The NBA hasn’t announced plans to expand the league, and LeBron James isn’t done playing — but that hasn’t stopped the superstar from planning for both eventualities.
“I would love to bring a team here at some point,” said James at a press conference following an exhibition game in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, home to the NHL’s Golden Knights.
Addressing NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who was not present, James said, “I want the team here, Adam,” adding the city has “the best fanbase in the world.”
- James, 37, has a net worth north of $1 billion, per Forbes.
- He signed a two-year, $97.1 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers in August, making him the highest-paid player on a per-season basis in NBA history.
- As a part-owner of Fenway Sports Group, James has stakes in Liverpool FC, the Boston Red Sox, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, and the NESN regional sports network. He is also a part-owner of AC Milan.
Westward Expansion
Silver has said the 30-team NBA “invariably will expand,” but it is not under active discussion right now. He has called Las Vegas and Seattle “wonderful markets,” and the league is playing preseason games in both cities.
A report from September claimed that the league was planning to announce expansion to the two cities at those exhibition games, but separate reports came out shortly after saying that nothing was imminent.
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