Sacramento Kings

It's a return to college coaching for Reggie Theus, who was introduced on Friday as the new basketball coach at Cal State Northridge. He once had a high trajectory in the coaching ranks, guiding New Mexico State to the NCAA tournament in 2006-07 in his second season as head coach after serving as an assistant to Rick Pitino at Louisville. Then he decided to take the NBA coaching plunge, becoming coach of the Sacramento Kings for two seasons. He was an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2009 to 2011 and then coach of the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League.

NBA owners voted Wednesday to reject the Sacramento Kings' proposed move to Seattle, the latest in a long line of cities that have tried to land the franchise. The 22-8 vote in Dallas followed a recommendation made last month by the NBA's relocation committee and may have finally brought an end to an emotional saga that has dragged on for nearly three years. A group led by investor Chris Hansen had a deal to buy the team. Hansen hoped to move the franchise to Seattle and rename it the SuperSonics.

The Lakers (35-32) return home from a three-game road trip to host the Sacramento Kings (23-43) on Sunday night at Staples Center. Kobe Bryant is doubtful after trying to play on Friday in Indiana with a severely sprained ankle, suffered Wednesday in Atlanta.  Bryant played only 12 scoreless minutes against the Pacers but the Lakers were able to pull out a 99-93 win. The Kings might be without center DeMarcus Cousins, who is dealing with...

The Sacramento Kings finally appear to be staying put in the state capital, possibly ending an emotional saga that has dragged on for nearly three years. The NBA's relocation committee voted unanimously Monday to recommend that owners reject the application for the Kings to relocate to Seattle, the latest - and by far the strongest - in a long line of cities that almost landed the franchise. The 12 league owners on the committee made the decision over a conference call and forwarded the recommendation to the NBA Board of Governors.

The Maloof family has agreed to sell the Sacramento Kings to a Seattle group led by investor Chris Hansen, the NBA confirmed in a statement Monday morning. The deal is still pending a vote by the NBA Board of Governors. Hansen's group will buy 65% of the franchise for $525 million and will probably move the team to Seattle and restore the SuperSonics name. The Maloofs will get a $30-million non-refundable down payment by Feb. 1, according to the deal. They will be allowed to receive other offers until the league approves the sale.

Building a new arena for the Sacramento Kings by the 2015 NBA season opener is fraught with challenges, the greatest of which may be the increasing skepticism of the team's owners that it can be accomplished. Documents reviewed by The Times this week show Kings owners Joe, Gavin and George Maloof dispute that they have a firm agreement to participate in a new entertainment and sports complex in the city. Additionally, in a Wednesday letter delivered to city leaders under the subject “ESC feasibility concerns,” the Maloofs' attorney writes “unresolved issues regarding the … project remain … .” A year removed from the Maloofs wanting to move the Kings south to Anaheim's Honda Center, that notion is back in play, a Maloof spokesman said.

Investor Chris Hansen, seeking to bring an NBA team to Seattle, is nearing a deal to buy the Sacramento Kings from the Maloof family for about $500 million, multiple websites are reporting. Hansen is trying to build a new arena in Seattle, which lost the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008. The Maloofs are looking to sell the Kings because they have been unable to come up with a long-term solution for a new arena in Sacramento. As a prerequisite before construction can start on his proposed $490 million venue in Seattle, Hansen must bring an NBA franchise to Seattle.

Kings in waiting Three hours of presentations by contending ownership groups apparently weren't enough. The battle for the Sacramento Kings may require a playoff. Commissioner David Stern indicated this week that the decision of whether the Kings can be sold to Seattle investors could extend beyond the NBA Board of Governors meeting April 18-19 in New York. It had been widely expected that the board's vote on the proposed sale and relocation of the team would be the final say on the matter, but Stern told reporters there were "complex" issues that needed to be resolved before a final decision could be reached.

The Sacramento Kings fired Coach Paul Westphal on Thursday, cutting ties after two-plus seasons amid a slow start and an escalating dispute with young center DeMarcus Cousins . Geoff Petrie , the Kings' president of basketball operations, made the announcement ahead of the team's home game against Milwaukee on Thursday night. Assistant Keith Smart , let go by the Golden State Warriors this summer after one season, signed a deal to become the team's head coach — with Westphal's blessing.

