Update: Chris Hansen has released a statement apologizing and saying “I made a mistake.”
Seattle investor Chris Hansen helped fund campaign to stop Kings’ new arena
The man who tried to move the Kings to Seattle has been revealed as the man who tried to put a stop to Sacramento’s new arena.
Ronald Martinez
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Investor Chris Hansen, the man who unsuccessfully tried to move the Sacramento Kings to his native Seattle last season, has been revealed as the donor to a campaign aiming to put Sacramento's new arena deal up for a public vote. Hanson wired $80,000 to STOP -- Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork -- a month after it was announced the Kings would remain in the capital of California.
The campaign needs to get 22,000 validated signatures by December to force a public vote for the Kings’ new arena, though its chances aren’t looking particularly strong at the moment. While the group was reportedly halfway to its goal, the Sacramento Bee reported 1,700 people who signed the petition have demanded their names be removed from the document.
Hansen’s group bid up to $625 million to take the Kings to Seattle last season, but the league decided to keep the franchise in Sacramento by accepting Vivek Ranadive’s $535 million offer. Sacramento’s subsidy toward the arena’s estimated $448 million cost would be $258 million.
More from SB Nation NBA:
See More:
