LeBron James arrived in Las Vegas for a preseason game. And a proposal.
James, who has repeatedly stated his desire to eventually become the owner of an NBA franchise with Las Vegas in mind, sent Commissioner Adam Silver another clear message reminding him of his plans.
“I know that Adam is in Abu Dhabi right now, I think. But he probably sees every interview and transcript that he gets through the NBA players,” James said following the Los Angeles Lakers-Phoenix Suns game. “So I want the team here, Adam. Thank you”.
James smiled following his statements, knowing full well that Silver would soon hear his every word.
In fact, Silver is in Abu Dhabi for this week’s preseason games between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks. The league certainly got wind of James’ comments. An article regarding what he said was published Thursday morning on the official NBA website.
Silver has talked regarding expansion plans many times in recent years, but there has also been a clear belief that the NBA won’t add teams until the next collective bargaining and broadcast deals are completed.
Nonetheless, Silver has called Las Vegas “a great sports market.”
“As I’ve said before, at some point this league will invariably expand, but it’s not right now that we’re discussing it,” Silver said earlier this year. “But one of the factors in the expansion is that the talent is diluted.”
James said on his show “The Shop: Uninterrupted” in June that he wants to have a team and wants it to be in Las Vegas, which has long been touted as a potential expansion site.
