LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers picked up their first win of the 2023 preseason on Monday night with a 129-126 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The game took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and perhaps unsurprisingly, James got asked about the NBA potentially launching a franchise in the city, which has been rumored for seemingly a century by this point.
James hasn’t been shy about his interest in getting involved in the ownership group for a Vegas franchise, and once again, he expressed his interest in being a part of whatever the league ends up doing in the city while making sure to note that it’s increasingly becoming a hotbed for sports.
LeBron James on why he wants to own the NBA’s potential expansion team in Las Vegas: pic.twitter.com/FjrCNlkxae
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 10, 2023
Viva Las Vegas!!!!
https://t.co/e8jwvtjTiX
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 10, 2023
“It just makes sense,” James said. “Obviously, you got the Raiders here, you got the Knights here, you got the Aces here, you got F1 coming very soon.”
James also pointed out that the league heads to Vegas every year for Summer League, which draws a crowd and further established that sports are popular in the city. And for the NBA specifically, James believes that the addition of a new team “would just add to the momentum going on in this town.”
“I think it’s only a matter of times,” James said with a smile. “But I hope I’m part of that time.”