Photo: Steven Chea

How much will the Sacramento Kings and NBA pay in the effort to construct a new arena in California’s capital city?

Although exact figures are yet to be established, a source has shared with Cowbell Kingdom that the city is looking for roughly $80 million from the league and team.

Not over time, but in advance.

When reached via e-mail for clarification on this figure, NBA spokesman Tim Frank said the league would not comment at this time.

On this week’s Cowbell Kingdom podcast, Think Big Sacramento project manager Jeremiah Jackson shed some light on the commitment the city wants from the NBA and Maloofs.

“We’re talking about an upfront lease payment,” said Jackson on Monday. “So it’d essentially be, they’d pay upfront for the rights to be the tenant for that 30-year period.”

This means that the price tag of paying in advance to be the arena’s anchor tenant would cost the NBA and Maloofs less than $3 million a year.

Where does the $80 million figure come from?

According to CK’s source,  the city is looking for approximately $130 million in “private financing.”  AEG, the stadium operator involved for much of this process, supplied Kansas City with $53 million upfront to build the Sprint Center.  CK’s source confirmed that a similar number is being floated for the rights to run a new downtown arena, leaving roughly $80 million for the Kings and NBA.

In his weekly feature at Cowbell Kingdom, contributor Rob McAllister spoke to “two executive level employees within the Kings organization, who are not allowed to publicly discuss the arena project”.  And according to his sources, “there is a strong belief that the league will come up with rest (of the funds) if the numbers are close”

In addition to a 30-year lease with the NBA and Kings and an agreement with a potential stadium operator, an estimated $200 million or more could come from leasing city-owned parking spaces and garages.

“So, the parking deal, AEG’s portion of this, the team and the NBA’s portion of this – we’re looking to line up as much of that money upfront as possible,” Jackson said.  ”And really leave the city with no need to have long-term debt.”

Jackson also added that a goal of the project has always been to “protect the taxpayers.”

“Over the next couple of weeks, you’ll see the council move forward with the parking deal and really get us to a point where the NBA feels comfortable and that they eventually decide to stay in Sacramento for the long term as we get this deal finished up.”

Jackson also addressed rumors that surfaced this weekend regarding the possibility of the Kings moving to Seattle.

“We’re not concerned with these other cities,” Jackson said. “I think there’s always going to be rumors until you actually get a deal done.

“But every indication is that the NBA is committed to Sacramento,” Jackson added. “And if there is a deal to get done here, and we get it done, the team will stay and hopefully the Maloofs will remain owners of the team…”

James Ham is co-editor of Cowbell Kingdom. Follow him on Twitter.

It’s going to be an electric atmosphere when the Sacramento Kings host the Oklahoma City Thunder in their only nationally-televised game this season on TNT.  After the jump, find out how you can win a free pair of lower-level seats to Thursday night’s game!

Step 1.

On Twitter, make sure to follow Cowbell Kingdom’s James Ham (@James_Ham) and Jonathan Santiago (@itsjonsantiago). If you don’t use Twitter, sign up!  It’s quick and easy to do.

Step 2.

If you’re already following them, make sure to tell your friends and other Kings fans to follow them, too.  This is critical to step 3.

Step 3.

When James and Jonathan each get 100 new followers, one will tweet a trivia question (Kings-related, of course).  The first person to answer correctly wins a pair of lower-bowl seats (located in section 104, row Y) to Thursday’s match-up between the Kings and Thunder.

That’s it! If you have any questions, shoot us an email or leave a comment below.  Good luck!

Sacramento Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins has been selected to play in the 2012 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge.

The sophomore big man, who participated in last year’s rookie/sophomore game, is currently averaging 15.3 points and 11.5 rebounds over 24 contests played this year.

Other second-year players selected are Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers), Landry Fields (New York Knicks), Paul George (Indiana Pacers), Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz), Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons), Tiago Splitter (San Antonio Spurs), Evan Turner (Philadelphia 76ers) and John Wall (Washington Wizards).

Kings guards Jimmer Fredette and Isaiah Thomas were not chosen among this year’s class of rookies.  Fredette is currently averaging 8.7 points and two assists in 22 minutes over 22 games played.  Thomas, meanwhile, has so far posted averages of seven points and 2.5 assists in 17 minutes over 24 games played.

