prior to the start of the 2016-17 NBA season. In February 2013, the Maloofs agreed to sell the Sacramento Kings to a group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer, who promised to relocate the team to Seattle and rename them the Seattle SuperSonics. Kevin Johnson brought a group together led by Vivek Ranadive to keep the team in Sacramento. The local fan base rallied behind him in an effort to keep the team. The new ownership group was established and a deal struck with the city to build a new arena in downtown Sacramento. On May 15, 2013, the NBA Board of Governors denied the relocation bid, effectively nullifying the sale to the Seattle group. The following day, the Maloofs agreed to sell the team to the Sacramento group. During the months leading up to the sale, the Seattle group raised their offer twice and it was reported that the Maloofs would refuse to sell to the Sacramento group. At one point, the Chris Hansen group had offered to buy 20% of the team with the Maloofs retaining their majority ownership, even after the Sacramento group came together with an offer. However, Sacramento continued to work directly with the NBA, and the Maloofs' sale to the Sacramento group eventually went through. References External links Maloof Productions Maloof family biographies The Palms Resort and Casino American families American people of Lebanese descent Business families of the United States Houston Rockets owners Lebanese business families Sacramento Kings owners Sacramento Monarchs owners Vegas Golden Knights owners