CNN
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National Basketball Association (NBA) star LeBron James reiterated Wednesday his desire to own a franchise in Las Vegas if the league expands to the city.
James’ comments came after his Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game in Nevada City, with the 37-year-old speaking directly to league commissioner Adam Silver.
Asked what it’s like to play in the city, James said: “It’s wonderful – it’s the best fanbase in the world and I’d love to bring a team here at some point. That would be great.
“I know Adam [Silver] is in Abu Dhabi right now, I believe… But he probably sees all the NBA player interviews and transcripts, so I want the team here, Adam. Thanks.”
CNN has reached out to the NBA for a response to James’ latest comments.
James had first openly discussed the idea of owning a team in Las Vegas during an episode of the talk show “The Shop” in June.
“I want to own a team. Yeah, I want to buy a team, that’s for sure. I want a team in Vegas,” he said on the show.
Silver has publicly spoken about the prospect of expansion. Ahead of the NBA Finals in June, he said, “At some point this league is invariably going to expand, but we’re not discussing that right now.
“Las Vegas, where we will be participating in our Summer League in July, has also proven to be a great sports market.”
James already has some experience in the field, having co-owned Liverpool FC since 2011 and the Boston Red Sox since 2021.
James scored 23 points in 18 minutes in Wednesday night’s loss to the Suns, playing only in the first half of the game.
