The Sacramento Kings are naming a street after David Stern
When David Stern retired in February of 2014 after spending 30 years as the commissioner of the NBA, he left behind a complicated legacy marked by leadership that was in turns visionary and retrograde, lined with choices that made him a villain in some cities and a hero in others. We can safely consider Sacramento, Calif., in the latter camp, with Stern receiving something of a hero’s welcome after he and deputy commissioner/successor-in-waiting Adam Silver helped keep the Sacramento Kings from being relocated to Seattle and helped lay the groundwork for the sale of the franchise to a local ownership group led by Vivek Ranadivé that would commit to keeping the Kings in Sacramento. Sure, things haven’t gone super great in Sacramento since, but hey, at least they’ve been going in Sacramento, you know?
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In recognition of Stern’s efforts in making sure that the franchise stayed in town, the Kings will reportedly honor the old boss and Hall of Famer by naming the street leading up to their about-to-open new arena after him. From Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee (with a hat-tip to my ace Tom Ziller):
Officially, the address of the Golden 1 Center — to be submitted to the city Tuesday for approval — is 500 David J. Stern Walk.
“When I learned we would have the option of naming the road, it was a no-brainer for me,” Kings principal owner Vivek Ranadive told The Sacramento Bee on Monday. “There were no other names on my list. David took the NBA to the global level and started the WNBA, but he is about so much more than basketball. He is one of the greatest leaders in the world, and on top of that, the team would not be in Sacramento without David Stern.” […]
The city’s community development director, Ryan DeVore, said he anticipated the Kings’ application would be approved.
“I don’t see any conflicts,” DeVore said. “It seems fitting.”
Stern “sounded genuinely delighted” by the honor, according to Voisin, in part because, as noted by Jerry Bembry of The Undefeated, his relationship to both the Kings and the city of Sacramento stretches back to the earliest days of his tenure:
The Kings moved to Sacramento, California, during Stern’s first year as commissioner and by the turn of the century had emerged as one of the top teams in the league. But as the team later lost its elite status, its owners, the Maloof family, began discussions with a long list of cities — including Anaheim, California; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Seattle — looking to lure the team away.
In 2013, a Seattle group agreed to buy the team, but the NBA’s relocation committee recommended against it. A Northern California group led by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Vivek Ranadivé stepped up with an offer to keep the team in Sacramento and build the new arena, which opens in October. Stern oversaw the negotiations, which resulted in a sale price in 2013 of $534 million, a record at the time.
“I opened the first ARCO Arena and the second one, so I have a warm spot in my heart for Sacramento,” the 73-year-old Stern told The Undefeated during a phone conversation on Monday. “I think it’s a wonderful gesture, and I’m deeply touched, I’m just not sure I’ll be able to get into the same tuxedo.”
Maybe the commish can reach out to Hakeem Olajuwon for some pointers there.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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