It’s been 20 years since the NBA’s last expansion team was created (the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004) and the league is long overdue for another. During the NBA Finals, commissioner Adam Silver revealed the latest update on potential expansion teams and gave three of the likely cities to be included.
“There’s been some discussion about going back to Seattle, potentially Las Vegas, no doubt, is very interested in a team. Mexico City one day. But there are lots of other U.S. cities and Canadian cities, frankly, that have reached out to us to tell us they’d be interested.”
The NBA’s media rights deal is their top priority right now and nothing can happen until the details of that agreement are finalized and secured. Right now, the NBA is more popular than ever and each new season brings in thousands of new fans every single year. Currently, Turner Sports (TNT) is still fighting to keep the NBA in an ongoing bidding war with NBC, ESPN, and Amazon.
Once that process is completed, expansion talks are expected to ramp up and it’s no surprise that Seattle, Las Vegas, and Mexico City are at the top of the list.
From 1967-2008, the Seattle SuperSonics were the team of choice for countless fans across the Northwest, and legends like Ray Allen, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and even rookie Kevin Durant gave them a lineup of superstars over many years. For reasons that are still unclear to many, the Sonics were taken out of Seattle in 2008, where they became the Oklahoma City Thunder and made the Finals four years later with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka. The Thunder are never going back to Seattle, but their rabid fanbase still persists and they continue to push for the revival of the Sonics sometime in the near future.
Las Vegas, Nevada is also a premier NBA destination. As a new host for the NHL’s Las Vegas Golden Knights, the NFL’s Raiders, and the WNBA’s Aces, they are a hot sports destination right now and the NBA has been looking to join the action for some time now. The in-season tournament last year was hosted in the city and it has long been a favorite among players due to the nightlife and the arid climate of the desert.
Mexico City is arguably the most unexpected potential expansion city but it’s no secret that the NBA seeks to grow its global audience. With a history already established in places like Vancouver and Toronto, the league is not exclusive to the United States alone. Mexico City has a population of 8.85 million and it has the biggest potential to attract new fans and grow the game on an international level.
All three cities come with their own risks and benefits but it’s only a matter of time before one of them (or maybe several of them) is chosen as the host of a brand-new franchise. It remains to be seen how the process plays out but the NBA has a lot to consider with this decision and it could set the stage for even more success over many years to come.
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