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Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers has heard and seen enough. He’s confident Las Vegas will have an NBA team.
“Yeah, they’ll figure it out,” Rivers said.
When NBA expansion comes to fruition, though no one has said when, Las Vegas likely heads the list of candidate cities to land one of the two new clubs, leading the league to 32 franchises. It is a well-known fact that the And given how the NBA Cup and other NBA events have been received, there’s probably no one who would say coming to the Nevada desert full time is a bad idea.
“I think it’s great,” Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. That team will play Milwaukee in the NBA Cup Finals on Tuesday night. “The Cup is here. Summer league is here. When you come here, you can feel the Las Vegas basketball culture as a player. I think it’s only a matter of time. This city really welcomes basketball. And they definitely deserve it.”
LeBron James has said multiple times that he wants to be part of the ownership group when the league expands to Las Vegas. Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this year that Las Vegas would “absolutely” be a candidate when discussing expansion, which is believed to be next on the league’s major to-do list. The city already hosts the league’s annual Summer League extravaganza, is home to the All-Stars, is currently in the final four of the NBA Cup, and is home to the Las Vegas Aces, one of the WNBA’s top franchises. It has become.
Los Angeles Lakers forward celebrates with teammates and holds up the NBA Cup after defeating the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in the championship game of the NBA Basketball In-Season Tournament in LA, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. LeBron James (center) in Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
Let’s put it this way. In a city where betting isn’t a sure thing, betting on Las Vegas to make it to the NBA could be pretty close.
“Nothing is set in stone and we haven’t decided whether we’re going to expand or not,” Silver last spoke at a press conference on the expansion issue in November. “My feeling is that if we expand, it’s going to be an even number, because then we might have to make adjustments in the conferences. But if we’re going to do it, we’re going to have two 16-team conferences. I think it makes sense. There have been odd times in the NBA, so it’s possible. But if we were to expand, I think it would probably be to two cities. ”
Seattle is another city everyone mentions as a top candidate for expansion. Mexico City could be a strong candidate at some point. Louisville, Kansas City, Nashville and Montreal are believed to have investment groups interested in discussing joining the league.
Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the United States, was once essentially off-limits to professional sports leagues. Obviously, that’s no longer the case. Las Vegas has the best players in the league, including two-time WNBA title-winners in the Aces, hockey’s Vegas Golden Knights, and Stanley Cup winner A’ja Wilson with the NFL’s Raiders, and the Athletics host Major League Baseball. It is expected that The move is likely to be completed by the 2028 season. With Summer League and the NBA Cup, this city already feels like it’s truly part of the NBA.
This city has its obvious distractions: glitz, glamor, gambling, nightlife. Bucks guard Damian Lillard said they don’t get in the way of paperwork when players are in town for games.
“I’m not 22 or 23. I’ve been to Las Vegas many times and I enjoyed Las Vegas,” Lillard said. “I came here to play in summer league. I came here during summer league. I’ve had a lot of fights here. I’m a big boxing fan. What for this time? I know you’re here to enjoy Las Vegas.”
In Saturday’s Cup semifinals, Milwaukee defeated Atlanta thanks to the incredible performance of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Oklahoma City defeated Houston with a predictable performance from its top defense, but there was also a red carpet entrance similar to the awards ceremony. Ta.
The Raiders used almost their entire defensive line. Ace had several players sitting courtside, and when he was introduced, the crowd erupted in cheers. Former NBA players included Oscar Robertson, Blake Griffin, Chandler Parsons, Lou Williams, Joakim Noah, Deron Williams, Rip Hamilton, and Gary Payton. That doesn’t even include people like Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith, who were part of TNT’s broadcast team.
When that happens, it’s clear that once Las Vegas officially acquires a team, it will become an instant favorite.
“I love this city as a host city,” Rivers said. “So this city is a convention, big event city. It’s a big event, so it’s perfect for this. … I think Las Vegas will be in the NBA at some point. Baseball, soccer, everything else is here, right? ? So we have to come too. I think it’s going to happen.
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