LAS VEGAS – After wowing the crowd at T-Mobile Arena, he scored 23 points in 17 minutes in the Los Angeles Lakers preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns 119-115. lebron james We saved his biggest play for Wednesday night’s post-game press conference.
When asked about the NBA hosting an exhibition game in Las Vegas, James used the opportunity to make a personal plea to Commissioner Adam Silver that if the league expanded to Sin City, he would be first in line to own the team. I was hoping to line up for
Alluding to a preseason trip to the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks that Silver will join, James said: “I hope to bring a team here one day. I think there are,” he said. “But he’s probably seen all the interviews and transcripts from NBA players.
“So I want a team here, Adam. Thank you.”
Wednesday wasn’t the first time James has expressed interest in owning a team in Las Vegas, but this was certainly his most direct declaration.
In June, on an episode of his YouTube show The Shop: Uninterrupted, James first revealed his goals.
“I want a team in Vegas,” said James, who already co-owns Liverpool FC and the Boston Red Sox. “I want a team in Vegas”
Asked at the NBA Finals annual press conference about expanding the league beyond its current 30 teams, Silver said he had no immediate plans to do so.
“We are not discussing it at this point,” Silver said. “Like I said before, the league will definitely expand at some point, but we’re not discussing that right now.”
However, when asked specifically about Seattle and Las Vegas as potential expansion locations, Silver favored both locations.
“These are great markets,” Silver said. “We were in Seattle. Sorry we’re not there anymore. Seattle has a WNBA team in an almost brand new building that’s doing great. And Las Vegas with Summer League in July. It also proved to be a great sports market.”
The LA Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers played preseason games in Seattle this week.
James said with a wink that Las Vegas has “the best fan base in the world.”
At 37 and in his 20th season, James needs to finish playing to own a team. According to Forbes, despite having a net worth of over $1 billion, he has to partner with an ownership group to buy the team.
The latest NBA team to hit the market, the Minnesota Timberwolves, has been sold for $1.5 billion in 2021. The Brooklyn Nets sold for his $2.35 billion in 2019, an NBA record. The Suns are expected to set a new record, according to reports. From ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, current owner Robert Thurber Field suspended him for a year after he promised to let go of the franchise because of repercussions from the league, and nearly slammed him for his workplace behavior. After a one-year investigation, he was fined $10 million.
James is under contract with the Lakers through the 2024-25 season.
Lakers coach Durbin Hamm said, “I think it’s a great city. There’s natural organic energy built into the city. It goes hand in hand with the level of sport that’s supposed to be here. there is,” he said. “I’m not going to speak on behalf of the NBA or the Commissioner, but one day we’re going to see a permanent NBA team based in Las Vegas.”
