LeBron James has been hounding Adam Silver every chance he gets with the hopes of starting a new team in ‘Sin City‘. The ‘King’ makes it a point to bring the topic up at opportune moments, be it at a press conference or on social media. Not too soon after, Shaquille O’Neal also joined the list of investors who wanted a bite out of the proverbial apple.

Despite the hints and indications, the NBA Commissioner stood his ground. The 62-year-old had said that while it was a brilliant plan, nothing was set in stone. At the time the Las Vegas expansion rumors were in full swing, Silver said that they would consider it only after the completion of the new CBA and media rights deal.

He had also said that Las Vegas and Seattle were at the top of the list. However, in the latest updates, it seems like Commissioner Silver is looking outside the US for expansion. Senior NBA Insider, Marc J. Spears tweeted the news. “It’s not preordained that we will be expand this time,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. Silver added that when expansion takes place the NBA could look “outside the United States.”

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.

“I know there’s an enormous amount of interest out there,” Silver admitted during his annual NBA Finals conference. 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.

LeBron’s ultimate goal and Shaq’s no-partner policy with regards to Las Vegas expansion

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.