Report of a Possible Raiders Move Denied

The owner of the Sacramento Kings basketball franchise sharply denied a report on KCBS-TV in Los Angeles that he and a Sacramento real estate man have entered into serious negotiations with Los Angeles Raiders owner Al Davis to move the football team to a new stadium to be built in Sacramento.

“This is irresponsible journalism running amok,” said Kings owner Gregg Lukenbill of the Monday night report. “No such talks have been held. I haven’t had a conversation with Al Davis since mid-1987 and neither has (real estate man) Angelo Tsakopoulos. . . . We couldn’t have a dialogue if we wanted to. The man’s committed to Irwindale as far as we know.”

At the Raiders’ offices in El Segundo, a team representative said of the KCBS report: “It’s always something that seems to be new and wonderful. If you respond to every single thing that comes up, you’d be talking every day.”

Irwindale city spokesman Xavier Hermosillo said, “Every time we begin making some progress, the evil forces who would like to stop the Raiders’ move to Irwindale rear their ugly head. This time, the ugly head showed up on KCBS.”

A spokesman for KCBS sports director Keith Olbermann, who made the report, said the station would stand by it.