Discuss Kevin Johnson’s press conference here. Respectfully.
What will he reveal? Who will he reveal? Who’s the whale? Who’s the octopus? I am the walrus.
Presser starts at 2pm PST.
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Chris Daniels @ChrisDaniels5
RT @rob_mcallister: Local ownership group includes: Larry Kelley, developer Phil Oates, developer David Taylor & EDH businessman Kevin Nagle
I think that groups net worth is probably what, 3 Billion? It’s hard not to make this personal when you have people at the rally holding up ridiculous signs “Seattle. No NFC Championship. No Kings.” Pathetic.
@ChrisDaniels5: Kevin Johnson promising really big announcement. #NBAKings
Remember Brian’s comment on tone and vague statements?
KJ keeps saying “we’re doing everything we can.” And said they will “come as close as [they] can” to matching Hansen’s price. He basically just said they have no “whale.”
“We are still looking for our whale”
A lot of talk about viability of Sac’s market. They are really worried about the larger market we offer- and that is huge
“Calling all Whales”
Someone forgot to check the signs of people holding up
But then again Kevin Johnson has already made this a us vs them battle so be it.
19 people at $1mm?????
Find 480+ more millionaires and they are good
only need 507 more.
NBA is not going to like this…..too many people
Up to $19 million!!!
ummmm they raised $19-million?
We need money!!!
Yeah kj, that is a big announcement
Run a KCTS tellathon! With a $30 pledge you get a cowbell!
While $60 gets you a tote bag and KJ’s greatest political speeches on CD
Don’t take what one lady says personally. Let it roll.
Or one lady’s sign.
Yeah……they dont have a football team. So……
hahahaa
@ChrisDaniels5: So KJ has a minimum of a $19 million dollar pledge for ownership. #NBAKings
i have 19 dollars, i’ll loan it to them
I think Ballmer belched $19M during breakfast.
Ballmer has earned $19 million during this press conference.
You are in fact 100% correct!
Microsoft stock is up .06 in after hours trading.
Balmer owns: 333,252,990 shares of MSFT
So, in the last 20 minutes Ballmer has earned
$19,995,179.40
Damn…It would be awesome to be Balmer rich.
@Softykjr: Johnson: “No other team has the diversity that we have in our community.” Really?
I give KJ credit for trying. but seriously…
Why even have this press conference before he has the big money investor secured?
Jerry Lewis needs a new telathon to MC since he was let go
Heck, I’ll throw in $5 to help Sacramento’s cause. I feel bad for KJ, he had to miss the inauguration to devote time to this. I’m not worried, even if the land Moby Di*k before April. I trust Hansen, and I know he didn’t throw out $30 million dollars to have it lost to the Maloof’s if the NBA rejects re-location. I’m confident we are really getting the Kings.
will $19million get a NBLDL to move?
So not being ready to announce the whale = nobody has agreed to be the whale, right?
Correct. Minnows at this point only
They hope that’s whale bait.
“God has anointed you for this time in history? WTF?!?!?!?”
Don’t worry I think KJ is just throwing out a random quote from Game of Thrones
He said that?
One of the ownership group guys said it about KJ
Okay. Still kinda weird. What is he, Churchill?
So amazingly ridiculous!!!
Wow that is something else
Sacramento needs to match 525m or 340m??
It’s not a question of needing to, or beating Hansen’s offer. It’s the offer they bring to the BOG’s meeting enough for them to veto Hansen’s request for re-location.
340 or so for the Maloofs’ share, but then you have to find people with that kind of money in/around Sac who believe an NBA franchise is worth that much IN Sac. Which it absolutely is not.
I’m saying for any chance they have to match that 525 valuation, which is a silly value for the team based in Sac.
They also have to have money to pledge towards an arena so it’s sale price + arena you’re talking in the neighborhood of 500 + mill
One thing that last dude said that might be cause for pause was “The reason I agreed to be a local part of this ownership group”
maybe just how he phrased it or maybe insinuating that there are others who are not local.
“most didn’t want to come out, and didn’t want to speak…” that inspures confidence. This is so janky it hurts.
*inspires
Silent heroes. Relax.
These were my comments about this press conference this morning if you would like to compare them to what happened.
http://landing.newsinc.com/shared/video.html?freewheel=91052&sitesection=kcpq&VID=24256769
great interview, btw, Brian!
