Updated Jan 17, 2013 - 10:36 am
Sacramento insider confident city will keep Kings
"I will tell you that the mood is as upbeat and positive as I can remember at any time including two years ago when it was announced that the Kings would not be moving to Anaheim and they would be staying in Sacramento," said Kings play-by-play announcer Grant Napear in an interview with 710 ESPN's "Bob and Groz."
One day after Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson announced the NBA would allow him to present any counter proposal to the NBA's Board of Governors, Napear said the former NBA star's close relationship with league commissioner David Stern holds tremendous weight.
"I don't think David Stern would have told Kevin Johnson you'll get a chance to make a counter offer at the NBA Board of Governors meeting if he knew there was no chance."
Johnson said Tuesday several deep-pocketed investors were willing to step up and buy the team from the Maloof family and keep the Kings in Sacramento.
And the head of entertainment giant AEG reaffirmed his company's support to help build a new Sacramento arena if the Kings' ownership situation gets settled.
AEG Chief Executive Tim Leiweke told The Sacramento Bee Stern and Johnson asked him to re-engage on the arena and "we haven't changed our opinion about Sacramento or the arena."
"To the commissioner's credit, I don't think he ever forgot about Sacramento," he said.
Napear said over 65 businesses have pledged to sponsor the Kings if they stay in Sacramento and season-ticket sales have soared since the initial report of an impending sale. And he remains confident the city will ultimately prevail.
"It's been pretty remarkable what's happened here really in the last four or five days," he said.
But what about the reported $525 million offer from Hansen and his group? Napear said the NBA won't be able to turn down an ownership group featuring Hansen, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and several Nordstroms, and change its tune about creating a new expansion team for Seattle instead.
"I don't think they're going to be able to pass up what Seattle has presented. I think everybody around the league realizes that Seattle should have never lost their team and that's a tremendous NBA market."
While Hansen has reportedly sought to finalize a deal by March 1, the mandated league-deadline to file for relocation, Napear said with the NBA vowing to let Johnson make a counter offer and the Board of Governors not meeting until April, it's likely the saga and all the unconfirmed reports will continue unresolved for the foreseeable future.
Follow Josh Kerns, MyNorthwest.com Reporter
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Eta Huinya wrote...I hope they fight for their team and keep itJanuary 16, 2013 6:30 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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Fuego wrote...Stern willJanuary 16, 2013 6:53 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Rayvensdad wrote...This insider's perspective...January 16, 2013 8:55 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Newton wrote...Sacramento Can't afford this team.January 16, 2013 9:02 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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AKAF wrote...Yet...you have a private investor...January 16, 2013 11:44 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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R L M 456 wrote...Yet you have a private investor that is willing to build an arena and hand it over to the county/city.January 17, 2013 12:05 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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CH wrote...selling those bonds???? -January 17, 2013 5:00 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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Richardb787 wrote...SternJanuary 17, 2013 11:36 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Mocorro wrote...SACRAMENTO WILL KEEP THE TEAM;January 17, 2013 11:44 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Bob Stelton is the co-host of "Bob and Groz". He came to 710 ESPN Seattle from 101 ESPN in St. Louis and had previously worked for Sporting News Radio in Chicago and Santa Monica, Calif. Bob began his radio career in Seattle in 1997 after a failed attempt to become a rock star. 
Dave Grosby is the co-host of "Bob and Groz." The Groz has spent the last 21 years of his 39-year broadcast career as a Seattle sports talk show host. Dave is also the play-by-play announcer for Seattle U basketball on KTTH 770. Before coming to Seattle, Dave worked at KFI in Los Angeles and KFBK in Sacramento. He's been married to his wife Bonnie for 23 years.
After two years as the producer for "Brock and Salk," Colin Paisley now produces "Bob and Groz." Colin also hosts "Seattle Sports at Night" with Tom Wassell and Matt Pitman. Colin came to 710 ESPN Seattle after five years at various FM music stations in Bellingham and Seattle. In addition to his time as producer and host, Colin likes to spend his time embracing his "Slacker Gen-Y" persona by napping and not caring about stuff. Plus he likes tons of bands you've never heard of, and once you hear of them he'll stop liking them.
