Jim Kozimor, with his energetic personality and warm smile, was one of the Kings' most recognizable faces. Now he's a personification of the Maloof family's financial troubles.

The TV and radio broadcaster was one of about a dozen Maloof Sports and Entertainment staffers laid off Tuesday as the Kings grapple with the weak economy and a disappointing NBA season that led to poor attendance at Arco Arena.

Adding to the Maloof money woes, the family is heavily invested in areas now taking hits from the recession. Las Vegas, where the Maloofs own the Palms Casino Resort, has been hurt by declines in gambling and tourism revenues.

The Maloof family is also one of the largest shareholders in Wells Fargo Bank.

Until now, though, there was nothing tangible fans could point to when sources cited millions in lost Kings revenue. Kozimor's departure changed that.

"I understood that I was front and center, and in some ways I was one of the faces of the organization," an emotional Kozimor said in a phone interview Wednesday. "I cared about that. This comes as a complete shock."

Maloof Sports said it eliminated about 1 percent of its 1,200 jobs, although the organization wouldn't say if they were full-time workers, part-timers or both.

Among those let go were several basketball operations staffers, sources said.

The layoffs are the first since the Maloof family bought the organization 11 years ago, said Mitch Germann, the Kings' vice president of business communications. Germann said no more layoffs are expected.

The move follows months of rumors about possible layoffs at Maloof Sports, although that is the case at many businesses during this recession.

Sports teams across the board, from the NFL to the NHL, are being battered by the recession. The NBA office laid off 9 percent of its employees last fall, and several teams reportedly are cash-strapped.

"Sports has been affected like any other industry," said Robert Tuchman, president of the New York-based sports marketing group TSE Sports and Entertainment. "Everyone from the NFL to small marketing shops have had to lay off people. One percent – that falls on the lower end."

Kozimor was a radio and TV personality for the Kings and Monarchs for 11 seasons. He hosted the Kings' "House Party Live," a pregame and postgame show with Kayte Christensen and Henry Turner. "House Party Live" has been canceled, and Christensen's and Turner's roles are still to be determined, Germann said.

Kozimor joined the Kings' broadcasting team for the 1998-99 season after three seasons with the Houston Rockets and Comets. While in Sacramento, Kozimor said the versatility of his job was what he liked the most, but he hoped to do TV play-by-play for the Kings someday.

He said he hasn't been able yet to think about other job opportunities.

"I honestly thought I would spend the rest of my life in Sacramento," said Kozimor, who had just started construction on a new home in East Sacramento. "People in Sacramento have been genuinely nice to me. That's the hardest part about leaving."

The Kings and the Maloofs have said little about layoffs but issued a statement to The Bee about Kozimor:

"Like all Team Members who were involved, Jim is a good, talented person who made many valuable contributions to our company," said John Thomas, president of Maloof Sports and Entertainment. "We thank him sincerely and wish him the very best."

The Kings have scrambled in recent months to respond to declining revenue after a franchise-worst 17-win season. The team ranked last in the league in attendance, averaging 12,571 fans. The Kings have since announced they are dropping season-ticket prices by as much as 44 percent for next season.

The Kings were among 12 teams that expressed interest in February in borrowing between $13 million to $20 million via a line of credit arranged by the NBA.

Team executives also acknowledged the Kings were on track to lose $25 million to $28 million this year, although that was before trading several high-salaried players.

The Kings are in the process of hiring a coaching staff.

"A lot of these people who have done cost-cutting measures have turned things around," Tuchman said.

That remains Kozimor's hope. The broadcaster said he wanted to focus on all his positive experiences with the Kings and Monarchs.

Kozimor said he wanted to thank all the well-wishers who have called him. Then he became emotional as he said he hasn't been able to return calls yet. He laughed as he said he might sob during two upcoming radio spots on KHTK (1140) on Friday and Monday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

"I was lucky," Kozimor said. "Really lucky. I got a chance to do this in a city where people care. I will cherish that. I can only be thankful. There is no question it makes me sad. It may be the last time I work in broadcasting, and it will be a great memory. I won't get angry at anyone."

Call The Bee's Melody Gutierrez, (916) 326-5521.