Before the tip of the Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the media.

In regards to the different storylines that are going on in the basketball landscape currently. 

He answered all different kinds of questions, ranging from the upcoming NBA media rights and the issues surrounding it, Caitlin Clark, and even the potential expansion of the league.

The potential expansion for the NBA amuses us all, since it has a lot of lives at stake, including those of LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal. 

Both O’Neal and James have always had a hope of getting a chance to start new NBA teams in “Sin City”. But, this dream might get crushed after Silver’s plans for “expansion”.

Yes, he is looking to expand, but it’s going to be a long-term plan. 

Even though the 62-year-old stood his ground with his brilliant plan, the good news for King James and Shaq is that nothing’s set in stone. Silver said that the league would consider expanding only after the media rights issue is sorted.

But what’s intriguing is that Silver is looking to expand not just in the USA, but beyond, which can be a major bummer for James and Shaq. “It’s not preordained that we will expand at this time, but I know there’s an enormous amount of interest out there,” Silver told reporters Thursday.

Silver further added, “At some point, we’d like to look outside the United States. In addition to Canada. This may not be the right moment to do that, but I’m thinking long term as well.”

Currently, the Toronto Raptors are the only basketball team outside of the US. There was also a time when the Memphis Grizzlies played via Vancouver, but that’s no longer the case. And this isn’t the first time Silver is bringing this up. He’s also done it in the past when he planned to expand a team to Mexico. But he did raise this point again in the press conference, “I know there’s an enormous amount of interest out there”.

So, Silver understands the international appeal the NBA has. Probably that’s why they’re holding a few games in Paris in January. The league will ultimately expand, but expanding to Europe, African and Asian countries, or even in the Eastern side of the globe might get a bit tricky due to travel time and fatigue, with the already condensed 82-game season.

But then, there are a lot of places back home too. Especially the Sin City. You don’t need us to tell you what a lucrative market Las Vegas is. Home to major professional teams like the Raiders (NFL), Knights (NHL), Aces (WNBA), and ongoing relocation of the Athletics (MLB), 

the ‘Neon City’ also hosts minor professional sports teams. Hence, for one of the major sports in the United States, like the NBA, the next stop would naturally be Vegas.

He also said that there were more than enough wealthy individuals and institutions happy to pay the rumored $2.5 billion expansion fee. However, there is another aspect that has to be taken into consideration – the talent dip.

With approximately 35 names added to the player pool, adding two more teams would cause a considerable decline in members. “Those players have to come from somewhere,“ Adam stated. Unfortunately, these logical and practical reasonings only further serve to make the hopes of James and Shaq a distant dream.

James made his intentions crystal clear regarding a Las Vegas NBA franchise. In 2022, he went as far as openly campaigning the dream. After playing a preseason game against the Suns in ‘The Entertainment Capital of the World,’ he directly addressed Adam Silver. “He probably sees every single interview and transcript that comes through from NBA players, so I want the team here, Adam. Thank you.”

More recently, though, James expressed his wishes more subtly. “Hopefully, I can bring my franchise here one day. That’s the ultimate goal.” While the ‘Akron Hammer’ was making use of every possible window to catch Silver’s attention, the ‘Big Diesel’ had his designs about setting up shop in Vegas. He stated that he wanted to partner with nobody.

Interestingly, though, in a few days, Shaq had a different outlook. The man who wanted it all for himself now wanted to be “just involved.” It didn’t matter if it was LeBron who had the reins or somebody else. O’Neal only wanted to be part of that franchise. However, none of these will take place if there is no team to begin with. Or as Silver mentioned, the expansion is going outside the US.

Will the two NBA legends be interested in an international franchise, though? What are your thoughts on the matter? And then, since we’re talking about Shaq, let’s not forget his ex-agent, Leonard Armato, and the kind of praises he has for the young WNBA talent, Caitlin Clark, and her humility.

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Source: USA Today