SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento mayor abruptly canceled plans to unveil a new arena development Thursday, just three weeks before a deadline to secure financing. It also comes as Seattle sports fans anxiously follow those developments and as the city's former NBA franchise visited California's capital city.
Tobin Halsey worked with his daughter outside and inside the arena Thursday night to prove a point.
He understands the irony here of the Kings playing the team formerly known as the Sonics.
"What happened to the Sonics won't happen here in Sacramento," said Halsey.
Nick Collison now plays for the Thunder and was on the team when it moved.
"It was crazy tough for us, I think it was July 2nd," said Collison.
He still lives in Seattle during the off-season and acknowledges following the recent franchise fodder.
"I still get a lot of people who say they miss the Sonics," said Collison.
Sacramento says it's working to prevent the Kings moving to King County. But Thursday after publicizing a new arena development, Mayor Kevin Johnson pulled the plug.
"We're working our way through it, so we're not going to unveil that today," said Johnson.
His conceptual drawing ushered out. His defense moved in.
"We're still working through it, we wanted to do it right way," said Johnson. "It wasn't exactly right yet."
The former NBA guard says it has no impact on his plan for a new complex at a Sacramento railyard, which he believes can be partially funded by privately leasing public parking spots.
But the entire financing plan is still unclear
He acknowledges following events up north.
"I'm in Seattle, I'm looking through the newspaper," said Johnson. "I looked through the sports section…and they don't have the team…they haven't recovered…we don't blame them for putting together an ownership group and build a new arena, but we don't want it to be the Sacramento Kings."
Halsey is watching too. A filmmaker who followed Seattle's 'Sonicsgate' lead producing a documentary called 'Small Market, Big Heart.'
Is it enough to sway opinion?
"I feel pretty good about it," said Halsey.
We'll all find out when the cowbell tolls a few weeks from now.
The NBA says March 1st is the deadline.
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