The players selected over the two Kings rookies are Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers), Ricky Rubio (Minnesota Timberwolves), MarShon Brooks (New Jersey Nets), Brandon Knight (Detroit Pistons), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs), Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns), Tristan Thompson (Cleveland Cavaliers), Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats), and Derrick Williams (Minnesota Timberwolves).

The annual game has traditionally pitted rookies against sophomores.  However this year, the two classes will be mixed together on two opposing teams.  TNT analysts Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley will manage both squads and draft nine-man rosters from the pool of players listed above.  The  BBVA Rising Stars Challenge Draft takes place next Thursday, Feb. 16 on NBA TV at 4 pm PST.

Jonathan Santiago is co-editor of Cowbell Kingdom. Follow him on Twitter.

A decision closer than expected.

Last night, the Sacramento City Council voted whether to put the arena parking proposal on the June ballot.  The measure was denied by just one vote, 5-4.

Councilmembers Sandy Sheedy, Darrell Fong, Kevin McCarty and Bonnie Pannell voted in favor.  Mayor Kevin Johnson, Vice Mayor Angelique Ashby and councilmembers Rob Fong, Jay Schenirer and Steve Cohn voted against.

“In this case, the only way we can possibly do a deal is not to tax people and not to assess people,” said Councilman Cohn during the meeting. “And if we do that (raise taxes), it has to (legally) go to a vote.

“So, give us a chance to see whether there’s a deal out there that even makes sense,” Cohn added. “Before you already pronounce judgment that this is a terrible deal.”

Councilwoman Sheedy has been pushing for a public vote on the initiative.  The proposal calls for Sacramento to lease city parking assets in an effort to raise at least $200-million toward the construction of new entertainment and sports complex.

“I believe that such a massive commitment of public resources warrants a greater level of public input that has been achieved to date,” she said during council comment.  ”I believe it warrants a vote – a public vote of the people.”

The NBA relocation deadline is less than a month away.  The city of Sacramento has until March 1st to finalize a financing plan to build a new downtown arena.  The Maloofs, however, have stated that deadline is flexible.

Jonathan Santiago is co-editor of Cowbell Kingdom. Follow him on Twitter.

With time expiring, Sacramento Kings forward Donté Greene let fly a potential game-winning three.  Unfortunately for Greene and company, the long-ball rimmed out and the Minnesota Timberwolves escaped with a two point win at home, 86-84.

Marcus Thornton led the Kings in scoring with 22 points, but it was Jimmer Fredette who nearly saved the day.

Recently, the rookie guard has played sparingly.  But Fredette came out in the fourth quarter scorching hot tonight.  He scored 13 points, including three straight three-point shots.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as the Kings went on to lose in dramatic fashion.

Nikola Pekovic filled in nicely for the suspended Kevin Love.  The Timberwolves big man gave the Kings fits all night, scoring a game-high 23 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.

Rookie sensation Ricky Rubio didn’t disappoint either, dishing out 14 assists and registering five steals for the Timberwolves, who are now 13-12.

Notes and Analysis

• Jimmer was the story tonight.  After sitting out two of the last three games with DNP-CDs, Fredette nearly led his team back for the road win.

• Pekovic was dominant tonight.  The second-year center scored 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting, using his size and strength to bully his way through the post.  Pekovic constantly beat Cousins down the floor and established position near the basket early.

• Michael Beasley scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, but the former number two pick was less than impressive with his shot selection.  Beasley shot 7-for-21 from the field, turned the ball over three times and finished without an assist in 31 minutes of action.

• DeMarcus Cousins registered another double-double tonight, but was owned in the post by Pekovic.  He finished with 10 points, but shot just 3-for-13 from the floor.  Cousins consistently forced the action on the offensive end and like Beasley, finished without a single assist.

• Veteran Chuck Hayes had one of his worst games as a King.  He had no answer for the taller Pekovic, went scoreless in 20 minutes and turned the ball over at least three times (more by my count).  Hayes is still working himself back into shape after missing significant time with a dislocated left shoulder, but he was not effective tonight for coach Keith Smart.

