Chris Granger

Nikki Nicholson

Sacramento, Calif. – Today, Sacramento Kings President Chris Granger released the following statement announcing his departure.

“The Kings are in an amazing place, and it’s time for me to take on a new challenge. Together, we reenergized downtown Sacramento, creating the world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable arena that our fans and team are proud to call home. The community of Sacramento has embraced my family and I will always be proud of the role I played here. I want to thank Vivek, the Kings’ leadership team and incredible staff for their support. I’m confident the Kings organization will continue to do great things in Sacramento and break new ground across the League.”

Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé released the following statement on Granger's departure.

“Chris is one of the best in the business and we are extremely thankful for his contributions to the Kings and the Sacramento community. He was instrumental in helping us create the world’s most innovative and sustainable arena, Golden 1 Center, for our fans and building Sacramento’s new entertainment district, Downtown Commons. Approaching the one year anniversary of our new arena’s opening, we continue to see great progress across the entire organization that wouldn't have been possible without his leadership.

"The management team going forward will be led by Chief Operating Officer Matina Kolokotronis and, starting today, the current Chief Financial Officer John Rinehart has been named President of Business Operations. Chris will remain with the team for one month through a transition period.

We wish Chris and his family all the best as he moves into the next stage of his career.”

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Statements on Departure of Sacramento Kings President Chris Granger

Sacramento, Calif.— Today, the Sacramento Kings and NBA Development League’s Reno Bighorns are excited to announce that the Kings entertainment department will produce two NBA-style home games in Reno, NV on January 29, 2017, and April 1, 2017.  The games will include special in-game entertainment, fan engagement, giveaways and more.

The Kings entertainment team will join the Bighorns for affiliate games in Reno when the Bighorns take on the Salt Lake City Stars on January 29 and host the Northern Arizona Suns on April 1. Kings Legends, Sacramento Kings Dancers, Mascot Slamson and more will be on hand to give fans in Reno an opportunity to connect directly with the Sacramento organization.

“We’re excited to bring the fun and entertainment side of Kings Basketball to Reno and share it with our friends, the Bighorns,” said Kings President Chris Granger. “As our partnership matures, we’ll continue to find new and exciting ways to incorporate the best of both organizations to create a great experience for our fans.”

Before the game, the Kings will host a Junior Kings youth basketball clinic at the Reno Events Center on from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, January 29. 100 local youth ages 6-14 will participate in a special clinic that focuses on educating each participant about the game of basketball while teaching them the fundamentals of basketball and enhancing their conditioning skills. As a special treat, each participant will receive a Junior Kings t-shirt and headband, Kings swag, a certification of completion and two tickets to the nights’ Reno Bighorns matchup versus the Salt Lake City Stars.

Last December, the Bighorns announced that they will host two games in Sacramento at Golden 1 Center—the world’s most technologically advanced and greenest entertainment and sports venue located in downtown Sacramento. The Bighorns will take on the Santa Cruz Warriors on February 24 and then host the Raptors 905 on March 3.

This isn’t the first of the Kings expanding their resources in efforts to build an authentic relationship between the Sacramento and Reno markets. Last November, the Kings joined the Bighorns for a Celebration Day to celebrate their new majority ownership of the Reno Bighorns. The day featured Kings Executives, staff, and talent participating in various events, school visits and more to give fans in Reno an opportunity to connect directly with the Sacramento organization.

“The Bighorns are excited to welcome the Kings to Reno and show them how entertaining Bighorns basketball can be,” said Bighorns President Keenan Polan. “With the added Kings activations, Bighorns fans are in for a special and exciting night of basketball.”

The Reno Bighorns have been the NBA D-League affiliate of the Kings since 2008-09. Back in October 2016, the Kings acquired a controlling interest in the Bighorns, making them the 15th NBA team to own and operate its NBA D-League affiliate.

Available tickets and more information on the Reno Bighorns and Sacramento Kings can be found at RenoBighorns.com, SacramentoKings.com, by calling 888-91-KINGS.

About the Reno Bighorns:
The Reno Bighorns are a member of the NBA Development League, the official minor league of the NBA. The Bighorns are affiliated with the Sacramento Kings. Season tickets for the 2016-17 season are on sale now! For more information, call the Bighorns front office at 775-853-8220 or visit RenoBighorns.com. Follow us on Twitter @renobighorns and “like” the Bighorns on Facebook. The NBA Development League is the NBA’s official minor league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. Featuring 22 teams with direct affiliations with NBA franchises for the 2016-17 season, the league offers elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. An all-time high 38 percent of all NBA players at the end of the 2015-16 season boasted NBA D-League experience. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. Fans can watch all NBA D-League games on nbadleague.com.

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Sacramento Kings to Take over Two Reno Bighorns Home Games

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, Crown Sports  announced an extended partnership between the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), the national governing body of Olympic skiing and snowboarding, and Blue Diamond Almonds, the world’s leading almond brand. Crown Sports will serve as an agent for USSA’s major events, including the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, the Putnam Investments Freestyle Challenge and U.S. Alpine Championships. It currently serves as the global sales representative tasked with marketing property and intellectual rights within the USSA portfolio.

