Former NBA commissioner David Stern was instrumental in keeping the Kings in Sacramento.
Stern helped push the league’s board of governors to turn down multiple sale attempts of the team to groups that wanted to move the organization elsewhere, eventually convincing former Warriors co-owner Vivek Ranadive to spearhead an ownership group that would keep the Kings in the state capital for the foreseeable future.
Stern and Ranadive also worked hand-in-hand to build a brand-new arena in Sacramento, the Golden 1 Center, leading the Kings to name the street address for the new building as “David J Stern Walk.”
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During “Kings Pregame Live” on Thursday night, Ranadive opined about the incredible impact Stern had not just on himself, but on the Kings and the entire city of Sacramento.
“He was a force of nature, he was bigger than life,” Ranadive said. “He could impose his will on anyone, he was always five years and five moves ahead of everyone."
In particular, Ranadive expressed an appreciation of Stern’s passion for expanding the game of basketball onto a global stage.
“David Stern always had this vision to take the game global,” said Ranadive. “He took it to China, he took it to Africa, and all of this, it’s all David.
NBA
“Other than Dr. Naismith, he is the single-most important person in the history of this game.”
Stern passed away on Jan. 1 “as a result of the brain hemorrhage he suffered approximately three weeks ago.”
“What I want our fans and I want the city to know, is that he truly loved all of you. He loved Sacramento, he loved the fans, he loved everything we stood for,” Ranadive concluded.