Sacramento Bee Logo

Lobbyist Anderson reportedly upset with lack of Kings role | The Sacramento Bee

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • SacBee Rewards
    • About Us
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Apps
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube
    • News in Education (NIE)
  • Newsletters

    • Sacramento Region
    • Arena
    • City Beat
    • Crime
    • Local Govt Salary Database
    • The Homeless
    • Marcos Bretón
    • Transportation
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health & Medicine
    • Traffic Conditions
    • Weather
    • Communities
    • Elk Grove
    • Folsom/El Dorado
    • Roseville/Placer
    • Yolo
    • Sports
    • Kings
    • NBA News
    • 49ers
    • Giants
    • Oakland A's
    • High School Sports
    • Joe Davidson
    • More Sports
    • Raiders
    • NFL News
    • MLB News
    • River Cats
    • Soccer
    • Colleges
    • Golf
    • Autos Racing
    • Politics
    • Capitol Alert
    • State Workers
    • The California Influencer Series
    • Local Elections
    • PoliGRAPH
    • State Worker Salary Database
    • Legislative Gifts
    • Local Elections
    • California Elections
    • Election Endorsements
    • Election 2018
    • Voter Guide
    • Investigations
    • Data Tracker
    • Public Eye
    • Afghan Refugees
    • Nursing Homes
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Election Endorsements
    • Viewpoints
    • Influencers Opinion
    • California Forum
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Submit a Letter
    • Jack Ohman
    • Editorial Board
    • Entertainment & Life
    • Arts & Theater
    • Books
    • Home & Garden
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Outdoors
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • More Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Horoscopes
    • Comics
    • Puzzles
    • TV Listings
    • Sacbee Rewards
    • Food & Drink
    • Restaurants News & Reviews
    • Restaurant Directory
    • Cooking & Recipes
    • Beer
    • Wine
    • Appetizers Blog
    • California
    • Big Valley
    • Marijuana
    • Wildfires
    • Water & Drought
    • Lottery
    • Business
    • Real Estate
    • Market Summary
    • Cathie Anderson
    • Nation & World
    • National
    • World
    • Technology
    • Family
    • Celebrities
    • TV news
    • Weird News
    • Video Break
    • News Obituaries
    • Death Notices
    • FAQ
    • ObitMessenger
    • In Memoriam

    • The Sacramento Bee Store
    • Golf Card
    • Farm to Fork Dining Card
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Legal Notices
  • Place an Ad
  • Advertise
  • Mobile & Apps

Sacramento Kings

Lobbyist Anderson reportedly upset with lack of Kings role

By Dale Kasler - dkasler@sacbee.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

October 01, 2013 12:00 AM

When Sacramento officials launched their desperate campaign over the winter to keep the Sacramento Kings from relocating to Seattle, a key ally was lobbyist, power broker and developer Darius Anderson.

Anderson brought Southern California billionaire Ron Burkle into the picture, giving Sacramento a credible ownership alternative to the buyers from Seattle. Anderson himself was a silent partner in Downtown Plaza, site of the proposed new NBA arena.

But Burkle pulled out of the team’s ownership. The Kings and Downtown Plaza were purchased by a group led by software tycoon Vivek Ranadive, and Anderson was left without a piece of the team.

Now the long-time Democratic fundraiser, upset with his lack of a role in the Kings’ new era, has reportedly hired high-powered Bay Area lawyer Joseph Cotchett to represent him as he gears up for a potential fight with the new owners.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Cotchett, known for taking on huge corporate defendants like Toyota and JPMorgan, told the San Francisco Chronicle he thinks Anderson and the Kings can reach a settlement.

“We believe it will all be worked out,” Cotchett told the Chronicle over the weekend. Efforts to reach Anderson for comment were unsuccessful.

Ranadive, leader of the group that bought the team in late May, said Monday he wasn’t aware that Anderson was upset. Asked about the matter after a press conference at Sleep Train Arena’s practice facility to announce center DeMarcus Cousins’ contract extension, Ranadive referred a reporter to Kings minority owner Mark Mastrov, who has known Anderson for years.

Mastrov said he, too, didn’t know of any issues between Anderson and the new ownership group.

“Darius is my friend,” Mastrov said, adding that the two talk frequently. “I don’t know what he could be ticked off about.”

As far as Anderson’s absence in team ownership, Mastrov said: “He’s a Burkle guy, he’s not a Vivek guy, and Burkle didn’t get the team.”

Burkle and Anderson initially tried to buy the Kings in 2011, when the former owners, the Maloofs, were threatening to move the team to Anaheim. Anderson and Mayor Kevin Johnson swept into a meeting of the NBA board of governors in New York, telling league executives that new ownership led by Burkle could revive the struggling franchise in Sacramento.

