by Charlie O. Mallonee

The Sacramento Kings have announced their intentions to make a bid to bring the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend to Sacramento. The event would the crowning achievement of opening the Entertainment and Sports Complex in downtown Sacramento.

The 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend was originally to be held in the Capital City but was moved by the Maloof family to Las Vegas to support their Palms Hotel and Casino business. It is believed that the Maloof’s hoped to use the weekend as a springboard to move the Kings to “Sin City”. That play did not work and the Maloofs now only own a small percentage of the Palms.

There is much to do, but the Kings, the City of Sacramento and our fans never shy away from hard work. Our downtown arena will serve as a global model of technology and sustainability, while showcasing Sacramento’s unique culture,”said Kings President Chris Granger.

The main problem for the Kings has been a lack of hotel rooms. The Sacramento City Planning Commission just “green lighted” the Kings 16 story hotel project to built next to the arena. By February 2019, it is believed that several other hotel projects will have been completed. Another possibility would be to bring cruise ships up the deep water channel and use them as temporary hotels as New York City did for the Superbowl.

The project would require a regional partnership but would also benefit the entire region. Some reports have the Napa area wine industry as major partner in the effort to bring the All-Star Weekend to Sacramento.