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It has been widely speculated, and said by LeBron James himself, that after his playing days, he will own a team.
In 2022, he specifically looked at Las Vegas, which does not yet have an NBA franchise, but is where the new NBA Cup semifinals and finals have been played since the 2023-24 season.
Beginning in 2028, MLB’s Athletics will also be the third team in Sin City, joining the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, who entered as an expansion franchise in 2017, and the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, who moved there from Oakland in 2020. The WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces have also won 2018 titles in San Antonio since then.
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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers gestures during the first half of the Western Conference semifinal game of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament against the New Orleans Pelicans at T-Mobile Arena on December 7, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“It’s a sports town. Hopefully I can bring my franchise here one day,” James said during the 2023 NBA Cup.
However, he seems to have changed.
When asked Wednesday night if he’s still interested in owning a team, James said flatly, “No, I’m not. Not at all.”
James has been business partners with Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool in the Premier League, since 2011.
But before James’ comments, The Athletic reported that because bids could reach as high as $8 billion for the Vegas team, the group is not interested in participating in the bidding.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James sits on the bench during the first half of a game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, California, Thursday, April 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
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“With Fenway no longer pursuing NBA ownership, LeBron is less likely to pursue a team,” a source close to James told the paper.
NBA owners are scheduled to meet next Wednesday to decide whether the league will move forward with plans to add a team in Las Vegas and even make the league’s return to Seattle. Twenty-three owners must give the green light before the move officially begins.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers runs down the court after drawing an offensive charge against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half of the West semifinal game of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament at T-Mobile Arena on December 7, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Lakers defeated the Pelicans 133-89. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The NBA has not expanded since 2004, when the association returned to Charlotte for the Bobcats after the original Hornets moved to New Orleans. That team is now the Pelicans, while the Bobcats regained the original Hornets moniker in 2014.
Las Vegas hosted the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.
