The Kings hold the grim NBA record for most years without playoffs (16, since 2006, and the streak is still open), but they are still great business for their owner Vivek Ranadivé. To the point that negotiations are underway to purchase the Sacramento River Cats Triple-A baseball.
The sale would give Vivek Ranadivé and Kings investors control of the Golden 1 Center, the River Cats and Sutter Health Park. The two locations are located less than a mile from each other, separated by the Sacramento River. Former Kings owner Gregg Lukenbill says Major League Baseball and a local Joint Powers Authority must approve the sale.
According to Lukenbill, the sale could lead to unprecedented development of the Sacramento Riverfront: “That urban continuity is what we need to become more of a connected and cosmopolitan area. What we need is a pedestrian bridge over the Sacramento River in the style of a Bridge. Vecchio, which becomes an attraction of its kind. Crossing that bridge alone would be a tourist attraction. “
The Kings may be the quintessential underdog team right now, but this story speaks volumes about the business-generating power that circulates around the NBA.
