Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is ready to meet with Kings owners at the NBA Board of Governors' gathering under one stipulation: the city will not renegotiate the proposed arena deal.
In a letter to the Maloof family released late Thursday night, Johnson put pressure on the team - and the league - to follow through with its commitment. He said Sacramento has ''done our part'' and now it's up to the team to do the same, setting the stage for a critical gathering after taking the city's hardest stance yet.
''Your handshake is your handshake. Your promise is your promise,'' Johnson said.
The two sides reached a tentative deal last month to fund the estimated $391 million arena, which would keep the team from relocating, as it almost did last year to Anaheim. The Sacramento City Council already passed its end of the deal, brokered by the league and
tentatively agreed to by the Kings.
The team has to sign off so all parties can enter into binding contracts.
Kings owners Joe, Gavin and George Maloof have since taken issue with some of the terms - particularly environmental and pre-development costs. Under the agreement, the Kings and arena operator AEG each agreed to pay about $3.25 million in pre-development costs with the city paying the remaining $6.5 million.
George Maloof has since said that he does not believe the team should pay $3.25 million in pre-development costs because they're ''playing the role of the tenant.'' All are expected to meet Friday with NBA Commissioner David Stern - who helped negotiate the original deal - and other league representatives in New York.
''We are 100% committed to moving forward under the framework laid out in the term sheet,'' Johnson said. ''And there should be no expectation in (Friday's) conversation that this deal is subject to further negotiation. In light of these facts, the ball is in your court.''
The strongly worded letter followed a day of tension from California's capital to the Big Apple.
In another letter signed by about two dozen of Sacramento's most powerful businesses leaders sent to Stern, the group asked the league to ''strongly encourage'' the Maloofs to sell. It also accused the Maloofs of not negotiating in good faith and questioned whether the owners have the finances - and motivation - to keep the team in Sacramento.
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