Sacramento's Front Office Shake-Up a Sign of the Times

Filed under: Kings, Sports Business and Media

With the economic climate continuing to challenge NBA organizations and the need for efficiency on all fronts, the Kings have opted to part ways with team president John Thomas.



And for those of you (translation: almost all) who had never heard of Thomas, all you need to know is this: this is a sign of the times.



He was an old-guard business executive in a new NBA frontier, one where leaving money on the table is no longer an option and creativity in marketing and branding is not only desired but expected. Especially in a small market locale like Sacramento.



Thomas, who joined the team in 1999 after serving as the Houston Rockets team president, had long been known as a stubborn obstacle to necessary change. He hesitated to offer innovative ticket packages or promote the presence of high-level opposing players -- like a "Come see LeBron James!" ad in the local newspaper, perhaps -- for fear of "devaluing the product," as he would often say.



He catered to a high-level corporate clientele that has long been in short supply in the Sacramento region, for years insisting that the Kings had only one chosen sponsor per respective niche (e.g., soda, bank, local TV channel) as opposed to doing business of varying levels with all interested parties. At a time when public perception mattered most -- especially in light of the continued attempts from Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof (pictured above) and the NBA to gain support for a new arena in Sacramento -- he refused to speak with the media and earned a reputation as someone who often sidestepped accountability.

 

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Full story at http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/03/23/sacramentos-front-office-shake-up-a-sign-of-the-times/