KJ, “most everyone here didn’t want to come out”
LOL
Does not inspire confidence
Chat feed is ugly
who is the hot chick with the black jersey on that seems to ALWAYS find the camera whenever these press conferences are on?
I hope that they can do better than that. Or else it looks like they are just f*cking with these poor people.
He needs $340m for the 65% share or 290m if the group assumes and pays the loan back later ($340m less 65% of the 77m loan). PLUS, a commitment of ~$200m for an arena. $19m is a start, but they still have a long way to go, especially considering that $525m is a rediculous sum for a team in that location (whether paid in cash up front, or $450m +77m in assumed loans).
Chris Daniels @ChrisDaniels5
RT @dakasler: David Taylor on Maloofs: “I wish them well but I wish they’d sell to us and I think they will ”
Ha! wow so out of touch. Maloofs aren’t going to sell them to Sac they are selling to seattle.
They already did sell to Seattle.
So whats the big surprise he was talking sbout? ha
They have raised 19 million
Where was the “big announcement”
????
I wish they’d sell to us and I think they will?! Ummm, the Maloofs are in a legal binding contract to sell. They can’t just change their minds.
Thats the bottom line.
“we are making great progress with the Whales”
beached whales maybe?
Chris Daniels @ChrisDaniels5
KJ - We as a community…say return on investment is downtown Arena. #NBAKings
So we are talking about a completely new arena deal not the one that was supposedly the railyard?
Downtown Arena = Railyard Arena.
Railyard is out. They’re now talking about something directly downtown in an old shopping center.
Well, replace an old shopping center. It would be a great location for them.
Nope. Railyards is still alive. They said the old shopping center was just an idea. If they keep the team you can bet it will be at the railyards.
Mojo,
That railyard plan isn’t even completely funded yet.
This from Brian this morning…
“Ellison is their last great hope and he is not going to be in. If Kevin Johnson comes out today and says “I have been approached by several high net worth investors who at this time want to remain anonymous but are willing to participate in city efforts to retain the Kings.” then it is ballgame.
Its been interesting watching the Kings fans work to manufacture hope. Hope is a great resource and completely and totally necessary to give them a shot at success. Its the area where fans can make a difference.”
OK, so there is no whale. They’re talking to people but have no commitment.
@ChrisDaniels5: “Today is a big step forward, we’re executing the first step of our game plan” - KJ #NBAKings
That is the most dam*ing part of this. Only on first step an need to be on last
I must say. I expected a much bigger initial announcement.
He basically just said he has no arena plan.
Feeling a lot more confident now.
When asked who the big investors were, KJ responded “We only found out about this a week ago.
Balogna.
“I think most have some sort of connection to California…”
More convinced than ever: only way we lose this is Stern sympathy to KJ. This is a farce, not a major league showing.
Imagine this scenario: Neither Seattle nor Sacramento has a team. NBA is looking to expand.
City A has 41 years of history, a championship (historical relevance), 8 fourtune 500 Companies, state of art arena deal finalized, an ownership group that has committed to a $525 valuation of a team, committed millions in cost overruns, transportation funds, existing arena remodel, 12th largest media market, natural rival 200 miles south, and includes 10th richest american.
City B has been host of a vagabond franchise for 28 years, no championships, 0 fortune 500 companies, no finalized arena deal, an ownership group that has raised 19 million, no arena partner, needs state and city tax funding to pay for arena, 20th largest media market, 4th team in state.
In what possible universe is City B even close to being as attractive?
This is nuts.
I thoUght we had a good fight on our hands, I’m slightly disappointed
The only thing they accomplished was telling everyone they are screwed
“Today, I would like to announce that there will be a big announcement next week.”
-KJ
Chris Daniels @ChrisDaniels5
KJ - The NBA reserves the right to approve a relocation or sale… it is unprecedented for NBA to allow relocation from city after 28 years.
You got to be kidding. He is reaching big time. KJ 41 years?
Shhhhh…. In today’s media and politics facts don’t mean anything.
hit his only valid talking point:
“Seattle deserves a basketball team at some point. Just not ours.”
