LeBron James recently attended a WNBA game in Las Vegas Getty The NBA icon is in prime position to acquire an expansion team in Sin City Getty LeBron has been working hard over the past 18 months to move ownership one he retires Getty The LA Lakers star recently played in the NBA In-Season Tournament championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Getty
The contract will allow LeBron to achieve his long-held dream of playing with his son Bronny , who was selected by the Lakers in the second round of last week’s NBA Draft .
Once LeBron retires in 2026, it is expected that he will become “the face” of an NBA expansion team in Sin City.
It has been a process that has been over 18 months in the making – and is a key part of LeBron’s post-retirement career plans.
“LeBron’s plan is the most solid to get the ownership of the future Las Vegas franchise, that is clear,” a well-placed insider has revealed.
“His plan is moving forward very well, he is doing the right things to get it done and get the ownership of Las Vegas franchise when the time is right.”
LeBron, who is building a $37 million mega-mansion in LA, has already gained the support from a number of key stakeholders.
“He has the support of a lot of powerful people,” the insider added.
“And the City of Las Vegas and the league know that by having him, it would be a massive addition and they would make a lot of money, and have the value and attractiveness of the franchise exploding at every level.
“He has been putting a lot of effort and time on meetings, discussions and lobbying for this.
“Everyone wants him to be on the ownership of Vegas’s team, he is the clear favorite and has the most solid plan by far.
“That should be happening really quickly after he decides to stop playing.
“All the lights are green for him!”
The U.S. Sun reported in February that LeBron stepped up his efforts to plunge some of his $1 billion fortune into a new team in Sin City .
Key meetings were held during Super Bowl week and during the NBA All-Star break in Indianapolis, with two sources confirming numerous sponsors are in discussions about a project that could start off at around $3.5 billion but is expected to reach a value over $10 billion once all the pieces fall into place.
Discussions over a new arena in Vegas – which could cost $1.8 billion – are also underway.
LeBron’s timing is key – the NBA’s current TV deal expires in 2025, and with NBC, Amazon and ESPN all circling, a bigger share of the financial pie could be available to all franchise owners.
Commissioner Adam Silver is set to confirm two new franchises in the coming years, taking the number of NBA teams from 30 to 32.
LeBron works out in front of a Vegas Golden Knights logo Getty LeBron with Chris Paul (left) and Kevin Durant during a USA Men’s National Team practice in Las Vegas in 2012 Getty Lebron and his wife Savannah attend the super-welterweight boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor in Las Vegas in 2017 Getty
“What is the next thing that he wants? He wants to be the owner of the coming expansion team in Las Vegas,” Windhorst said.
“So the biggest thing other than health that we’re going to see that is going to determine when the end of LeBron’s career is, is when the owners of the league set forth a timeline about when they’re going to establish that expansion team in Las Vegas.
“Now nothing is assured and they keep putting that asterisk on everything, but I suspect once the TV rights deals get wrapped up, which should be this summer sometime, and they have that done.
“They have the CBA done, the TV deal done. They’ve extended Adam Silver’s contract.
“They’re going to bring expansion to the table and they’re going to probably pick a year in which that’s going to be.
“It won’t be next season, so it’ll probably at the earliest be two years from now.
“And that’s what I think LeBron will be focused on. He wants to join up with partners to become the face of the franchise in Las Vegas.”
Vegas has successfully welcomed NHL , NFL , and even F1 in recent years, with Major League Soccer also eyeing up options in the desert.
Meanwhile, LeBron has already dipped his toe into sports ownership.
He has recently increased his stake in Fenway Sports Group, who own the Boston Red Sox , Pittsburgh Penguins, and English soccer team Liverpool.
When asked in October 2023 why he wants to run an NBA franchise in the Entertainment Capital of the World, the forward said that “it just makes sense.”
LeBron continued: “Obviously you have the Raiders here, you have the [Golden Knights] here, you have the Aces here.
“You got F1 coming very soon. All-Star Weekend has been a few times.
“You’ve got the NBA Summer League that’s very popular. Sports is here.
“I think adding an NBA franchise here would just add to the momentum that’s going on in this town.”
After a brief pause, James concluded with a notable smile on his face: “I think it’s only a matter of time, and I hope I’m part of that time.”
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Local Los Angeles, CA
Most Popular
Comments / 0