The 18-time All-Star LeBron James said in his postgame press conference that he wants to own an expansion franchise in the city someday after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ second preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers spoke at length in his postgame press conference after his team lost to the Phoenix Suns 119-115 in a preseason game in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Although LeBron scored 23 points on 8-11 shooting in the first half of this game and looked sharp, this was not the All-Star forward’s biggest takeaway from the evening.
LeBron James did not hide his actual feelings about wanting there to be a new expansion franchise in Las Vegas, one that he has ownership ties to, when questioned about the fervour the Las Vegas fans provided and the atmosphere in which this game was played.
“It’s fantastic. I would want to bring a team here at some point since it has the biggest fan following in the entire globe. James answered with a real smile on his face, “That would be fantastic. “I want the team here Adam, thank you,” he said, “I know Adam [Silver] is in Abu Dhabi right now, He undoubtedly watches every interview and transcript that NBA players give, but I think with the Bucks and Atlanta.
James is actually quite serious about wanting to bring a franchise to Las Vegas, despite some people taking his statements somewhat out of context. This has been speculated for quite some time.
LeBron James expressed his support for the concept of bringing an expansion franchise to Sin City in a promotional video for an episode of his show “The Shop” back in June. He said that he wanted to own a team and that he wanted to see a team in Vegas. James later provided evidence for this claim via a tweet.
Given that James officially became a billionaire in June, according to Forbes, it would not be shocking to see him follow in the footsteps of Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan, the only other former NBA star to now hold an active ownership position.
When LeBron James decides to end what has been one of the most remarkable careers in NBA history, it seems like the stars are aligning for him to continue his journey in basketball because he has the resources to invest in a new team and the enormous fan base that would support him both inside and outside the league.
When a new expansion team might play in the league is a question commissioner Adam Silver will have to address another day.
The NBA has not been actively pursuing to acquire an expansion team in either Seattle or Las Vegas, the two locations most likely to receive additional NBA franchises in the future, Silver said harshly in his usual NBA Finals press conference.
The league’s eventual expansion is “inevitable,” according to Silver, who also noted that it is not a hot topic of conversation right now and that potential expansion negotiations might pick up after the 2023–24 season.
Before seriously exploring the addition of new clubs, the NBA intends to negotiate new television/media and collective bargaining agreements, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Lebron James will turn 38 on December 30 and is beginning to approach the end of his career, thus the timing of his potential retirement and the potential addition of two additional expansion clubs to the league could very well coincide at the ideal moment.
James is still a part of the Los Angeles Lakers for the time being, a squad that is trying to turn things around following a disastrous 2021–22 campaign. On October 18, the Lakers will face the league’s reigning champion Golden State Warriors to open the 2022–23 NBA season on the road.
