On a raucous night at Sacramento City Hall two decades ago, a divided City Council made one of its most controversial business moves in modern times: It voted to give the Sacramento Kings a $74 million loan, helping the then-struggling team to solidify its finances and keep it from leaving town.
Numerous critics protested the move, saying the city was giving into blackmail tactics.
The loan has continued to be a lightning rod since then — across three successive Kings ownership groups — serving as an emblem of the up and down relationship between restless team owners and city leaders.