LeBron James Says He Wants to Own an NBA Franchise in Las Vegas

Posted on: June 9, 2022, 11:49h. 

Last updated on: June 10, 2022, 02:06h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that LeBron James wants to own an NBA team when his playing days are done. However, the basketball great goes into more detail about his hoop ownership dreams in Friday’s episode of his YouTube show Uninterrupted: The Shop, noting that he wants his team to play in Las Vegas.

LeBron James
Basketball great LeBron James appears in a preview for Friday’s episode of “Uninterrupted: The Shop.” On Thursday, a clip from the show revealed James discussing his goal of owning an NBA team located in Las Vegas. (Image: Uninterrupted/YouTube)

A snippet of Friday’s show was teased on the Twitter feed of Uninterrupted, “an athlete empowerment brand” created by James and Maverick Carter, James’ longtime friend and business partner.

Yeah, I would much rather own a team before I talk,” James said in the preview clip. “I want a team in Vegas.”

The full episode of the roundtable discussion talk show in a barber shop setting will be released on YouTube Friday at noon ET.

James has led four teams to NBA titles and won four most valuable player awards. The 18-time all-star is the second all-time leading scorer in the league. He just finished his 19th season in the NBA, one in which his Los Angeles Lakers failed to make the playoffs.

Pro Sports Teams Attracted to Vegas

Previously, James mentioned that he would like to play with his son Bronny, a four-star high school recruit eligible for the NBA Draft in 2024. That would likely mean the elder James wouldn’t hang up his high tops until 2025.

Perhaps by the time James does retire, the NBA will finally be ready to expand the league beyond its current 30 teams. Last week, before the start of the NBA Finals, Commissioner Adam Silver denied speculative reports that the league would add teams in Seattle and Vegas after the 2023-24 season.

Las Vegas would make sense for a lot of reasons. One major reason is the more than three-fold growth the city’s metropolitan area has experienced over the past 30-plus years. At nearly 2.3 million people, the Las Vegas metro area is the 29th-largest in the US.

Las Vegas has gone from being a pro sports pariah because of legalized sports betting to a coveted market. The NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights debuted in the 2017-18 season, and the Raiders NFL franchise moved from Oakland two years ago.

Besides the NBA, there’s been talk of MLS expanding to Sin City and MLB’s Oakland A’s moving there.

LeBron Means Business

Besides being one of the greatest NBA players, James has also demonstrated sharp business acumen.

Earlier this month, Forbes reported that James reached billionaire status – becoming the first to do so while being an active NBA player. And he didn’t reach a 10-figure net worth through just his playing salary. James has parlayed his career into endorsement deals and lucrative business ventures.

James is already an owner of a pro sports franchise. He owns a stake in Fenway Sports Group, including the MLB’s Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC of England’s Premier League.

One league where the consortium does not have a franchise is the NBA.