Their team belonged to Kansas City while Seattle won their first NBA championship
KJ has the gall to say our 41 years doesn’t compare to theirs
http://tinyurl.com/a9r72xk
KJ just warned Seattle fans, “don’t celebrate too early”
KJ gets his wish even if the team moves. Sac will be the final resting place of the Kings.
Chris Daniels @ChrisDaniels5
KJ - “This isn’t about our city versus their city.” #NBAKings
Also, I’ve been wanting to ask this for a long while:
Totally respect KJ’s commitment to the NBA, and wish Nichols fought harder, but his city is seriously falling apart and he’s spending ridiculous amount of time, energy and resources on his “pet project.” Guy needs to let the private sector handle this at some point… non-NBA fans in Sacto must be so over him by now.
Oh well… again, not trying to sound like a total hater.
It’s not really our business, though. If the voters there don’t like it, they can vote him out.
true.
Chris Daniels @ChrisDaniels5
To sum up…KJ has at least $19m in pledges from 19 local owners. No Arena Plan. No Major Investor. #NBAKings #NBASeattle
Sac fans are really laying into Chris. This is getting out of hand and the fight mantras certainly won’t help going forward
Sacramento
No Football team
No Kings
The following tweet is both sarcastic and correct. It also screams deep down “$19 million? Really?”
Carmichael Dave@CarmichaelDave
A special shout-out to my new Seattle followers throwing rocks. Why are you tweeting? It’s over.You won! Go celebrate! Let the hicks talk.
Ugh, just be happy when this over and the idiot “fans” go away.
But seems like people weren’t very pleased down there
This is what I think will happen. NBA will let the Kings move, but will promice Sacramento a expansion team in a few years.
IF they get their act together. $19 million and no arena plan won’t get you a team.
I wish that were the case. I think the promise is a hope and a prayer however.
They didnt promise us expansion
When the Kings leave the NBA is never coming back. Why would they? Give the team back to Kansas City or Vancouver.
Carmichael Dave is engaging in a twitter war with Seattle fans over this. If bigger news had been delivered, he wouldn’t feel the need.
Carmichael Dave has been pretty classless throughout this whole thing
True enough
He’s a sports radio host (or at least he was until he got fired). What do you expect?
Does the NBA want that many people in the ownership group?
Schultz’s group had 58 people.
true but thats their idea of a group 19 people that aren’t deep pocket folks? If NBA wants to take KJ seriously he should have waited till he had that rich deep pocketed person then announce it.
19 million dollars. so far they have enough to buy safecos new scoreboard and a hot dog
Or just a whole hell of a lot of hot dogs.
$19million. It could have been $190 million and it wouldn’t matter. The team is sold.
If Sacramento is such a valuable venue for an NBA team why did the NBA grant Seattle an NBA expansion team 46 years ago and not Sacramento?
So why people think that rail yard arena plan is actually a plan? Just cause the city approved it doesn’t mean its 100% finalized and funded.
To be fair, they actually did have a funding plan for that. It involved using the revenues from city parking garages.
i thing aeg was involved to, but i wonder if they would have to make sure everyone is still on board
AEG said they were told to re enage on the issue and they were still interested in being a part of the arena deal a few weeks ago.
Wasn’t the idea that they were gonna sell parking garages for 200m to pay for the arena though.
Wasn’t the nba fronting money to that plan? That may need to be worked out still
Yes they have but with the maloofs no longer involved that changes.
Dave Softy Mahler @Softykjr
Grant Napear on CBS radio in Sacramento: “When the names of the whales are announced, people will be excited.”
bleh wrong reply.
So why didn’t KJ announce them now?
Chris Daniels @ChrisDaniels5
RT @dakasler: Mayor says “whales” are interested in partnering with his 19 local investors in bid for #NBAKings
Oh no…there’s interest.
To be fair this was just the “initial pep rally”. The big news is still to come. They haven’t had enough time to gather all the needed whales. KJ is doing the best he can.
Then why have an “big announcement” when its not gonna big.
I am just paraphrasing Grant Napier on his post news conference radio show. BTW, a SAC reporter asked him why he was there at the conference/pep rally not even knowing who he was(the Kings PBP man). It just shows how EVERYONE in that town is so INTO that team.
