Saving Sacramento by Jason Coldiron

Saving Sacramento tells the story of how a small-market city accomplished the impossible – keeping the Kings in Sacramento. 2002 was an amazing year for Sacramento. Fans of the Kings saw their beloved basketball team come within one game of the NBA Finals for the first time ever, losing in a controversial game to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings owners, the Maloof Family, had built a team that Sports Illustrated called the Greatest Show on Court, and they had the city in the palms of their hands. For perhaps the first time in history, Sacramento was relevant in the sports world. What no one knew at that time was that the team had peaked. By 2011, the Kings hadn't made the playoffs in years and the Maloofs wanted to skip town with the franchise – burning every bridge on the way out. Hope in Sacramento was at an all-time low in the spring of 2011 when the NBA allowed the Maloofs to make their case to take the team away from the most devoted fans in the world. From there, a dramatic series of political events led by Mayor Kevin Johnson, combined with grassroots efforts by the fans in Sacramento, led to a historic victory in 2013. This is the story of how the fans won back the team and saved Sacramento.