Sacramento Basketball Holdings, LLC (SBH) launched Crown Sports in 2014 as a full service consulting practice to assist with sponsorship development and brand building for a wide range of clients. With the full resources of the Sacramento Kings and extended partnerships, Crown Sports assists with partner prospecting, negotiations, activation and measurement. In addition to USSA, select clients include Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows and Visit Sacramento, which utilized Crown Sports services for the 2014 USA Outdoor Track &amp; Field Championships.

“We’re excited to help USSA athletes by creating a unique partnership with Blue Diamond,” said Sacramento Kings President and Crown Sports Executive Chris Granger.

Blue Diamond extends their Olympic endeavors with a four-year deal with USSA in the run up to 2018 Winter Games in South Korea. As part of the partnership, Blue Diamond will be deeply incorporated into the athlete’s preparation and training. Blue Diamond will work with the USSA’s Director of High Performance and High Performance Dietician to incorporate Blue Diamond Almonds into athlete snacks and meals at the USSA’s Center of Excellence (COE), the organization’s training facility in Park City, UT.

“Our work with USSA in the past was powerful,” said Blue Diamond CEO Mark Jansen, “and our future partnership is just as promising. We’re on track to build our relationship with the next generation of American athletes and to build our brand with the next generation of almond fans.”

“We continue to seek out sponsors that want to activate their brands and products with our athletes and events in unique and authentic ways,” said Michael Jaquet, USSA chief marketing officer. “Integrating Blue Diamond Almonds in to our High Performance program at the COE and then telling that story through digital, social, and television assets helps us on many fronts. We can now do this for the next four years which will be very impactful to our programs. We are very excited to welcome back our friends at Blue Diamond to the USSA corporate sponsorship program and roster.”

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Crown Sports Announces Partnership Between U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and Blue Diamond Almonds

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Gallery: Golden 1 Center Ribbon Cutting

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Kings Tour Rancho Seco Solar Array

Sacramento, Calif. — Today, the Sacramento Kings unveiled a new uniform system for the 2016-17 season, featuring the team’s recently released logos. With a focus on using technology to enhance the fan experience, the Kings debuted the uniforms in an interactive and innovative way.

A virtual reality experience crafted with premium virtual reality content creator River Studios will provide fans an all-access, 360-degree perspective of Willie Cauley-Stein in uniform at a recent photo shoot. Fans can experience the VR demo at the Arden Fair and Galleria at Roseville team stores, where the uniforms are on display.

“Our bold modern look represents our commitment to Sacramento and the pride of this region,” said Kings President Chris Granger. “Sacramento Proud will be on display at home, on the road and across the globe.”

The four new uniforms – home, away, global and city – showcase updated emblems and a refreshed color palate. The classic Baby Blues, worn from 1985-1990, as well as for select home games last year – will return as a part of the team’s ongoing salute to the origins of the team.

At the center of the home, away and city jerseys, the team’s new crown serves as a reminder of the foundation of the team. The city jersey proudly features Sacramento’s oft-referenced acronym – SAC – in bold granite lettering, representing the organization’s deep connection to its city.

The clean, tri-colored side stripes on the shorts – inspired by the Kansas City-era Kings – are tapered for a modern look. At the base of the shorts for all three uniforms, the city logo serves as a reminder that when you root for the Kings, you root for Sacramento.

A bold, black global jersey features the team’s global crest, a symbol of leadership and strength. The granite pattern – a continuous “S” inspired by an emblem on our city’s flag – runs horizontally through the jersey to reflect the inseparable link between the team and its community. The design runs through the shorts up to a single granite stripe, reminiscent of the team’s first black uniforms in 1994. The primary emblem on the shorts is inspired by the classic Kings logo, reimagined to reflect the civic and franchise pride that has grown over the last 31 years.

Each jersey is united by the team’s beginnings in Sacramento, as a baby blue band runs along the base of the collar, while three baby blue stitches that run perpendicular to the seam on the right side of the jersey stand for the three elements that form the soul of our franchise: our city, our pride and our foundation. At the base of the jersey, a baby blue “Sacramento Proud” tab is embedded to serve as a reminder that each jersey is more than a uniform – it is a symbol honoring our city every time the team takes the court.

For more information, visit Kings.com/NewUniforms

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New Sacramento Kings Uniforms Reflect Franchise  Connection To City, Pride and Foundation

Sacramento, Calif – Today, the Sacramento Kings and Legends Hospitality announced a new partnership with Juma Ventures to provide employment opportunities at Golden 1 Center, opening in October, and educational support to low-income high school students in the Sacramento region.

Through Juma, 60 under resourced youth per year will be employed at the Golden 1 Center, working at select food and beverage stations throughout the facility. In addition, participating youth will access additional support services that include tutoring, college prep, mentoring, and life skills training.

“Hard work and a fair shot are the building blocks of a prosperous future,” said Kings President Chris Granger. “We’re thrilled to partner with Juma and Legends to help local students discover and develop new life-skills, as well as help fund their college education.”

