On March 3rd, the United States Patent and Trademark Office received an application by a Nevada corporation seeking exclusive rights to use the name "Los Angeles Royals."
Another application filed the same day reserves the name "Anaheim Royals." The city of Anaheim, which owns the Honda Center, has reportedly insisted that any team playing there carry the city's name.
The web domains losangelesroyals.com and anaheimroyals.com have also been registered within the past three weeks.
A name change would help the team avoid confusion with the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.
Sacramento attorney Scott Hervey, who also represents the Maloof family, was involved in the trademark applications.
The Kings, who were once called the Kansas City Royals, have played a few games lately in retro uniforms with that nickname.
Lawyers for Sacramento Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have filed to register "Anaheim Royals" and "Anaheim Royals of Southern California" as federal trademarks, according to a Sacramento Bee report.
The reported move is the latest in a series of developments that could potentially see the Kings relocate to Anaheim as early as the 2011-12 season.
On Feb. 24, the Kings requested permission from the NBA to extend the March 1 deadline they were facing to formally file for a move to Anaheim, Calif., in time for next season.
The extenstion allows the franchise to review its options with the NBA's Board of Governors at its April 14-15 meeting in New York.
Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, who starred for 12 seasons in the NBA, has been fighting to keep the team in Sacramento.
Kings co-owner Joe Maloof has acknowledged that "many cities" besides Anaheim have expressed interest in serving as the Kings' new home. But sources close to the situation say that, with no NBA-ready arena for the Kings to move into in the Maloofs' home base of Las Vegas, Anaheim holds the greatest appeal to the Kings.
The Kings have been trying for nearly a decade to replace outdated Arco Arena (soon to be renamed Power Balance Pavilion) with a new revenue-generating building that would ensure they stay in a market that was once known as the home of one of the NBA's most fervent fan bases. That was before Sacramento's slide down the Western Conference standings, which finds the Kings heading for their fifth straight season out of the playoffs at 14-43 after a run that took them to the brink of the NBA Finals in a seven-game series with the Lakers in 2002.
Johnson has said cash-strapped Sacramento will continue to try to secure the funding for a new sports arena with or without the Kings, having chosen a developer (ICON venture group of Denver) to spend 90 days exploring the avenues for financing the complex.
In 2006, Sacramento voters turned down a measure that would have increased sales tax to fund a new arena. The NBA then took an active role in trying to help the Kings and the city find another solution after that vote, but commissioner David Stern made it clear at All-Star Weekend that the league was no longer investing any time or money in trying to keep the team in Sacramento.
"All I'll say is that we and they have tried very hard over the years to see whether a new building could be built," Stern said. "And with the collapse of the last attempt -- which took a few years and several million dollars on behalf of the league -- I said we are not going to spend any more time on that. That is for the Maloofs and the people of Sacramento."
Anaheim has been searching for an NBA team to share the Honda Center with the NHL's Anaheim Ducks since the building was introduced in 1993 as the Arrowhead Pond. The Clippers flirted with a move there before owner Donald Sterling chose to join the Lakers at Staples Center in 1999. The Honda Center has been well-maintained over the years and houses 83 luxury suites, compared to just 30 at Arco Arena.
Orange County also has a larger, wealthier population than Sacramento and its surrounding areas, with greater potential for corporate partnerships and higher ticket prices. The proximity to Los Angeles, furthermore, could theoretically help the Kings recruit players.
The Maloofs first have to come to terms on a loan and lease arrangement with Ducks billionaire owner Henry Samueli, whose management runs the city-owned Honda Center, before they can even take their plan to the league's owners for a vote.
The Seattle SuperSonics were the NBA's last team to move, reinventing themselves as the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008 and leaving behind another of the NBA's most loyal fan bases when a deal with the city of Seattle to build a new arena could not be struck.
The NBA's Board of Governors has the right to attach a relocation fee to any franchise move it approves, but such fees are distributed evenly among the league's other teams and wouldn't be paid directly to the Lakers and Clippers in the event of the Kings moving to Anaheim. One league source, furthermore, reiterated that such relocation fees are "discretionary," echoing Frank, who in January said that such a fee is not mandatory.
I hope they get the Clips outta there and move them back to San Diego.
LOL. Given the fact that the Clippers are projected to explode on and off the court in the next couple years.. why would you want them gone before the freaking Kings???????? . I'm personally pissed off that the league is going to allow 3rd team within 30 miles of each other. Way too much.
LOL. Given the fact that the Clippers are projected to explode on and off the court in the next couple years.. why would you want them gone before the freaking Kings???????? . I'm personally pissed off that the league is going to allow 3rd team within 30 miles of each other. Way too much.
Clippers are about to explode...that is...knees are about to explode. You and I both know that if injuries don't **** this team up, that Sterling will. It's inevitable: the Clippers are in limbo until they get a better owner.
LOL. Given the fact that the Clippers are projected to explode on and off the court in the next couple years.. why would you want them gone before the freaking Kings???????? . I'm personally pissed off that the league is going to allow 3rd team within 30 miles of each other. Way too much.
Oops, forgot there are actual Clipper fans out there. There are alot of big cities that could use an NBA franchise instead of having a 3rd team in SOCAL.
Kansas City Royals would be a great place for the Kings.
San Diego
St Louis
Las Vegas
Seattle
Oops, forgot there are actual Clipper fans out there. There are alot of big cities that could use an NBA franchise instead of having a 3rd team in SOCAL.
Kansas City Royals would be a great place for the Kings.
San Diego
St Louis
Las Vegas
Seattle
Yea combine that with the Warriors being in Central CA and you have 4 teams in one state. It's overkill for sure. Like you said tons of big cities could use an NBA franchise. Vegas has been practically begging for one for a long time.
Those colors look a lot like the Knicks colors, no?
No they are almost identical to the Sixers jerseys. Like we need another Red White and Blue team in the same city as well.. (Clippers). Like seriously at least pick 3 different colors.
Kings reserve Anaheim/LA Royals names
. I'm personally pissed off that the league is going to allow 3rd team within 30 miles of each other. Way too much.
