The NBA preseason is underway, and fans in Las Vegas got to see LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in action on Wednesday night. And after the game against the Phoenix Suns, James used the time to talk to reporters about how went wants to own a team in Las Vegas. He also sent a message to NBA commissioner Adam Silver about how he wants to be considered an owner of the team if the league does expand to Sin City.
“I would love to bring a team here at some point. That would be amazing. I know Adam is in Abu Dhabi right now, I believe,” James said, alluding to the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks game that will be played in the United Arab Emirates, per ESPN. “But he probably sees every single interview and transcript that comes through from NBA players. So, I want the team here, Adam. Thank you.”
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This is not the first time James has talked about owning an NBA team in Las Vegas. While appearing on his show The Shop: Uninterrupted, James said, “I want a team in Vegas. I want the team in Vegas. During the NBA Finals, Silver was asked about expanding the NBA to Las Vegas, and he said that’s not going to happen right now.
“We are not discussing that at this time,” Silver said. “As I said before, at some point, this league invariably will expand, but it’s not at this moment that we are discussing it.” Silver did say once the league expands, Las Vegas and Seattle and candidates to land teams. “Those are wonderful markets,” Silver said. “We were in Seattle. I’m sorry we are no longer there. We have a WNBA team in Seattle in an almost brand-new building that’s doing spectacular. And Las Vegas, where we will be at our summer league in July, has shown itself to be a great sports market as well.”
If James, 37 wants to own an NBA team, he would need to be finished playing. The Lakers star is under contract with the team through the 2024-25 season. He would also need to team up with an ownership group since purchasing a team could cost as much as $2 billion. James has experience owning sports teams as he is a part owner of Liverpool FC and the Boston Red Sox.
