Sacramento Kings moving franchise to the OC, CA.

They made it in 1985-86 and then not again until 1996 IIRC.

 

All that is true. But remember only about half the teams (16 of 30) in the NBA and NHL make the playoffs. Over the course of a 10-year cycle, most teams are going to endure a few seasons when they're in the bottom half. If your fan base can't survive that cycle, the franchise will be in trouble. Of course, anyone can sell out when the team is winning. What about when it's not?

 

The NBA and NHL need better revenue sharing so small-market clubs can withstand down years.

Unlike MLB, both the NBA and NHL have salary floors that keep owners from just pocketing revenue sharing without using it to increase payroll.

 

You're assuming the arena was the issue with the Sonics. Clay Bennett wanted it to be the issue because he knew a new/massively upgraded arena would never happen, but it clearly wasn't. KeyArena is far from perfect, but it's a perfectly fine NBA building.

 

Yes, correct. Back in 1986, the NBA had 23 teams...with 16 making the playoffs. They were the sacrificial lambs in the playoffs for 2-seed Houston. Still, quite an accomplishment for a team that was awful to start the year.

 

KeyArena sucks by NBA/NHL standards. Been there. It was an issue as far back as the Schultz year. Not a Clay Bennett imagination.

 

A building with a court and a few suites is not up to NBA standards. You have to look at new arenas built in the last decade. Take a look at The Palace of Auburn Hills and ARCO. Dramatically different buildings that opened in the same year.

 

What has surprised me about the NBA delaying the vote on the move is that Sacramento can offer no immediate assurances about a new arena with the requisite luxury boxes and premium seats. Kevin Johnson can talk all he wants about how he is committed to a new arena but he can not guarantee the taxpayers cash in the next week or so to pay for the building.

So, is the NBA planning to make the team stay if the seven million Johnson is promising in additional revenues next season is actually there or is Stern doing something Machiavellian?

I vote for Machiavelli.

 

So Kevin Johnson is supposed to just walk over to the city cash box and grab out $7 million for the Maloofs?

The "requisite luxury boxes and premium seats?"

"Requisite" by who?

Hey, I "requisite" a new car. Maybe I'll drive over to city hall, put a gun to the mayor's head, and see if he comes up with some cash.

 

KeyArena has more suites than the building in OKC. I'm not saying it's state of the art; far from it. But it was being used as an excuse by an owner who was moving the team regardless of anything else that happened.

 

Johnson says that he has seven million in additional sponserships, season ticket sales, etc. I think he has promises, not cash, but who knows.

As for the "requiste who". The answer if the NBA. In today's economy I don't think small market teams can prosper unless they have a sweetheart arena with lots of revenue sources or an owner with deep pockets who can ride out the bad times. The leaked balance sheet of the New Orleans Hornets says they had a partnership deficit of 83 million dollars.

Given the Maloofs seem to have short pockets I think they go broke in Sacramento and can not currently sell for more than they owe unless an arena is built at taxpayer expense.

You can reasonibly argue that the taxpayers in Sacramento should not pay 25-35 million annually to subsidize a private enterprise in a new arena. And I would agree. But I think that is the price small markets must pay to play.

 

I think if the Maloofs wanted to move the team somewhere other than SoCal, it probably would have gone through easily.

There's no need for a team in OC. It hurts two existing franchises and seems like nothing more than a quick fix for the brothers who are quickly going bankrupt.