April 27, 2011KINGS PAGEKINGS VIDEONBA PAGENBA SCOREBOARD
CSNBayArea.com staff
NBA commissioner David Stern spoke to Dan Patrick on Patrick's nationally syndicated radio program on Wednesday and outlined the status of the Kings, and what may be ahead for the franchise in the tug-of-war between the city of Sacramento and the push to relocate in Orange County.
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Q: What's the status of the Sacramento Kings as of today?
Stern: Sacramento Kings as of today are in Sacramento. There's a small NBA task force on the ground seeing whether certain assurances that the mayor gave us about community support for the team -- were they to stay for one more year to develop a plan for a building -- can be reduced to writing in some shape or form. The Maloofs have until May 2 to apply to relocate. I have a meeting at 11:30 with the relocation committee and I don't have anything else to say about that right now.
Q: No paperwork has been filed by the Maloofs?
Stern: Not yet, although in fairness to the Maloofs, they haven't filed it yet but the committee pretty well understands what the relocation would be. Because it was such an important matter we sort of cranked up the committee early.
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Q: But if Maloofs want to relocate but the city wants to hold on, where does the league side?
Stern: That's why commissioners appoint committees.
Q: That's a fair question. Who has final say?
Stern: The board of governors -- based on a recommendation of the relocation committee -- makes the decision.
Q: Can Southern California support three NBA teams?
Stern: Well, that's interesting you would ask. That's one of the questions under Article 7 of the constitution that governs franchise relocation. And that's one of the issues for the relocation committee to decide, along with a host of others, including whether there should be a relocation fee, and what the amount of that relocation fee should be.
Q: But do you think Southern California, you personally as the commissioner, can support three?
Stern: It's a tough one. I think at the end of the day you could probably find support for an NBA team. Would it be enough? It likely could. I find it hard to acknowledge that there wouldn't be support of an NBA team even if you put it on top of another NBA team, which happens to be the case at the Staples Center.
Q: What other possibilities, if not Sacramento or Southern California, what other city has a chance?
Stern: That's literally for the committee to begin looking at other options. It's a very complex process under the relocation provisions. and this one is particularly difficult in uncertain times. We're working on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, we're working on a new revenue-sharing proposition for our teams, we're doing a lot of things and this is a very uncertain time.