Over 20 years in the NBA, LeBron James has established himself as one of the greatest players ever. But even after his career is all said and done, the King intends to stick around and build his empire. Speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow’s in-season tournament game in Las Vegas, James opened up on his expansion plans.
“Hopefully I can bring my franchise here one day,” said James via Tim Bontemps. “That’s the ultimate (goal).”
Owning a Vegas team is obviously much easier said than done for the Lakers star, but there may be no other player who is better qualified for the role. After 20+ years in the NBA, James has not only amassed the fortune to afford such a purchase, but he has also built up countless connections across the league that he can use to make his ambitions a reality.
LeBron Will Be A Team Owner
With a career that spans two decades, LeBron James’ legacy is already up there with some of the best we’ve ever seen. Even so, he’s not done adding to his story just yet. Currently, James is still one of the best players in the world and he’s leading the Lakers to a respectable season so far at 13-9 overall. But with the end in sight, James has been showing increasing interest in expanding his empire into the world of business, culture, and entertainment. Las Vegas has emerged as a special interest for James, who aims to make use of the growing opportunities there.
“Adding an NBA franchise here would just add to the momentum that’s going on in this town,” James said. “It’s an attraction. You don’t have to worry about getting fan support. I think it’s only right.”
As a basketball fan at heart, it’s only natural for LeBron to make the transition into an owner/governor after he retires and he’s already got the resources to make it happen. At this point, it’s no secret that LeBron himself has made it his goal to one day launch his own Las Vegas franchise and NBA commissioner Adam Silver has already expressed an interest in making it happen.
Vegas Is The Next Expansion City
The NBA hasn’t introduced a new franchise since 2003, when the Charlotte Bobcats had their inaugural season. In the years that have followed, while several cities have been mentioned as potential expansion candidates, no serious movements have been made toward expanding the list of teams. Recently, however, expansion talks have picked up with vigor as cities like Vegas, Seattle, and even Mexico City continue to make their pitch to host a team.
For now, it’s still a mystery which city is the next in line for a new team but Las Vegas has to be near the top given its repeated appearance at NBA events and LeBron James’ personal interest in the area. In fact, this week could be a test run for the King as he travels to Sin City and gets familiar with playing there during the in-season tournament semifinals. If everything goes according to plan, LeBron will be seeing a lot more of this city and so will NBA fans in the future if/when an expansion gets approved.
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