Is Las Vegas Ready For an NBA Team?
Is Las Vegas Ready For an NBA Team?
By Keith Mado October 16, 2024 13:56
It's the NBA preseason, and teams get the chance to play on neutral grounds to showcase the game and gain new fans along the way. It's a neat experience for fans who don't have an NBA team in their city, allowing them to experience the highest level of basketball firsthand.
Seattle recently witnessed the LA Clippers take on the Portland Trailblazers at the Climate Pledge Arena for the Rain City Showcase on October 11. Most recently, another potential expansion market took the marquee, as the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday in a packed T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
"There's just always so much support in Las Vegas. So, just having preseason games and in-season tournament games in Vegas, adding that stuff, just shows the support that is in Vegas. So I think it's just amazing, and I think it's just getting better and better." Los Angeles Sparks guard and Las Vegas native Rae Burrell exclaimed.
Two of the biggest basketball superstars in the world, LeBron James and Stephen Curry, electrified the Vegas crowd with a dazzling display of hoops the NBA preseason has to offer. AD led the way for the purple and gold with a team-high 24 points in 26 minutes. However, the Warriors pulled through and remained undefeated in the preseason (5-0) after a slim 111-97 win over the Lakers. Golden State's preseason star, Moses Moodey, once again led the way for the Dubs with a team-high 21 points, while seven other Warriors reached double digits.
Sin City isn't new to sports spectacles, as it hosts multiple fighting events and E-Sports tournaments. It also has professional sports teams the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, and Las Vegas Raiders, to name a few.
Additionally, the city is no stranger to NBA action; the Lakers have played preseason games in Las Vegas since 1988, and the city has hosted multiple NBA Summer Leagues. Held in Vegas as well, the 2007 All-Star game saw the late Kobe Bryant lead the Western Conference to victory and win MVP.
"With Silver not yet fully committing to expanding and keeping the timeline for even beginning the process undefined, both sides league sources and people who are working on forming bidding groups are targeting the 2027–28 season. Although starting in 2026–27 isn't impossible, it has become more unrealistic," ESPN wrote.
Las Vegas has the facilities, interest, drawing capability, fans, and sports culture to be a prime candidate for an NBA expansion team. In fact, several entities, including LeBron James, Candace Parker, and even Red Bull, have already shown interest in investing in a potential Las Vegas NBA team.
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