By Jeff Simpson

Thu, Oct 27, 2005 (6:58 a.m.)

The National Basketball Association and the Sacramento Kings basketball team are distancing their organizations from an invitation sent out by the Palms to a party celebrating the grand opening of the Hardwood Suite in the property's new Fantasy Tower.

The invitations promised "a special appearance by members of the Sacramento Kings and the Sacramento Kings dance team" at Thursday's party at the Palms.

Kings and NBA spokesmen said Tuesday that the hotel, whose majority owners are the Maloofs, the same family that owns the Kings, didn't seek the franchise's approval before mailing the invitations last week to the news media.

The invitations used salty language and risque cartoons to illustrate seven satirical lessons "On being a real baller."

Lesson three, for example, titled "The Ref," showed a player wearing a jersey emblazoned with the name "Pimp Dad" questioning a ref's traveling call.

"Don't like his call?," the invitation read. "Knock him the f*** out. BAM. F*** him, it's your suite." The second cartoon showed a ref flat on his back with stars circling his head, Pimp Dad standing over him.

"We weren't aware of the invitation, and we didn't have a chance to sign off on it," said Troy Hanson, Sacramento Kings vice president of media relations. "We wouldn't have signed off on it."

Asked what about the invitation the team thought was objectionable, Hanson declined to be specific. "It's just not something we would use."

NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the Kings wouldn't be fined or face other disciplinary action because of the invitation.

"It's our understanding that the Kings and the Maloofs did not authorize the invitation and that it's no longer being used," Bass said.

The party is pitching the grand opening of the Palms' Hardwood Suite, a hotel suite with its own half basketball court, locker room, personalized jerseys, pool table, poker table and optional cheerleaders.

Jeff Simpson can be reached at 259-4083 or at simpson@lasvegassun.com.