LeBron wants a Las Vegas team. The Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns played in Las Vegas last night. The Suns won the game 119-115. But that is not the reason for this post. LeBron James wants Las Vegas to have an NBA team. And he wants to be an owner with the team. LeBron has made comments in the past about Sin City getting an NBA team, but he has never flat out said he wants to be the owner. James said after the game "I would love to bring a team here at some point. That would be amazing." He went on to say "...I want the team here, Adam. Thank you."
Vegas
The NBA players would love a team in Vegas, and as sports wagering becomes more prevalent and accepted, the league should certainly entertain the idea. Players love their road games in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York because the night life is so lively. Las Vegas would immediately go to the top of the list for favorite road cities.
Tim Donaghy
However, the NBA is in a unique position compared to the other leagues. The NFL and NHL have had successful starts with the Raiders and the expansion Golden Knights. But those two leagues have not had to remove officials in recent memory for fixing games. The NBA had to deal with the Tim Donaghy fallout, and there are still fans that don't fully trust that the outcome of NBA games are on the up and up.
Pros and Cons
The NBA needs to really look at the pros and cons of putting a team in Las Vegas- either expansion or moving a current team. Of course the players would love to visit. But is it worth the questions that some would have about the outcome of the games? Adam Silver and LeBron seemingly work hand in hand, but this is one instance where Silver should not listen to LeBron.
