The Sacramento Kings will name the street outside of their new arena after former NBA Commissioner David Stern, per Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee:
The Kings will announce Tuesday that they are naming the street leading to the front door of the new downtown arena in honor of former NBA Commissioner David Stern, whose persistent, decades-long efforts helped keep the franchise in Sacramento.
Officially, the address of the Golden 1 Center – to be submitted to the city Tuesday for approval – is 500 David J. Stern Walk.
“When I learned we would have the option of naming the road, it was a no-brainer for me,” Kings principal owner Vivek 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.”
The walk encompasses the part of K Street that stretches from Fifth to Seventh streets, passing the main entrance to the arena. That portion of the street had previously been part of Downtown Plaza and has not been a public street for many years.
Stern was informed about the street name in April. Here was his reaction:
“Vivek asked if he could stop by, and I said, ‘Sure,’ ” Stern said late Monday. “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 (date to be determined).’ I said, ‘Sure.’ ”
The city’s community development director, Ryan DeVore, said he anticipated the Kings’ application would be approved.