• Rookie Derrick Williams scored 14 points, including a huge three-point shot that gave his team the lead in the game’s waning moments.  Williams also did a nice job defensively on Kings power forward Jason Thompson, who has played extremely well lately.

• J.J. Hickson played an efficient 26 minutes.  He scored eight points on 4-for-6 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds.  The fourth-year forward has become the forgotten man on the Kings bench.  But if he can have more games like this, he is definitely going to earn a few more minutes.

• Greene scored 11 points tonight for the Kings after sitting out the last three games as a healthy scratch.  Although he missed a buzzer beater that would have given his team the win, Greene played incredible defense against Beasley.

• Stat of the Night:  Jimmer single handedly made this a game with his amazing 13-point outburst in the fourth quarter.  What’s worse is that he could have scored more if his teammates would have looked for him, instead of taking more difficult, low-percentage shots.  It was, however, Jimmer-time tonight in Minnesota.

James Ham is co-editor of Cowbell Kingdom. Follow him on Twitter.

On the road, the Sacramento Kings rallied from an 18-point deficit to defeat the New Orleans Hornets 100-92 yesterday.  They wrap up a back-to-back set of road games tonight in Minneapolis and face a Love-less Minnesota Timberwolves.

Gametime: 5:00 pm PST

Broadcast Information: Click here.

For Timberwolves perspective, visit fellow TrueHoop Network blog A Wolf Among Wolves.

Kings Probable Starters (9-15)

The Kings were a completely different team in the second half of last night’s win in New Orleans.  They made only 14 baskets on 40 attempts before intermission.  But after the break, they shot 63.2 percent from the field on 24-of-38 attempts.  DeMarcus Cousins continues to become a force, nearly putting together another 20-point, 20-rebound performance last night.  And Isaiah Thomas’ steady play off the bench continues to show why he’s earned the trust of head coach Keith Smart.  Eight of his 17 points were scored in the fourth quarter, including two made-threes from beyond the arc.

Timberwolves Probable Starters (12-12)

Kevin Love will not play tonight due to suspension.  Almost halfway through the third quarter of the Timberwolves’ match-up versus Houston, Love appeared to stomp on the chest of forward Luis Scola, who was down on the court.

So in his absence, rookie Derrick Williams is the Timberwolves probable starter at power forward.  Per 36 minutes, Williams is averaging 14.7 points on 42.7 percent shooting and 7.7 rebounds.

3-on-3 Roundtable

You may be familiar with ESPN.com’s 5-on-5 roundtables, which feature opinion and analysis from ESPN writers and TrueHoop Network contributors on pressing NBA topics. Along with other THN blogs, Cowbell Kingdom has brought that format to the local level in the form of our own 3-on-3 roundtable.

Zach Harper of ESPN’s Daily Dime Live and A Wolf Among Wolves, and Brett Koremenos, editor-in-chief of NBA Playbook,  join me to preview tonight’s Kings/Wolves match-up.

1. Match-up to watch?

Zach Harper: Definitely DeMarcus Cousins vs Nikola Pekovic.  Both big men have been on a tear lately and it only seems logical that one of them won’t make it out of this game alive.  These guys love to throw their bodies around and try to impact the boards. If Pek can provide half of Kevin Love production, then the Wolves have a great chance of getting Cousins in foul trouble and controlling the interior.

Brett Koremenos:  Evans and Rubio certainly will be the name match-up, but the most entertaining will be DeMarcus Cousins versus Nikola Pekovic. They are two of the more powerful, physical players in the league and watching them knock each other around will be quite the site.

Jonathan Santiago:  Derrick Williams vs. Jason Thompson.  It appears that Williams will get the start for Kevin Love.  He’s a hybrid four who will probably force JT to defend out in the perimeter.  If that proves to be a problem, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Travis Outlaw or Donté Greene get some extra run at the four in an effort to slow down the rookie.

2. Stat that decides the game…

Zach Harper: Turnovers.  The Kings and Wolves are 17th and 19th respectively in turnover rate.  Not having Love as a safety valve on a lot of plays will force Ricky Rubio to create more for himself and his teammates, especially when the clock is running down.  The Kings, on the other hand, don’t really like to pass, but they love to dribble into areas that cause them turnovers.  If they share and take care of the ball, they should be able to take another road victory.

