Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James stated after his team's 127-116 victory over the Golden State Warriors on April 23, 2024, that he is no longer interested in owning an NBA franchise following his playing career.[1][2] When asked if he still wanted to own a team, James replied, "No, I'm not. Not at all."[1]
James, a four-time NBA champion and the league's all-time leading scorer, had previously expressed interest in owning an expansion team in Las Vegas. In July 2022, on his "The Shop" podcast, he said he would "love" to own a franchise there.[3] During the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 7, 2023, where the Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 133-89, James called the city a "great sports town" and added, "Hopefully one day I can bring a franchise here."[4][5]
Prior to James' recent comments, The Athletic reported that Fenway Sports Group (FSG), in which James has been a minority investor since 2021, was not pursuing a bid for a Las Vegas franchise due to expected valuations as high as $8 billion.[1] FSG owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC.[6]
Las Vegas currently has no NBA team but hosts the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals and final at T-Mobile Arena since the 2023-24 season.[7] The city is home to the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion team that began play in 2017; the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, which relocated from Oakland in 2020; and the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, which moved from San Antonio in 2018 and won championships in 2022 and 2023.[8][9] Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics have approval to relocate to Las Vegas, with their new stadium set to open in 2028.[10]
The NBA has not expanded since 2004, when it added the Charlotte Bobcats, now known as the Hornets since 2014.[11] The league's Board of Governors discussed expansion, including potential teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, at its meetings in May 2024.[1]
Las Vegas previously hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 2007.[12]
Sources
- The Athletic (The New York Times), "LeBron James no longer interested in owning NBA team," April 23, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5460359/2024/04/23/lebron-james-nba-team-ownership-las-vegas/
- Yahoo Sports, "LeBron James no longer interested in owning an NBA team," April 23, 2024, https://sports.yahoo.com/lebron-james-no-longer-interested-204907949.html
- ESPN, "LeBron James says he would 'love' to own Vegas NBA franchise," July 28, 2022, https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34292947/lebron-james-says-love-own-vegas-nba-franchise
- NBA.com, "Lakers roll past Pelicans in In-Season Tournament semifinals," December 7, 2023, https://www.nba.com/game/lal-vs-nop-0022300423/box-score
- ESPN, "LeBron James hopes to bring NBA franchise to Las Vegas," December 8, 2023, https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39207081/lebron-james-hopes-bring-nba-franchise-las-vegas
- ESPN, "LeBron James, Maverick Carter invest in Fenway Sports Group," March 31, 2021, https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31042147/lebron-james-maverick-carter-invest-fenway-sports-group
- NBA.com, "NBA In-Season Tournament," accessed October 2024, https://www.nba.com/in-season-tournament/2023
- NHL.com, "Vegas Golden Knights Team History," accessed October 2024, https://www.nhl.com/goldenknights/team/history
- WNBA.com, "Las Vegas Aces Team Info," accessed October 2024, https://aces.wnba.com/team/history
- MLB.com, "A's relocation to Las Vegas," May 14, 2024, https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-owners-approve-a-s-relocation-to-las-vegas
- NBA.com, "NBA Franchise History," accessed October 2024, https://www.nba.com/history/franchises
- NBA.com, "All-Star Game History," accessed October 2024, https://www.nba.com/allstar/history
