LeBron James has mentioned numerous times that when he retires from the NBA, he wants to bring a team to Las Vegas and own an expansion franchise. However, even for someone as wealthy and influential as LeBron, saying “I’m going to own an NBA team in Las Vegas” is easier said than done.
In fact, the NBA bringing a team to Sin City is nothing more than a rumor at this point, and James isn’t the only one who wants to own this hypothetical team.
Shaquille O’Neal was so intrigued by the idea that he didn’t just want to get a piece of the franchise as part of some ownership group, he wanted to keep the whole thing for himself.
“I want to have my own team,” O’Neal said messenger at a charity event last weekend. “I know Vegas hasn’t been awarded an NBA team yet, but if they were to be awarded one one day, I’d love to be a part of it. I don’t want to work with anyone. “I want it all to be mine. Own. “
O’Neal has been a part owner of the Sacramento Kings since 2013 but sold his stake in the team in 2022. When he shared the news that he was selling his stake in the Kings, O’Neal posted a “until we meet again” message on his Twitter account, hinting that he might get into the NBA ownership game again sooner or later.
Ironically, James was asked Tuesday why he was so determined and honest about having a team in Las Vegas, and his answer was simple.
“It makes sense,” James said. “Obviously, you’ve got the Raiders here. You’ve got the Cavaliers here. You’ve got the Aces here. F1 is coming soon. You know, All-Star Weekend has happened several times. We have the NBA Summer League, which is very popular.” Sports is here. ”
“You know, I think adding an NBA team here would just add momentum to this town. It’s an attraction. You don’t have to worry about getting fan support or anything like that. “I think it’s the only thing that’s right. “
From the perspective of the league and the city of Vegas, both could be in a worse situation.
A potential bidding war between James, Shaq and a host of other parties interested in a potential expansion team would only bring more attention to the city, its potential new team, and the league.