Stockton City Council recently approved a new lease agreement with the Stockton Kings so that the NBA G League team can continue playing at the Adventist Health Arena through the end of the 2026-2027 season.
The city of Stockton owns the arena located at 248 W. Fremont St., but it is operated by ASM Global, a Los Angeles-based venue management company that manages over 400 venues worldwide, including stadiums, arenas, convention centers and theaters.
“We’re excited to continue our partnership with the city,” said Stockton Kings Vice President of Business Operations Aaron Morales. “The organization shares a strong connection with the fans and Stockton community, and we’re looking forward to furthering our impact on and off the court.”
District 3 Councilmember Michael Blower, who frequently attends Stockton Kings games at the Adventist Health Arena, said he was thrilled about the extension of the lease.
“Having the Stockton Kings as a tenant has been a great source of entertainment for our city,” Blower said. “I personally go to the games and have a great time. It’s wonderful entertainment. I’m excited that we just clinched a spot in the Winter Showcase Tournament, and I’m looking forward to many more exciting Kings games in the future.”
Terms of the Stockton Kings agreement
As part of the lease agreement that was unanimously approved at the Dec. 3 city council meeting, the Kings have the option to renew the lease agreement up to three times, each for a period of one year.
The first option term would be for the 2027-2028 season, the second would be for the 2028-2029 season, and the third would be for the 2029-2030 season.
The Kings will pay Stockton $14,000 per game for 24 home games, held late September through April, with a 3% annual increase. The increase in rent will start at the first game of the 2025-2026 season and will continue to increase at the start of each season through the remainder of the term, plus all three one-year options.
Additionally, the city will collect a facility fee from the Kings on each paid ticket. The fee for individual game tickets sold will be $3, and partial season plans and group tickets will be $1.50. Those fees will increase annually by $0.25 beginning in the 2025-2026 season.
The lease agreement states that the following equipment and services are included in the rent: arena-owned equipment, house security, janitorial services, box office operations, ticket takers, guest services representatives, front-of-house medical services, front-of-house police services, an event manager, a house engineer, basketball operation services such as cleaning the court and floor security, concessions operations, ushers, the arena’s public address system, the arena’s sound system, spotlight equipment, phone and internet.
The Kings are responsible for the provision and costs of advertising, insurance, catering for team staff, runners, transportation, towels and soap, basketballs, and game staff such as ball boys and ball girls, medical personnel for teams, PA announcers, statisticians, scorekeepers, timekeepers and officials.
The Stockton Kings are the minor league affiliate of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. The minor league basketball team relocated to Stockton in 2018. While the team has primarily been affiliated with the Sacramento Kings since its inception in 2008, the team was originally known as the Reno Bighorns before it moved to Stockton and rebranded.
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.