Why the Bay Area Is the Sports Capital of the World
By Eric He
Here We Stay
The Sacramento Kings may not technically be located in the Bay Area, but we just cannot exclude them from this list.
That is because mayor Kevin Johnson and the city of Sacramento pulled a Houdini, saving the franchise and the city’s only professional sports team from leaving town.
All hope seemed lost in January of this year, when a Seattle investment group led by Chris Hansen agreed in principle to buy the Kings from the Maloofs and relocate them up north.
However, the Maloofs proved once again that they are horrible partners to do business with, and Hansen found out how tough the city of Sacramento really is.
From January on, the city rallied. Bluegrass efforts and local investors pitched in, and slowly but surely, Sacramento gained momentum. Several “Here We Buy” and “Here We Stay” nights were set up, and fans packed Sleep Train Arena to support the Kings, chanting and cheering until they lost their voices.
Finally, earlier this month, the NBA Board of Governors voted down the proposed deal to relocate the Kings, and shortly afterwards, the Maloofs gave in and sold the team to local investors that will keep the Kings in Sacramento for years to come.
To give you a visual sense of all this, watch this inspiring video: