The Hissy Fit Over The Kings Enters Angry Letter-Writing Phase

The Maloof brothers are determined to move their basketball team to Anaheim. But Kevin Johnson, the mayor of broke-ass Sacramento, isn't having it, not unless the Maloofs first pay off the $77 million they owe. So Sacramento fired off a snippy letter to Anaheim (see below). This is correspondence from the Robert Moses school of municipality planning, but the upshot of it is: The Maloofs will be moving from one money-sucking situation to another money-sucking situation after the NBA hits them with what will likely be a minimum $30 million relocation fee. They might also have to concede a $25 million stake in their team to Sacramento. They must really not like Northern California.

From the letter:

Accordingly, on behalf of the City of Sacramento, I respectfully request that the City of Anaheim, the Anaheim Public Financing Authority, and their respective agents:

1) Do not authorize issuance of $75,000,000 in lease revenue bonds, and any other actions related to the inducement of the Kings to relocate from Sacramento to Anaheim in breach of the Kings' agreements with Sacramento.

2) Cease negotiating with the Kings.

3) However, if Anaheim insists on continuing the negotiations, then, as a matter of common interests between cities and good public policy, Anaheim must contractually require and condition bond issuance, and any other inducement to the Kings, upon the Kings honoring their approximately $77 million financial obligations to the City of Sacramento before relocating to Anaheim.

Upon learning about the letter, Joe Maloof had the following to say to the Orange County Register:

You better be careful; don't mess around and interfere with our business.

People in the NBA have clearly been watching these days.