Expansion is a way of nature for the NBA. In the early days of the NBA, the number of teams in the league fluctuated in a way that would give any grown adult motion sickness. From 1946 through 1966, the NBA went from as low as 8 teams to as high as 17 teams. By 1970, the league had reached 14 teams which went up to 17 teams once again from 1970-1974. By 1989, there were 22 teams in the NBA, which steadily increased until we reached the point the NBA is at today.
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- Bronny James is Eligible For The 2024 NBA Draft
- The Perfect Career Ending For LeBron James
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When the league reached 1989, the number of teams stood at 25. By 1995, the league had expanded to 27 teams. From 1995 through 2004, the league would add two more teams, bringing its total to 29 teams. Since 2004, only the Oklahoma City Thunder have been introduced as a new franchise which brought the NBA to where it stands today at 30 teams. With the growth over the last 50 years, adding 2 new teams isn’t as far-fetched as many fans and analysts have stated.
There are currently 30 teams in the NBA, with rumors of 2 teams potentially joining the league. There are 3 cities that are at the forefront of the idea of expansion. Mexico City, Seattle, and Las Vegas have been the 3 most rumored teams to be considered for expansion. Mexico City seems like the least likely to occur, and although it would be great for the game, Las Vegas and Seattle are still the favorites. This doesn’t mean that Mexico City wouldn’t have a chance down the line, but Seattle has wanted a team badly since the SuperSonics left, and Las Vegas will make the NBA a lot of money.
This is where LeBron James comes in. As a longtime advocate for expansion and his own interest in owning a team, LeBron James is someone to watch over the next few years. He has access to the funds and obviously the connections to be involved in a mega deal for ownership of an NBA franchise. Although this is uncertain, the stars have aligned for James to be involved in some capacity in any new franchise that touches down in Las Vegas.
This is the perfect situation outlined in detail for LeBron James moving forward.
LeBron James’ Future
Aside from the 2020 NBA championship run, times have been tough for LeBron James during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. They missed the playoffs entirely in 2019 and 2022 while being eliminated in the first round in 2021. Injuries, coaching, and team chemistry have all been glaring issues for James and the Lakers over the past few seasons and have reared their ugly head once again to begin the 2022-23 season. The Lakers have a chance to rebuild themselves come 2024, either around James or without him considering how much money may be coming off their books and James’ impending free agency. For now, the future is bleak in Los Angeles regardless of LeBron’s presence, but there seems to be a way out for him right around the corner.
Come 2024, LeBron James will once again be a free agent. With expansion rumored to be a couple of years away, this could work heavily in his favor. James is a partner with the Fenway Sports Group, who, along with James, has expressed interest in NBA team ownership. According to Bill Simmons, he sees the writing on the wall for James and Fenway to put their name in the ring for ownership in Las Vegas. Even though the timeline is unclear, Bill Simmons is a very well-respected insider who has not been far off in some of his predictions in the past. If this does occur, James would be in the perfect spot to offer his services to the newly-founded Vegas team. For marketing and promotional purposes, James would be able to get his new team off to the hottest start possible, becoming the main attraction in Sin City.
The Lakers are going nowhere fast, and things only seem to be getting worse for the storied franchise. Anthony Davis will also be coming off the books in 2023-24, bringing to light what could be a new era in Los Angeles. This could be the perfect opportunity for James to take advantage of the situation and jump ship as solely a player and have the title owner/player next to his name in Las Vegas. The opportunity is there for James to line everything up, even past his playing career. If LeBron James’ track record as a businessman tells us anything, he has already begun the process. As a matter of fact, James has already let it be known to Commissioner Adam Silver that he wants to be a part of any franchise that ends up in Las Vegas.
From the naked eye, it looks like LeBron is having a bit of fun with the NBA’s commissioner, but he is as serious as it gets. Don’t get anything twisted, James will approach any deal for a new franchise with extreme caution, just as he has made the other business decisions in his life that have led to being a billionaire. LeBron’s business legacy will go down nearly as legendary as his basketball legacy as the first player who reached that status while still actively playing in the NBA.
Bronny James is Eligible For The 2024 NBA Draft
LeBron James has long expressed interest in playing alongside his son Bronny, even if it is just for one season. With new rules implemented, Bronny is eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft, brewing up another piece of the perfect storm for the 2024 season. Bronny has had some difficulties in high school at the illustrious Sierra Canyon but has made up for it with a decent start to his senior season. Through 6 games at Sierra Canyon this season, James Jr. is averaging 6.8 PPG and 0.3 RPG. James Jr. has yet to commit to a college for next year but is expected to make a decision in the Spring on the next chapter of his career.
Bronny James’ game has always been stronger on the defensive side of the ball, undoubtedly a trait he inherited and learned from his father. On offense, he sometimes has been limited to a secondary role in scoring and has become more of a playmaker surrounded by more talented teammates. James missed the entirety of his junior regular season recovering from knee surgery but has recovered well enough to start in his senior year. With his pending draft status for 2024, the stars may have aligned for James’ new Vegas team to draft Bronny and make the father-son duo’s dreams a reality.
The Perfect Career Ending For LeBron James
LeBron James has accomplished just about everything one can as an NBA player. He has won 4 NBA championships with 4 Finals MVP awards for three different franchises. He has been selected to 18 All-Star Games, 18 All-NBA Teams, and 6 All-Defensive Teams. He has opened schools for kids in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, and done countless more to leave the game better than he found it. James has long spoken about his goal to own and operate an NBA team once his playing days are over. With his billionaire status and partnership with Fenway Sports Group, that goal isn’t too far off from coming to life.
James is also a well-known loving family man. More so than his body and game on the court, James remains committed to being a present and active father to his 3 children and wife, Savannah. His interest and internet-breaking claim that he would love to be around and play with his son Bronny is only a few short years away from becoming possibly true. It remains unclear for now if Bronny James will be drafted because most teams are going to jump at having a chance to land LeBron. However, if the perfect scenario that we have laid out comes true, everyone will miss out on the action, and the James family will be shining bright in Las Vegas.
In order to make all of this happen in just a 2-year span, many things have to go LeBron’s way. First, James must finish out his contract with the Lakers healthy and unscathed by the rigorous NBA schedule. As we have seen over the last few years, James’ body has betrayed him just a bit with ankle, foot, and other nagging injuries that have caused him to miss time on the court. The main goal is to stay healthy for any NBA player but for James, it means having everything he always wanted to come to fruition as a player, father, and NBA franchise owner.
Those are LeBron’s goals as a player. As a businessman and owner, James has hurdles to climb to make things happen. He could still be the owner of the Las Vegas franchise once he retires from the game, or even before he retires. He will have to gain approval from the league to be an active player and an owner at the same time. Considering players/coaches have played a role in the league’s history, having an owner/player shouldn’t be a difficult mountain to climb. The second is lining up the funds to make the purchase possible. As a billionaire and partner with Fenway Sports group, this is also not a difficult demand to meet. With money being no issue having made over $500 million in salaries throughout his career, James will make this his main goal moving forward. The stars have aligned for James to be an owner, player, trailblazer, and teammate with his son in one swift motion. Now it all falls on the NBA to allow it to happen.
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