The Sacramento Kings‘ time in the Golden State maybe limited as there are rumors swirling around the league that owners, the Maloof family, are ready to move the team to Virginia Beach, V.A. However, the family remains quiet on it and businessmen in Virginia are refuting any claim.
The Kings organization released a statement Thursday saying:
“The Kings organization over the last several years has been approached by numerous parties and cities interested in buying and relocating the franchise. The franchise is not going to discuss which cities have approached the organization and are not going to comment on every rumor. The sole focus of everyone within the Sacramento Kings organization continues to be to put a winning team on the court as we look forward to what promises to be an exciting 2012-13 NBA season.”
However, there is a rumor that the Maloof family is actually meeting with Comcast to go over a plan to make the move from fantasy to reality. The plan would include a 25-year lease on a new stadium including naming rights and the right to broadcast the games to the company.
Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessions told the USA Today, “Comcast, Live Nation and Global Spectrum have come to the city. They would guarantee us a professional sports team” if the deal goes through.”
A possible stadium would move across from the Virginia Beach Convention Center.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson refuted the claim saying that it is not going to happen. Even Joe Maloof, co-owner, has claimed that the Kings are not going to move. So where does this actually leave the Kings?
Virginia, as a state, has not seen a professional basketball team since the days of the American Basketball Association when the Virginia Squires played in Norfolk, Hampton, Richmond and Roanoke in the early to mid-1960s.
Other cities that the franchise could possibly move to include Anaheim, Las Vegas, Seattle or Kansas City even though David Stern said he would block a possible move to Anaheim.
According to Rant Sports’ Joshua Casey, a decision could come as early as next Wednesday.
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