Brett Koremenos:  Offensive rebounds. With Love out, the Wolves lose not only someone who earned them extra possessions, but a player who prevented them as well. It will be interesting to see if and how the Kings can take advantage of Love’s missing presence.

Jonathan Santiago:  Luke Ridnour threes.  Sounds a little out-there, doesn’t it?  But, the Timberwolves guard went four-of-four (including two big threes in the final six minutes) in the Kings’ last visit to Minnesota.  His three-point stroke was a big reason why he finished with a season-high 25 points in the Wolves 99-86 win over Sacramento.

3. Complete this sentence: ______ will need to step up in Kevin Love’s absence.

Zach Harper: Derrick Williams.  Pekovic is a huge part of the equation, but he’s played so well recently that I just assume he’ll continue.  Derrick, on the other hand, should be seeing significant minutes at the four and has to find a way to show why he was the second overall pick in the draft.  He needs to put the Kings on notice and attack the basket.  He needs to keep them honest with his three-point range.  And he also has to rebound the ball and be active on defense.

Brett Koremenos:  It’d be easy to say that Michael Beasley needs to put more points on the board (ditto for Derrick Williams) but this is a nice opportunity for Anthony Randolph to perhaps get some run. If Randolph gets a shot to soak up the minutes left behind during Love’s suspension, he must produce.

Jonathan Santiago:  Nikola Pekovic.  It was against the lowly New Jersey Nets, but the man posted a career-high 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds on Friday night.  And versus Houston the following day, he scored just 11 points, but was four-of-seven from the field in a 100-91 win.  Pekovic must continue to provide presence inside for the Timberwolves tonight with Love out of the lineup.

If the city successfully leases its parking assets, hotels chip in on funding and an arena operator agrees to terms, the NBA may be ready to cover the balance.

According to two executive level employees within the Kings organization, who are not allowed to publicly discuss the arena project, there is strong belief that the league will come up with the rest if the numbers are close.  NBA spokesman Tim Frank would not comment on the terms.

That’s partly why we have not seen an exact financial figure of what the league and franchise might pay in construction costs. The other reason?  The parking sale is not finalized.

Leasing parking hopes to net the city more than $200-million.  But if it falls short, one of the parties will need to step up for Sacramento to help pay the entire $406-million bill.

Hotels will pay roughly $30-million at best.  So, if we take the city’s $200-million, that leaves $170-million between the NBA and potential arena operator AEG.

While the NBA is not as rich as the NFL, just look west to see how a league will step in when it believes in a market. The National Football League is giving the San Francisco 49ers a $200-million dollar loan to help construct a new stadium in Santa Clara.

“I expect an official ground-breaking ceremony very soon,” said Jed York, CEO of the 49ers.  “Get your hard hats ready; we are embarking on the path to the next generation of 49ers football.”

The loan is the final financial piece that allows the five-time Super Bowl Champs to begin construction of a $1-billion stadium along Great America Parkway.

Expect a similar gesture by the NBA if the league is serious about staying in Sacramento.

Which brings me to the next point…

Is Seattle a threat?

If the entire financing plan falls apart, a San Francisco hedge fund manager is ready to swoop in. However his plan is not take the Kings to the Bay Area, but rather to the Pacific Northwest.

44-year-old Seattle native Christopher Hansen has acquired property just south of Safeco Field to construct a home suitable for an NBA and NHL franchise.  And while nothing has been stated publicly, the Seattle Times reports that city officials have been following the arena efforts in Sacramento in hopes that the Kings may become available for relocation.

Also under their watch is the Phoenix Coyotes, but NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman wants to keep them in Arizona. He added that Seattle does not have a building yet, alluding to the difficulty of moving a franchise to a location with no venue.

While land is being gobbled up by Hansen, some public money will be needed – something residents in Seattle wanted no part of when the SuperSonics prepared to leave for Oklahoma City. Not to mention there is a 2006 voter approved measure that mandates any publicly-financed arena be profitable.

Seattle is waiting, but they are not quite ready. The Emerald City is likely a year-plus behind Sacramento in its own efforts.

Stern announcement

Expect NBA Commissioner David Stern to make a few remarks about Sacramento’s arena progress during NBA All-Star weekend February 24th-26th. If granted, an extension to the relocation deadline would likely be announced then as well.