The Maloofs rebuffed the offer, and Burkle and Anderson backed off. But they resurfaced after the Maloofs made a deal in January to sell the Kings to investors who planned to move the team to Seattle.

Anderson and Burkle led the initial charge, along with Mastrov, to buy the team and build a badly needed new arena at Downtown Plaza – a critical piece of Sacramento’s counteroffensive against Seattle. Anderson was revealed as being part of the investment group, led by San Francisco’s JMA Ventures, that bought the decaying shopping mall in 2012. Burkle flew to New York to lobby NBA Commissioner David Stern on the virtues of the site.

When the Sacramento City Council voted in late March to tentatively approve a $258 million public subsidy for the arena, it was Anderson who addressed the council on the owners’ behalf. A few days later, he and Burkle were part of the Sacramento entourage that made a formal presentation to the NBA’s relocation committee in New York.

But a week later, Burkle withdrew from the ownership team. His explanation was a conflict of interest: He’s also an investor in a sports-management firm that represents NBA players. By that point, Ranadive had already been installed as leader of the Sacramento ownership group.

In May, shortly after the NBA vetoed the Seattle deal, Ranadive’s group announced it had bought Downtown Plaza from JMA Ventures for an undisclosed sum. JMA was named “master developer” to overhaul the rest of Downtown Plaza, and city officials have said Burkle could play a role in that ancillary work. Possible projects include a hotel, retail and other amenities.

Related stories from Sacramento Bee

ailene-voisin

Ailene Voisin: Kings' Ranadive welcomes his chance to rock the NBA

September 29, 2013 12:00 AM

city-arena

Kings reveal plan for ‘indoor-outdoor’ arena; City OKs surcharge for Sleep Train events

September 25, 2013 12:00 AM

  Comments  

Videos

Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks will ‘Team Up for Change’

Watch De’Aaron Fox participate in magic trick at NBA All-Star Weekend

View More Video

Trending Stories

An unsettling sight: Someone strung dead coyotes along a fence near Oakdale

February 20, 2019 12:04 PM

Reports of ‘homophobic’ emoji set off online uproar. What’s going on?

February 20, 2019 07:44 AM

Gavin Newsom’s housing lawsuit put 47 California cities on notice. Is yours on the list?

February 19, 2019 12:00 AM

I owe how much? Americans shocked by impact of new tax law

February 19, 2019 09:00 AM

‘A pretty good season.’ What California’s winter rain and snow mean for you in 2019

February 19, 2019 11:09 AM

Read Next

Kings: Vlade Divac won DeMarcus Cousins trade and brought back ‘beautiful basketball’

Sacramento Kings

Kings: Vlade Divac won DeMarcus Cousins trade and brought back ‘beautiful basketball’

By Jason Anderson

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 21, 2019 03:55 AM

The Sacramento Kings traded brooding big man DeMarcus Cousins two years ago. General manager Vlade Divac won the trade and brought back ‘beautiful basketball’ with a commitment to culture and character.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Sacramento Bee

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE SACRAMENTO KINGS

How sure is Buddy Hield the Kings will make the playoffs? ‘I’d bet my house on it’

Sacramento Kings

How sure is Buddy Hield the Kings will make the playoffs? ‘I’d bet my house on it’

February 20, 2019 10:01 PM
The Kings may be young, but they’re getting valuable experience in their playoff push

Sacramento Kings

The Kings may be young, but they’re getting valuable experience in their playoff push

February 20, 2019 05:48 PM
‘Authentic Mexican’ restaurant Polanco announced for Downtown Commons

Food & Drink

‘Authentic Mexican’ restaurant Polanco announced for Downtown Commons

February 20, 2019 11:00 AM
One of the newest Kings hasn’t suited up. Here’s how he’ll get some playing time

Sacramento Kings

One of the newest Kings hasn’t suited up. Here’s how he’ll get some playing time

February 20, 2019 11:28 AM

Sacramento Kings

How the Kings, Bucks, OutKast and more are uniting in fight against social injustice

February 20, 2019 08:00 AM
The Kings needed Iman Shumpert then. Here’s why Harrison Barnes is what they need now

Sacramento Kings

The Kings needed Iman Shumpert then. Here’s why Harrison Barnes is what they need now

February 19, 2019 06:59 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

The Sacramento Bee App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
Advertising
  • Place a Classified Ad
  • Place a Legal Notice
  • Place a Digital Ad
  • Place a Newspaper Ad
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Corrections Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story