NBA commissioner David Stern spoke on NBATV during Game 4 of the first-round NBA Playoffs series between the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers. During the interview, he addressed the decision by the Relocation Committee to keep the Kings in Sacramento.
David Stern reacts to Kings staying in Sacramento, says expansion ‘not on the agenda’
NBA commissioner David Stern doesn’t seem to be inclined on mending fences with Seattle before he leaves office.
“I didn’t see a unanimous vote coming, but they decided as strong as the Seattle bid was, and it was very strong, there’s some benefit that should be given to a city that has supported us for so long, and has stepped up to contribute to build a new building as well,” he said.
Stern then made it clear that expansion would not be a viable option, at least while he’s still commissioner.
“You know, all I can say is that discussion will have to wait for [future] commissioner [Adam] Silver to oversee. Right now, expansion is not on the agenda,” Stern said. “I would never say never. It doesn’t make a lot of sense unless we know what the new TV deal is.”
Stern is retiring on February 1, 2014, so perhaps expansion will re-enter the discussion once Silver takes over.
It has been rumored that Stern has wanted to keep the Kings in Sacramento. Sources told Chris Daniels of King5.com that the commissioner was pulling the strings to try and ensure a counter-bid by a group that would keep the team in the California state capital. Stern also appeared to drop public hints to the media showing how the Sacramento bidders could make the best possible offer to keep the team.
Full audio of the Stern press conference can be found here, which also includes comments on Jason Collins coming out as the NBA's first publicly gay player.
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