Last year during All-Star break in Los Angeles, Stern confirmed the Maloofs were indeed discussing a move to Anaheim. The statement was overshadowed by the pre-lockout chatter, but the weekend historically tends to end with Stern revealing major news regardless of how casually he says it.

Weekly contributor/columnist Rob McAllister is a reporter for KFBK Radio in Sacramento.  You can follow him on Twitter.

The Sacramento Kings trailed by as many as 18 tonight, but still rallied on the road to win 100-92 over the New Orleans Hornets.

DeMarcus Cousins dominated the Hornets frontline, barely missing his second straight 20 point, 20 rebound game.  The 21-year-old center scored a game-high 28 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked three shots for the Kings.

Rookie Isaiah Thomas was a game changer, scoring 17 points, including a 29-foot three-pointer that put his team up by six late in the fourth quarter.  He also chipped in six assists and five rebounds in just over 26 minutes of action.

The Hornets gave a valiant effort in the loss.  Greivis Vasquez led the way with 20 points and added nine assists while backcourt-mate Marco Belinelli tossed in 18 for the Hornets, who fall to 4-21.

Notes and Analysis

• Tyreke Evans struggled early, but turned into a one-man wrecking crew in the final period.  Evans scored nine-straight points for the Kings during a two minute  and 46 second stretch of the fourth, helping his team in the comeback win.

• Marcus Thornton did not have his “A” game tonight, struggling to shoot just 3-for-12 from the field while scoring 12 points.

• Jason Thompson came back to earth after a series of impressive games.  The Kings starting power forward scored only four points and grabbed two rebounds in 17 foul-filled minutes.

• Cousins had a huge game overall, but his second half numbers were incredible.  The second year big man out of Kentucky scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds following intermission of tonight’s contest.  He also committed just two personal fouls – a far cry from his league-leading 4.3 average.

• Jimmer Fredette made a brief appearance in the first half tonight.  He scored five points and dished out an assist in just under 1o minutes of play.  The rookie had received DNP-CDs in the Kings previous two contests.

• Veterans Francisco Garcia and Travis Outlaw played four and three minutes respectively tonight, as coach Smart continues to tighten his rotation.  Neither player scored.

• Xavier Henry played well in his 10 minutes of play, scoring eight points off the Hornets bench.  The former first round pick has had a rough start to his career, but may find minutes on an injury-plagued Hornets team.

• Gustavo Ayon got his first start of his career.  The rookie scored four points and grabbed nine rebounds in 32 minutes of action.

• The Hornets played with just 10 healthy bodies.  They were without Carl Landry, Jarrett Jack, Jason Smith and DeJuan Summers, who all missed the game due to injury.

• Stat of the Night: In the first half, the Kings just made 13-of-40 baskets for an atrocious 32.5 percent from the field.  But after intermission, their offensive output practically doubled. They shot a staggering 63.2 percent from the field on 24-of-38 attempts.
  

For the second time this season, the Sacramento Kings are riding a two-game win streak.   They look to add to that total tonight in Louisiana, where they begin a brief back-to-back road trip.  Their opponent?  A struggling New Orleans Hornets team, who they’ve beaten before this lockout-condensed season.

Gametime: 5:00 pm PST
Broadcast Information: Click here.
For Hornets perspective, visit fellow TrueHoop Network blog Hornets247.

Kings Probable Starters (8-15)

In the Kings two-game homestand, Smart used J.J. Hickson, Chuck Hayes, Francisco Garcia, Travis Outlaw and Isaiah Thomas off the bench, leaving Jimmer Fredette, Donté Greene and Tyler Honeycutt as the odd-men out of the rotation.  However playing two games in two nights, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Greene and Jimmer get some minutes in this two-game road trip.

Another interesting tidbit, the Kings ball movement is making strides.  In four of the last seven games, they’ve have recorded 20 or more assists as a team.  In the first 13 games of the season, they failed to accomplish that feat at all.

Hornets Probable Starters (4-20)

In hopes of a trade, the Hornets sent veteran big man Chris Kaman home, but the trade market has been sparse.  And now with former King Carl Landry out after sustaining a left knee injury Saturday against the Detroit Pistons, New Orleans decided to bring Kaman back into the fold.  They hope he can help stop the bleeding as the Hornets have lost five games in a row.

