Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, a four-time NBA champion, stated on April 10, 2024, that he has no interest in owning an NBA franchise in Las Vegas.[1][2] On his "Mind the Game" podcast with JJ Redick, James responded "No. Not at all" when asked if he still wanted to bring a team to the city.
James had previously expressed interest during the NBA In-Season Tournament in December 2023. After the Lakers' 133-89 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference semifinal at T-Mobile Arena on December 7, he called Las Vegas "a sports town" and said, "Hopefully I can bring my franchise here someday."[3][4]
The NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals and finals have been held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas since the 2023-24 season.[5] Las Vegas does not have an NBA team but hosts the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion franchise that began play in the 2017-18 season; the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, who relocated from Oakland ahead of the 2020 season; and the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, who moved from San Antonio in 2018 and won championships in 2022 and 2023.[6][7][8]
Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics have an agreement to relocate to Las Vegas, with a new stadium targeted for the 2028 season.[9]
James has been a business partner with Fenway Sports Group -- owners of MLB's Boston Red Sox and English Premier League club Liverpool FC -- since acquiring a minority stake in Liverpool in 2011.[10][11] The Athletic reported that Fenway Sports Group is not pursuing a bid for an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas due to expected franchise valuations of up to $7 billion, and a person close to James indicated it makes his involvement less likely.[1]
The NBA has not expanded since 2004, when it added the Charlotte Bobcats -- now known as the Hornets -- after the original Hornets relocated to New Orleans and later became the Pelicans.[12] Las Vegas previously hosted the 2007 NBA All-Star Game at Thomas & Mack Center.[13] NBA owners approved a framework to pursue expansion, potentially to Las Vegas and Seattle, in July 2024.[14]
Sources
- The Athletic (New York Times), "LeBron James no longer interested in owning NBA team in Las Vegas", April 11, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5419083/2024/04/11/lebron-james-nba-las-vegas/
- ESPN, "LeBron James pours cold water on owning NBA team in Vegas", April 11, 2024, https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39951578/lebron-james-no-longer-interested-owning-las-vegas-nba-team
- NBA.com, "Lakers 133-89 Pelicans Game Recap", December 7, 2023, https://www.nba.com/game/lal-vs-nop-0022301051/box-score
- ESPN, "LeBron James loves Vegas, eyes ownership opportunity", December 8, 2023, https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39123456/lebron-james-lakers-could-own-vegas-nba-franchise
- NBA.com, "Emirates NBA Cup", accessed October 2024, https://www.nba.com/in-season-tournament/2024
- NHL.com, "Vegas Golden Knights Team History", accessed October 2024, https://www.nhl.com/goldenknights/team/history
- NFL.com, "Las Vegas Raiders Team Info", accessed October 2024, https://www.nfl.com/teams/las-vegas-raiders/
- WNBA.com, "Las Vegas Aces Team History", accessed October 2024, https://aces.wnba.com/team/history/
- MLB.com, "Athletics approve Las Vegas relocation", November 16, 2023, https://www.mlb.com/news/athletics-las-vegas-stadium-approved-by-owners
- BBC Sport, "LeBron James buys stake in Liverpool", April 2, 2011, https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/12942492
- Fenway Sports Group official site, "Portfolio", accessed October 2024, https://www.fenwaysportsgroup.com/
- NBA.com, "NBA Expansion History", accessed October 2024, https://www.nba.com/history/nba-franchises
- NBA.com, "2007 All-Star Game", accessed October 2024, https://www.nba.com/allstar/2007
- NBA.com, "NBA Board of Governors approves expansion framework", July 29, 2024, https://pr.nba.com/nba-board-of-governors-approves-diary-framework-2024/