I don’t buy that line. They knew for a while an even if they didn’t could have at least kept dialogue up with people who would be interested
Good for KJ. wish he was our mayer back in 08. the only problem is they dont really have the time. buy the team and approve an arena hard to do
Ahh the inevitable nastiness is starting to really boil over. The insanity has begun!
It’s all downhill from here. It’s only going to get worse, whichever way it works out.
it was just a matter of time, but there are already folks in sacramento — having read what some jerks who happen to call themselves seattle fans posted on sactown-related boards — who are saying, ‘oh, i used to feel sorry for seattle but now i know what everyone there is like. . .”
which, of course, is ridiculous. but that’s the internet — a great source for friction when people’s nerves are already abraded.
mayor kj needs to be the mayor who fought for his town & the team, not the mayor who let ‘em get away. and he can also position to be the mayor who gets a team back. but i do not see the BOG going against the sale. and the earlier remark about sacramento becoming the green bay of the nba is a signal guaranteed to alienate lots of owners. there’s only one green bay — mainly because the leagues set up rules against that kind of public ownership. it’s their league, not ours, and they aim to keep it that way.
Bottom line is no matter what there are certain folks that are not going to like Seattle or its fans after this is all over. Doesnt really matter the reasoning behind it. Its reality. Get used to it. Just remember a handful of fans does not speak for everyone. And that goes both ways.
The chat section was ugly for the press conference. There were Seattle fans not “keeping it classy”. Same with sactown.
Part of the problem is that Sacramento looks at 19 people pledging over a million each as a major accomplishment. Yet Seattle looks at that number and thinks, is that all?
That and we should start chanting 41 whenever they bring up the Kings’ history in Sacramento. Playing to sympathy did nothing for Seattle with the BOG. It’s business people making a business decision.
I like beer…it’s DELICIOUS!
beer with ribs
The only thing that I’m kind of not looking forward to, is a couple of purple clad fans ringing cowbells behind the Sonics bench next year. Couldn’t blame them, but having to drag that around is a bummer…
IF the BOG approves sale (don’t want to get ahead of myself or jinx the process).
It is what it is. Price to play.
Kind of sad when even your home state favors the move.
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls
Go to poll #4.
I can’t imagine that whole production will sit well with the 29 other owners when they catch wind of it.
Sacramento may have just put themselves in check mate. I would be quite bummed if was was one of them.
Carmichael Dave @CarmichaelDave
@LLcoolRay14 @chrisdaniels5 He’s right. We don’t have a deal. And two weeks ago neither did Seattle. Lets reconvene in a week or two.
His reply talking to a tweet about Chrisdaniels saying that Sac has no arena plan which essentially he is replying that neither does seattle…. Really?
Seattle’s been working on a deal for a long long time. It just became public a few weeks ago.
Ray Yund @LLcoolRay14
@CarmichaelDave Dave you need to go look at @ChrisDaniels5 tweet. Apparently Sacramento doesn’t have an arena deal . . . .
This is what CarmichaelDave was replying to. The person wasn’t even talking about the sale agreement. It was talking about that Chrisdaniels said sacramento has no arena deal.
Chris Daniels is reporting the facts. Carmichael Dave is reporting maybes
If that railyard plan was what they are gonna do than KJ needs to state that in the presser.
The good news for Chris Hansen is that despite the shots he will take from Sacramento (which he expected) he will never have to step one foot in Sacramento. If the sale is approved before the end of the season don’t expect Chris at Arco/PowerBalance/SleepTrain Arena. The relocation will happen without Chris ever having to go in front of the Sacramento media. I can’t imagine much of anything will actually have to be moved from Sacramento to Seattle. With a new arena I can’t imagine Chris wanting to move anything from the arena in Sacramento. If I were Sacramento I would really be concerned after that “Pep Rally” today that KJ called a presser. Many people are saying Give KJ credit because he has not had much time but he was the one that pumped it up and said a big announcement was coming. I would not fault KJ if he would have said it was just a pep rally but he is the one that made is sound like it was going to be a bombshell presser. I can’t imagine David Stern was at all pleased with this so called Press Conference.
Let’s be honest… half the stuff you’d want to move from Sleep Train Arena has already fallen apart anyway. :-)
Does anyone know approx How many fans attended the presser?
