DEVELOPING: Sac Kings Reportedly Sold To Seattle Group. Supersonics Reborn?

For the good folks of Seattle, Washington it looks like your long NBA drought might be over.

Numerous outlets are reporting that the Sacramento Kings have been sold to a group that intends to move the team to Seattle appears to be done.

According to reports 65 percent of the Kings will be sold to a group led by Chris Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. If approved by the NBA Board of Governors the team would begin playing in Seattle’s KeyArena next season.  That approval might come in mid-April.

The price tag for 65 percent of the Kings comes to roughly $340 million.

Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson though is not giving up the fight to keep the Kings.  Johnson released a statement Sunday night.

“When it comes to keeping the team in our community, Sacramento is playing to win, In particular, we have been focused like a laser on identifying an ownership group that will both have the financial resources desired by the NBA and the vision to make the Kings the NBA equivalent of what the Green Bay Packers have been in the NFL.”

According to the Sacramento Bee the city is willing to put up money to build and downtown arena but the current owners, the Maloof brothers passed on that.

That arena deal would be in play for any potential buyer who wants to keep the team in Sacramento.

This might be a tough sell to keep the Kings in Sacramento.  A source has told The Sacramento Bee the team is $200 million in debt and on track to lose $7 million this year.

Quoting an anonymous source Yahoo Sports reported Sunday night that the NBA's influential relocation committee would recommend that the larger board of governors approve the Seattle deal.   

So it appears Seattle is going to get the Supersonics back. 

 


Here's the early morning buzz out of Seattle... ((HT: KING-TV)) The NBA has issued the following statement on the matter, for now: "The NBA received an executed Purchase and Sale Agreement for the transfer of a controlling interest in the Sacramento Kings from the Maloof family to an investor group led by Christopher Hansen. The proposed transaction is subject to the approval of the NBA Board of Governors and has been referred to the Board's committee process for review."

Djokovic Survives Down Under

((HT: EuroSport/ATP/WTA))

And a lot of people have a newly-found level of respect for Stan Wawrinka after this match in the Round of 16 at the Australian Open...

Djokovic needed just over 5 hours to beat Wawrinka 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (7-5), 12-10. Remember, last year at the Australian Open final, Djokovic needed almost 6 hours to knock off Rafa Nadal.

Here's some of the highlights... if we ran the whole match down below, we'd run out of space (or memory- whichever applies...)


"I just had flashback of 2012," Djokovic said afterwards in the post-match interviews. "It was maybe 45 minutes less this match than the one 12 months ago, but still it was still as exciting. I tried to enjoy the moment and couldn't ask for more. What a match point ... unbelievable."

And don't think Tomas Berdych wasn't watching this match, either...

OSG Prem: Don't Mess With Texas, Dempsey's Late Goal Ties ManU

((HT: PremierLeague/FoxSports))

Clint Dempsey's move from Fulham to Tottenham raised some eyebrows in the off-season. Folks wondered whether or not Dempsey would get enough playing time- much less even get a starting position in the 11.

People wondered if AVB would even give him a chance... period...

Dempsey has come off the bench as the first sub in offensive substitutions and has given Spurs a spark...

Evidence below as the team stole a point from Manchester United today and trimmed the Reds lead to five at the top of the table...

Oregon chooses OC Mark Helfrich to be Kelly's successor

Mark Helfrich (photo courtesy GoDucks.com)

EUGENE - To anyone following west coast college football, Chip Kelly's successor at Oregon should not be an unusual choice.

Offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich was named as Kelly's replacement early Sunday morning. Oregon will officially announce the promotion Sunday afternoon, and will continue Oregon's penchant for staying inside the family with hiring choices.

Another candidate for the job, former Stanford OC Pep Hamilton, was hired to be Chuck Pagano's OC with the Indianapolis Colts.

Kelly was in the middle of a coaching carousel soap opera, turning down the Cleveland job to stay in Eugene. Kelly surprised everyone when he turned around and took the Philadelphia Eagles' vacant coaching position. I guess the Cleveland job really IS that bad.

That reversal opened the door for the 39-yr old Helfrich, whom many said from the beginning would replace Kelly - maybe even being talked about for over a year. Helfrich had been Kelly's OC for the last four seasons.

Helfrich will be the third consecutive Oregon offensive coordinator that went on to become the Ducks' head coach. Kelly took over for Mike Bellotti in 2009, and before that, Bellotti was Rich Brooks' successor in 1995.

The HQ is also hearing that wide receivers coach Scott Frost will be promoted to offensive coordinator.

BUZZER BEATER: Gonzaga a victim of "Hinkle Magic". Jones Hits The Shot For Butler

I know it’s an overused phrase but I”ve got to say it.  The Butler did it again. 

This time it’s sophomore forward Roosevelt Jones who ended this Butler/Gonzaga dogfight with a buzzer beater at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

"I heard their coach saying to lob it to [Kelly] Olynyk, so I just played behind him, made the basketball play and got the steal," Jones said. "I looked at the clock and saw four seconds, so I knew I could get down court. I saw Olynyk come up to me and I floated it over him."

"This was a little bit of Hinkle magic, I guess," Butler head coach Brad Stevens said.

Jones led Butler in scoring with 20 points shooting 7 of 10 from the field.  16 points came in the second half.

This is what you get when you have the “gold standards” of the mid-majors face off.  Some think Gonzaga and Butler are now brand names that resonate in college basketball.  I totally agree.

BUZZER BEATER: A Brave Shot By Lemon, Jr. Gives Bradley at 66-69 Win Over Missouri State

Most buzzer beaters are personal with me but this one was.  It involved Bradley’s Walt Lemon, Jr. banking home a three pointer at the buzzer to defeat my alma mater, Missouri State 69-66.

Here’s the game winner, (Thanks KYTV, Springfield, MO)

“I was actually going to pass it because I thought they would double team me.” Lemon said.  “But they retreated and I just shot it.  I didn’t know what to think but I was just glad it went it.”

“We knew Lemon would probably get it and we wanted to give a bunch of help on him and not let him get all the way to the rim,” Missouri State head coach Paul Lusk said. “We hit a big shot. They hit a bigger one.”

Lemon finished with 20 points to lead the Braves in scoring.

Teddy Bear Inspires Lady Vols

((HT: WBIR-TV))

The HQ covered Andraya Carter during her uber-talented high school career in the Atlanta area at Buford High School. She was, visibly hurting and not fully recovered by title game time as her Buford Wolves team lost to The Lovett School.

Carter went on to Tennessee, but is having to sit out this year because of shoulder problems. But what she has done is combine her love of her sport, her team, and the devastation at her alma mater over the last two years into a team award that gets passed from player to player as they all see what heart has to do with everyday life.

In the form of a teddy bear...

Here's the story through Carter's eyes...

Glad to see that home is never far from Draya's heart...