We're one day from the NBA's Board of Governors meeting, which will go a long way toward deciding the future of the Kings. According to Bryan May of KXTV News10 (via Twitter), tomorrow's meetings will get underway at 1:00pm central time, and based on what we heard yesterday, it sounds as if the league is still leaning toward denying the team's relocation to Seattle. Here's the latest on the saga:
- Two Sacramento attorneys have filed suit, alleging fraud and illegal use of public funds in the Sacramento arena project, says Chris Daniels of KING5 (via Twitter). According to Daniels, the suit alleges that the city's contribution to the arena will be closer to $338MM, and that city leaders, including Mayor Johnson, have concealed that info (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- Current Kings owner George Maloof told May (Twitter link) that he's "ready for this to be over" but that he's not sure that will happen tomorrow.
- As he prepared to head to Dallas, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson confirmed to the Sacramento Bee that the Maloofs haven't closed the door on selling the Kings to a group that would keep the team in the city.
- Chris Daniels of KING5 in Seattle tweets that a "Taxpayers for Safer Neighborhoods" group in Sacramento intends to start collecting signatures for a ballot initiative to reject the proposed Sacramento arena. According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), two Sacramento taxpayer groups believe the arena plan, which calls for $258MM in public funds to be paid back by parking revenues, is "financially irresponsible."
- A source tells Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com (Twitter links) that the anti-arena groups shouldn't present a serious threat to the Sacramento proposal, calling it a non-issue. "It's all PR," the source said, referring to the timing of the announcement. "Once you do due diligence, you see that there's nothing there."