Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson Gets Hero's Welcome From Kings Fans
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Mayor Kevin Johnson got a hero's welcome late Monday night at Sacramento International Airport when he arrived home from Orlando where he, the Kings and the NBA hammered out an arena deal to keep the team in the Capitol City.
Dozens of Sacramento Kings fans held signs and chanted "Thank You K.J." as the mayor made his way through the airport.The mayor gave fans high fives and posed for pictures. He thanked the community for all the support, calling it "Sac-sanity."
"I think us, as a community, have said: 'Hey, we're not going to let this thing go. We're going to believe,'" said Johnson. "A year ago, we were the longest of long shots and we had one heck of a comeback."
Mayor Johnson also thanked Kings owners Joe, Gavin, and George Maloof for making a commitment to keep the Kings in Sacramento.
The Maloofs, who originally promised to kick in $50 million, agreed to pony up nearly $75 million in upfront cash. They also agreed to pay off a $67 million loan to the city.
AEG, the company that would manage and operate the arena, agreed to offer an additional $10 million raising its contribution to $60 million.
The city of Sacramento and Sacramento County are promising more than $200 million to the project through privatized parking.
There are still a few hurdles to overcome before the arena deal is finalized.
Members of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will vote during their weekly Tuesday meeting on their portion of the privatized parking plan.
On March 1 Sacramento City leaders will unveil the "Term Sheet" which will have specific details on the arena agreement. Then on March 6 the Sacramento City Council will vote on the new plan.
