When the Sacramento Kings host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, they'll have a very special guest in the house...NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Silver will likely get a much better reception than predecessor David Stern would have a few years back. The Kings were regularly dangled as a relocation candidate while Stern was in office, and his unwillingness to do anything about it made him a less-than-popular figure in the Sacramento area. Now, the Kings are set to stay in Sacramento, and Silver named their first All-Star since 2004 last week when he selected DeMarcus Cousins as an injury replacement for Kobe Bryant.
While the All-Star nod certainly helps, it's what Silver did to keep the Kings in Sacramento that makes him such a popular figure locally. While the Maloof family wanted to accept Chris Hansen's bid (which would have moved the Kings to Seattle), Silver took control of the process with an impassioned speech to the owners that shifted the momentum back to Sacramento and Vivek Ranadive's plan to keep the Kings right where they are.
This will be Silver's second visit to Sacramento as commissioner, with his first coming in February of last year. Per Jason Jones' Twitter account, DeMarcus Cousins plans to thank him for the All-Star selection with a hug.
Back to the Sacramento Kings Newsfeed