A fluid franchise They were going. Then they were staying. Now the Sacramento Kings really might be going … unless they end up staying. The plight of a franchise seemingly on the road to nowhere gained some traction this week when hedge-fund billionaire Chris Hansen and Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer emerged as candidates to buy the Kings and move them to Seattle. Standing in their way could be Bay Area investor Mark Mastrov, the founder of the 24 Hour Fitness chain who reportedly wants the Kings to walk in place until they can get a new stadium in Sacramento.

Lakers assistant coach Eddie Jordan has accepted the head coaching position at Rutgers. While the university has yet to announce the hire, Jordan will return to his alma mater, where he attended and played from 1973-77. Jordan replaces Mike Rice, who was fired after a practice video showed him being verbally and physically abusive to his players. While at Rutgers as a student, Jordan was known as "Fast Eddie" and led the Scarlet Knights to a Final Four appearance in 1976. Jordan was added to the Lakers' staff under former coach Mike Brown and was asked to help institute a variation of the Princeton offense.

SACRAMENTO - The Clippers were fully aware that the home-court advantage was at stake as soon as they took the court Wednesday night against a Sacramento Kings team playing out the string of another porous season. It took all the energy and effort the Clippers had to beat the energized Kings, 112-108, in what was perhaps the final NBA game at Sleep Train Arena. By winning their seventh consecutive game, the Clippers will open the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Memphis Grizzles on Saturday at Staples Center.

The Seattle group attempting to buy the Sacramento Kings says it has reached agreement to raise the purchase price by $25 million. Chris Hansen, who is teaming with Steve Ballmer to lead the group, announced the decision to raise the valuation late Friday night. In a statement on his website, Sonicsarena.com, Hansen says the group has voluntarily raised the purchase price as a "sign of our commitment to bring basketball back to our city. " Hansen's group entered into a binding agreement with the Maloof family in January to purchase the controlling interest of the franchise based on a $525 million value.

It's a return to college coaching for Reggie Theus, who was introduced on Friday as the new basketball coach at Cal State Northridge. He once had a high trajectory in the coaching ranks, guiding New Mexico State to the NCAA tournament in 2006-07 in his second season as head coach after serving as an assistant to Rick Pitino at Louisville. Then he decided to take the NBA coaching plunge, becoming coach of the Sacramento Kings for two seasons. He was an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2009 to 2011 and then coach of the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League.

Kings in waiting Three hours of presentations by contending ownership groups apparently weren't enough. The battle for the Sacramento Kings may require a playoff. Commissioner David Stern indicated this week that the decision of whether the Kings can be sold to Seattle investors could extend beyond the NBA Board of Governors meeting April 18-19 in New York. It had been widely expected that the board's vote on the proposed sale and relocation of the team would be the final say on the matter, but Stern told reporters there were "complex" issues that needed to be resolved before a final decision could be reached.

Steve Alford might not seem to have many ties to UCLA basketball. He played at Indiana for Coach Bob Knight, who seemed to go out of his way to praise Pete Newell at the expense of John Wooden, who like Alford was an all-state high school player in Indiana who became an All-American in college and led his team to an NCAA title. But here's a nugget I found from an extensive 1997 story I did on Alford when he was coaching at Southwest Missouri State. After Alford was released by the Sacramento Kings in 1992, he was offered a job to coach Division III Manchester College in Indiana. The school was looking for a home-state hero to rescue a struggling basketball program.

Kobe Bryant eclipsed Wilt Chamberlain on Saturday night, becoming the NBA's fourth-highest career scorer. Bryant's jump shot with 7:45 left in the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings put him at 31,421 total points for his career. Chamberlain finished his career with 31,419. Bryant tied Chamberlain 22 seconds earlier with a driving lay-up. Next on the list for Bryant is Michael Jordan's 32,292 points.  Karl Malone is second on the list at 36,928. The NBA's all-time leading scorer remains Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,387.