3-on-3 Roundtable

You may be familiar with ESPN.com’s 5-on-5 roundtables, which feature opinion and analysis from ESPN writers and TrueHoop Network contributors on pressing NBA topics. Along with other THN blogs, Cowbell Kingdom has brought that format to the local level in the form of our own 3-on-3 roundtable.

Joe Gerrity of Hornets247 and Rohan Cruyff of SB Nation’s At The Hive,  join me to preview tonight’s Kings/Hornets match-up.

1. Match-up to watch?

Joe Gerrity: Every time Marcus Thornton comes into town, that’s the matchup Hornets fans are watching. 

Rohan Cruyff:  I’ll go with Trevor Ariza vs. John Salmons, for the hilarity factor.

Jonathan Santiago:  Emeka Okafor vs. DeMarcus Cousins.  Though the numbers may say otherwise, Okafor has been playing well, according to our friends at Hornets 247.  Defensively, we know what he brings, so it should be interesting to watch if he can slow down Cousins, who’s fresh off his first career 20-20 game.

2. Stat that decides the game…

Joe Gerrity: Turnovers. When the Hornets win it’s largely correlated to how well they control the ball.

Rohan Cruyff:  Hornets on the offensive glass. Neither team takes particularly great care of the basketball, neither plays even passably efficient offense and the Kings’ strong offensive rebounding should be met by the Hornets’ equally strong defensive rebounding. But on the flip side, no team rebounds more poorly on the defensive end than Sacramento and that could be the difference.

Jonathan Santiago:  Kings offensive rebounds.  The Hornets currently rank fourth in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage.  The Kings, meanwhile, rank second behind the Chicago Bulls in offensive rebounding percentage.  Something’s got to give tonight.

3. Fact or Fiction: Chris Kaman makes an immediate impact in his return to the Hornets lineup.

Joe Gerrity: Fact. With Landry out and Smith day-to-day, Kaman may play 30-plus minutes. He almost always makes an impact one way or the other when he gets that much time.

Rohan Cruyff:  The Hornets will be looking to showcase Kaman from now through the trade deadline, but fiction. Kaman’s simply not a very efficient scorer, he’s turnover prone and his biggest strength – defensive rebounding – matches up poorly with the Kings’ terrific offensive rebounding this season.

Jonathan Santiago:  Fiction.  If the Hornets want to win, he’ll have to.  Landry is out due to injury and Smith remains questionable.  However, he’ll have his work cut out for him against a Kings frontline that played tremendous against Golden State Saturday.

It’s crunch-time here in the Sacramento.  With less than a month until the NBA’s March 1st relocation deadline, it’s safe to say that city staff and officials have gone into overdrive in the push to build a new downtown arena.  Joining us for an update on where the capital city stands is Jeremiah Jackson, project manager for Think Big Sacramento.

Highlights

• So, what ‘s next?  “I think there’ll be two, kind of, major steps…  (The first) really will be the step to enter into the RFP (request for proposal) process (on leasing city parking spaces and garages to a private operator), which would hopefully be on the 14th (next week) or shortly thereafter.  And then looking at that final step after that, which would be actually entering into a deal with the NBA…”

• A report from the Seattle Times over the weekend suggested that Seattle is watching Sacramento’s situation closely as part of its efforts bring the NBA back to the Emerald City.  “We’re not concerned with these other cities.  I think there’s always going to be rumors until you actually get a deal done.  But every indication we have is that the NBA is committed to Sacramento and that if there’s a deal to get done here…that the team will stay, that hopefully the Maloofs will remain as owners of the team and that we’ll really be able to move forward right here in Sac.”

• Is the goal to pay for the entertainment and sports complex up-front as opposed to having any debt service?  “Absolutely.  And so you know, some things are more annual revenue streams.  But as much as we can, we’ve always said we’re going to protect the taxpayers and we want to prevent the city from taking on long-term debt.  And so the parking deal, AEG’s portion of this, the team and the NBA’s portion of this – we’re looking to line up as much of that money up front as possible and really leave the city with no need to have long-term debt.”

Listen after the jump…

Music Credit: Ronald Jenkees – Guitar Sound

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