LeBron James has been vocal about his desire to own an NBA club for many years, and he is one of the few players with the resources to do so. He recently became the first active NBA player to reach the billion-dollar mark, and because of a variety of successful off-court businesses, he will likely continue to accumulate wealth for many years to come. Which team James would want to purchase was the more important question. Though, he just revealed his wish to the world after a preseason game against the Phoenix Sun in Las Vegas.
James said: It’s the best fanbase in the world, and I would love to bring a team here at some point.
He sent a direct message to Commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday night, telling him of his future goals. James has previously expressed a desire to one day buy an NBA franchise, with Las Vegas in mind. He addressed the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who is currently in Abu Dhabi: “He probably sees every single interview and transcript that comes through from NBA players, so I want the team here Adam. Thank you
Although there is a legitimate chance of expansion, the league is not currently facing any point of collapse. Right now, it is more urgent to negotiate a new broadcast rights agreement. The league may then think about expanding to Las Vegas and Seattle, which lost the Sonics in 2008. Notably, this would make it possible for bidders for new franchises to know just how much revenue from national television they could anticipate, which would affect their bidding.
Owners of teams are now prohibited from representing them in the NBA. When Michael Jordan opted to return and play for the Washington Wizards in 2001, he was required to forfeit his ownership interest in the team. This rule made headlines at the time. There is no way to predict if the NBA will reconsider this policy if James is still playing when the potential expansion occurs.
But it seems nearly certain that James will ultimately buy an NBA team. James would make the same kinds of appeals to the league as Jordan, who now owns the Hornets. He has the resources and basketball knowledge to contribute to the success of a potential Las Vegas squad.
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