It’s not that he didn’t say anything. In fact, Adam Silver probably gave more of an inside look at potential NBA expansion than he has. But the commissioner still didn’t play any major hands Tuesday when it came to Las Vegas potentially landing a team.
And maybe that’s because there aren’t many to expose right now.
But that doesn’t change the fact a team will eventually be here.
It’s going to happen.
Silver in his annual news conference centered on Summer League offered some specifics about what would entail a Las Vegas team.
We’ve heard most of it before. The timeline of trying to make a decision on expansion by year’s end. How Las Vegas and Seattle are the two markets being considered. How there haven’t been any votes taken.
But there was also a large hint of confidence in his remarks when it came to Las Vegas.
Maybe more so than previous ones.
‘Music to my ears’
“It gives me a lot of confidence to see firsthand the amount of interest in the game in Las Vegas,” Silver said. “Beyond that, in terms of the process and potential expansion here, multiple groups are in the process and presenting plans to our bankers. Those plans not only include who potential owners might be, but their visions for what Las Vegas basketball could look like.
“Where they would play, how they would present the game. It’s music to my ears. This city is such an entertainment hub globally, there is tremendous interest in the game of basketball. … I really appreciate what we’ve seen so far. We have a ways to go, still deep in those discussions. But I’m optimistic about the future here.”
He called Las Vegas the center of youth basketball in the country right now, mentioning all the courts you might see around the city beyond major facilities. The number of trainers. The success of the WNBA’s Aces.
He mentioned that Summer League will this year set records for attendance and merchandise and social media engagements. He said what he has often — that Las Vegas already has a franchise in the Summer League, that it has operated as the NBA’s 31st team now for 22 years.
That back in the day, when other major league professional leagues weren’t doing business in Las Vegas, the NBA was already here.
But it’s not the same, is it?
It’s not the same as an expansion team calling Southern Nevada home.
“It’s not about wavering,” Silver said. “We began the process and made it very clear we wanted to make decisions by the end of the year. It could be to expand. It could be not to. It could be one (team), it could be two.
“There are lots of parties in Las Vegas who have chosen not to be public about their (ownership) interest.”
This was another intriguing part of his remarks.
Unlike those led by names like Jerry Colangelo and Bill Foley and Magic Johnson — all who have come forward with their hopes of being the ones to own a franchise here — there are those who have chosen to stay in the background for now.
You figure it would be a stretch for any group to have the basketball background and knowledge of one led by Colangelo. Of anyone having the relationships he would within league circles.
But that’s not to say others with very deep pockets couldn’t make a run at owning the team. It’s a heavyweight fight, for sure, considering some of those we already know hold a great interest.
Still hopeful
“Price is just one component,” Silver said. “There was just as much interest in what the overall composition of ownership would be. … I’m still hopeful this process would be wrapped up by year’s end. It’s very much on track.”
It’s not that he didn’t say anything.
In fact, the words about Las Vegas were about as positive as those wanting a team here could expect.
And there will be one.
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
