This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
More than just about anyone else, former NBA commissioner David Stern is the reason the Kings still exist in Sacramento. With his long-held beliefs that smaller markets are equally deserving of NBA franchises as the larger ones — so long as the support is there — he first persuaded the league's owners to block a move to Anaheim, California, in 2011 and then helped shepherd through the arrangement by which current owner Vivek Ranadive purchased the team in 2013, staving off a move to Seattle.
Three years later, the Kings are about to move into a new stadium for the 2016-17 season. And while the franchise certainly isn't going to name the new stadium after Stern — Golden 1 Credit Union is paying the team $120 million over 20 years for that honor — it hopes to do the next best thing by naming a newly created street leading up to the stadium after him.
"When I learned we would have the option of naming the road, it was a no-brainer for me," Ranadive told the Sacramento Bee on Monday. "There were no other names on my list. David took the NBA to the global level and started the WNBA, but he is about so much more than basketball. He is one of the greatest leaders in the world, and on top of that, the team would not be in Sacramento without David Stern."
Said Stern: "Vivek asked if he could stop by, and I said, 'Sure.' He said, 'In light of your 30 years as commissioner and everything you have done for Sacramento, we'd like to name the street on which Golden 1 Center sits in your name.' I was deeply touched. I said, 'Now what do I do?' He said, 'You have to come out for the dedication on Sept. 30 and the first home game of the season.' I said, 'Sure.' "
The Kings need to get city approval, and Sacramento's community development director said he couldn't foresee any issues with what will become known as Stern Walk, calling the name "fitting."
Stern's guidance of the Kings actually goes back to the years before he became commissioner in 1984, as he helped move the team from Kansas City to Sacramento in the early 1980s while serving as the league's deputy commissioner.
"I opened the first ARCO Arena and the second one, so I have a warm spot in my heart for Sacramento," Stern told The Undefeated on Monday. "I think it's a wonderful gesture, and I'm deeply touched. I'm just not sure I'll be able to get into the same tuxedo."