With all the talent that’s coming into the NBA, expansion seems like a foregone conclusion. The idea of increasing the number of teams from 30 has been around for years, but it feels like it’ll become a reality sooner rather than later.
LeBron James has been a large proponent of adding more teams to the league as he pleaded to Adam Silver last season to allow him to bring a franchise to Las Vegas.
Las Vegas has become a hotbed for professional sports in recent years as it’s seen teams like the Golden Knights, Raiders and Aces all make the city their home. An NBA team in Sin City makes all the sense in the world, and Silver has previously acknowledged that expansion is on the list of items to review in the near future.
Aside from James, Shaquille O’Neal also recently came out and expressed his interest in owning a team in Las Vegas some day, via Arash Markazi of The Messenger:
“I would like to have my own group,” O’Neal told The Messenger. “I know Vegas hasn’t been awarded an NBA team yet but if they ever get to a point where they are awarded a team, I would like to be a part of that. I don’t want to partner up with nobody. I want it all for myself.”
O’Neal explained his reasoning and emphasized how much he’d love to continue growing Las Vegas:
“I’ve been living in Las Vegas for over 20 years,” O’Neal said. “I love it here. Las Vegas has always been a city you knew was going to grow. You could see different casinos, different real estate projects and different night clubs popping up. I’ve always been a part of it. I used to own one of the hottest night clubs, sold it and now I got 9-10 restaurants here. I’m doing very, very well and I want to continue to grow with Vegas.”
O’Neal’s already got some experience as an NBA owner as he was minority owner for the Sacramento Kings before selling his stake. If the league does eventually approve a team for Las Vegas, expect O’Neal and a host of others to be in the running.
Adam Silver responds to LeBron James’ comments on expansion
It didn’t take long for Silver to catch wind of James’s desire to bring a franchise to Las Vegas. The commissioner didn’t confirm any such move was in the works, though he appreciated the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s enthusiasm.
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