Report: Las Vegas showing interest in an NBA expansion team

Zach Stevens
2 Min Read

On Monday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver publicly said that he has looked into the ramifications of possibly expanding the league.

According to reports, Carolyn Goodman, the mayor of Las Vegas, Nev., has now talked to Silver about possibly adding an NBA franchise to Sin City.

“Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman said she spoke with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday morning — one day after he publicly acknowledged that the league was examining the ramifications of expansion beyond 30 teams,” wrote Sam Gordon and Mike Shoro of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Las Vegas currently has two major pro sports teams – the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, who moved to the city from Oakland, Calif. just this season, the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, who began play in the 2017-18 season, and the Las Vegas Aces.

There were concerns about the Raiders moving to Nevada due to possible complications resulting from gambling, but the move has largely been a success so far.

The NBA has had 30 teams ever since the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Charlotte Hornets) opened for business in the 2004-05 campaign.

For years, there has been talk of Seattle possibly becoming the site for an expansion franchise or a destination for an existing team to move to.

However, Las Vegas hasn’t been talked about as much as a potential new market for the NBA.

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Robert is a native of Santa Monica, Calif. and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been an avid NBA and NFL fan since he was a little kid in the mid-'90s, and he has always loved soaking up knowledge about both leagues and their respective histories. He feels strongly that sports aren't just entertainment, but also a means for learning life lessons.