and their views on sports

Deananddan.gutensite.com