“We believe that the world’s greatest social service program is a job,” said Juma Ventures CEO Marc Spencer. “At a job, you learn to show up on time, take personal responsibility and become a leader. It’s about more than a paycheck. Early employment correlates with better paying careers later in life.”

“The hospitality industry is a great place to start exploring the working world,” said Golden 1 Center Executive Chef and Legends General Manager Michael Tuohy. “And, this program provides students with real-life business operations experience, including interacting with customers, managing finances and being an integral member of a team.”

Juma Ventures has employed 5,000 low-income students who have generated $23 million in enterprise revenue, earned $4 million in wages, and saved more than $3 million for college. For most students, Juma is their entrance into the workforce.

Juma successfully pioneered its youth enterprise in the San Francisco Bay Area and has since replicated its model nationwide. Partners included Turner Field in Atlanta; AT&amp;T Park in San Francisco; Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara; Turner Field in Atlanta; CenturyLink Stadium in Seattle; Yankee Stadium in New York City, and the Superdome in New Orleans.

Individuals interested in participating in the program can find more information at Juma.org. Also, Select nonprofit partners in Sacramento joining Juma, Legends and the Kings to reach out to young adults interested in the program include Sac Employment &amp; Training Agency (SETA), Children’s Law Center, FutureReady, 3Strands, WayUp Sacramento and more. To be eligible of the program, youth must be ages 16-24.

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Kings and Legends Announce New Youth Jobs Program for Golden 1 Center

Sacramento, Calif. — Today, the Sacramento Kings and Legends Hospitality announced three more local restaurant partners joining the food and beverage program at Golden 1 Center – the future home of the Sacramento Kings opening in October. These three restaurants represent the Kings and Legends extended commitment to sourcing local ingredients and supporting the regional economy, all while highlighting the best of Sacramento.

Mulvaney’s Building and Loan, Petra Greek and Mikuni Sushi will join four previously announced local restaurateurs, specialty food retailers and culinary experts to provide fans with some of Sacramento’s favorite cuisine.

“Fans and visitors will see the strong influence that Sacramento has on Golden 1 Center,” said Kings President Chris Granger. “These three local restaurants strengthen our homegrown food and beverage program. There isn’t another arena where fans can find their favorites from their community next to classic arena fare.”

Recently, the Kings and Legends Hospitality released a Food and Sustainability Charter that lays out ten guiding principles that are setting a new standard for environmental impact and high-quality arena cuisine. The Charter extends the team’s groundbreaking commitment to source ingredients within 150 miles of the arena and develop sustainable programs and policies throughout all arena operations.

“Each of these restaurants align with our goal of having high-quality food, all while being mindful of our region and environment,” said Golden 1 Center Executive Chef and Legends Hospitality General Manager Michael Tuohy. “Working with like-minded partners ensures that we’ll have a showcase of Sacramento cuisine each day.”

Golden 1 Center cuisine providers include:

Mulvaney’s B&amp;L opened in 2006 with a menu focused on local, fresh ingredients that highlights the best Sacramento has to offer. In 2013, they were pleased to be invited to cook a dinner, called Savoring Sacramento, at the James Beard House in New York. Now in their second decade, they look forward to savoring Sacramento in Golden 1 Center.

Golden 1 Center Sample Fare: Red Chili Pork Sandwich with Central Valley Slaw

“The B&amp;L is delighted to help bring the delicious bounty of the Central Valley to the fans at Golden 1 Center,” said Chef Patrick Mulvaney. “We appreciate being part of the Golden 1 Center team that will showcase the bounty of the richest agricultural region in the world.”

Petra Greek  Based on traditional family recipes combined with products and ingredients sourced from Greece and local vendors, Petra Greek has served an introduction to Greek food for many in the greater Sacramento region since 2010 and continues with the founding principles of great food, value and consistent quality.

Golden 1 Center Sample Fare: Gyros sandwiches with pita bread, Tzatziki, onions, tomatoes and French fries.

"We are delighted and honored to bring some of Petra's Greek cuisine to Golden 1 Center," said owner Yianni Raptakis. "We are very proud to be a part of the arena setting, and we are certain that it is going to be an extraordinary experience for all local and nationwide visitors."

Mikuni Sushi Since 1987, the award-winning Mikuni restaurants have blended traditional Japanese cuisine and sushi with American innovation. Mikuni employs more than 650 people and currently operates seven upscale, casual dining locations in the Sacramento region and a location in the Village at Northstar™ at Northstar California™ in Truckee. The extensive Mikuni menu features more than 300 original sushi creations served in eclectic, energetic dining settings.

Golden 1 Center Sample Fare: a variety of Mikuni specialty rolls and sushi

“We love the energy and momentum the Sacramento Kings and the new arena are bringing to downtown,” said Mikuni Chef and Owner Taro Arai. “My family immigrated to Sacramento from Japan in 1985, the same year as the Sacramento Kings came to town. Thirty years later we’re so proud to be part of the hometown crowd and a new culinary tradition as part of Golden 1 Center’s food scene.”