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Not that the team is for sale, but the L.A. billionaire did emerge today as wanting to keep an NBA team in Sacramento, whether it's the Kings or some other franchise. Burkle came forward after Sacramento mayor and former star forward Kevin Johnson made a final plea to league owners to keep the Kings from moving to Anaheim. From Bloomberg:
Burkle's group wants to keep a franchise in Sacramento, Johnson said. "This is not meant to be a hostile takeover," Darius Anderson, a member of Burkle's group, said at the news conference. "We wanted to give an alternative group if the Maloofs opt to bring on additional partners, if they want to go ahead and sell and, if we lose the Kings, that the NBA has an alternative ownership group to bring an additional franchise at a later date."
The Maloof family has until next Monday to file an application with the NBA to move the franchise before the 2012-2013 season.
Mark Lacter created the LA Biz Observed blog in 2006. He posted
until the day before his death on Nov. 13, 2013.