Carmichael Dave is insisting it’s all part of the plan, and just wait until the whale is announced.
Again, I know desparation when I see it.
That’s just tough to see.
Great sustaining ticket and advertising support.
They really needed to start this 1st step the day after the Maloofs pulled the plug last year.
…meanwhile KJ is scrambling and saying they’ve only had days to put things together. All part of the plan.
He probably has been working on finding new ownership for a long time. He just didn’t start last week. If you did then he isn’t to smart. The bottom line he can’t find anyone.
What’s hilarious is that the NBA’s bizarre desire to keep a team in NO, leaving two very solid basketball cities to fight it out over one team, has resulted in a city with its team freaking LEAVING only having about 350 less fans show up per game than to Hornets games.
The hurricane had a lot to do with that. No hurricane……..no Hornets. They would have stayed in OKC…….
Well, no hurricane and no Hornets playing in OKC. Right?
Also true.
Carmichael Dave us a diyche no offense. I will gladly watch his meltdown . Hopefully he streams onlineo
I guess I don’t understand what the City was doing for the previous year. If they werent trying to figure out how to buy the team what exactly did they expect the outcome for the Maloofs and the Kings to be? That they’d just suddenly change their minds?
After the arena deal fail apart, KJ as talking about trying to bring in a NHL team and all sorts of scenarios.
Why the hell would the NHL want to put another team in california?
One of the other scenarios was Sac trying to get an MLB team
I guess Seattle really isnt that much different when it comes to waiting till the last minute.
No one really thinks that it will happen to them until it is already too late.
They’re up to $20mm guys! Just another $300mm to go, in addition to having to repay $77mm and fund an arena. All part of the plan.
https://twitter.com/Ryan_Lillis/status/293873493727137792
ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding!!!!!!(change to cowbell sound)
Even if they get all these owners how will they have money to pay for anything?
Do you get a free tote bag at the $1 million pledge level?
LOL
My question is as soon as the Maloof’s backed out of the “arena deal” the writing was on the wall. Why are they all of a sudden scrambling like the didn’t know the robbers have been in the house when they heard the door being kicked in hours earlier.
That’s what i want to know. I would handle this much differently.
Do we get a free tote bag for being teamless for the past 5 years?
A thought if the whole railyard arena that maloofed bailed out was over pre-development costs then why didn’t Sac try to find someone to cover that amount?
Good point, that whole situation has always confused me.
I don’t like the “oh it didn’t happen cause of the maloofs bailed” that sounds like an excuse to me. They would been in better position now if they went continued ahead with that plan with out the maloofs involvement.
Suppose they gave a press conference and nobody with money showed up?
Nobody with rich deep pockets showed up. They only have 20 people pledging at least 1m.
It’s telling just how far along an emergency plan B really is when nobody with the actual cash will put their name to this.
Not even the $1 million investors would. Just not a good sign.
New thread up.
The Sac Railyard Arena was not finlized. What all parties agreed to during the All Star game in 2012 was the framework toward an Arena Deal. The Sac SC approved the Framework but many points still needed to be negotiated. Including who would cover cost overruns etc. Also they never finalized the Parking funding piece and how much money it would gererate. The EIS was never started because both parties could not agree on how to fund it. That is yet he point that the Maloofs back out of the deal.
FYI The Maloofs never signed the MU for the Arena
Exactly thus there is no actual finalized plan.
Those are some pretty big details not to be sorted out. I didn’t know they had so much left to work out for the arena deal.
Yea
i think they like spent a couple months 2-3 months or so on that framework. To get actual arena plan finalized takes longer than a couple months.
It took us oh a year and half(?) just about to get our plan done/approved.
Sac has 3 months to get an arena plan finalized and funded before Aprils BOG meeting.
NBA will not reject the sale of the kings to Hansen if Sac has no finalize arena plan with everything figured out.
Yeah, I don’t see how they could.
Even if they do have everything workout. The NBA will still allow them to move. The Deal is Done. KJ can do nothing. It is all noise.
Sac Politics can move alot faster than Seattle given the support KJ has on the Arena Proposal. But they need to not only find an invester for the Team but also figure out and finalize the Arena Plan. Even if they do all that Seattle still has a signed binding agreement.
3 months is not exactly a lot of time.