The National Basketball Association is considering expansion. Earlier this week, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver hinted that two possible destinations that the league is contemplating at the moment are Las Vegas and Seattle. Silver addressed the media prior to the NBA Cup Final–a controversial exhibition contest won by the New York Knicks in Las Vegas this past week.
Now, the Sporting Base readers now know my views on expansion. I am not a supporter of it. The reason? Well, if you are a loyal fan to one particular team in a professional sports league as I am in the NBA, MLB, NHL, and CFL, the chances your team wins a championship just decreases. It is simple as that. My opinion is a personal, selfish bias.
If the NBA does decide to expand to Seattle and Las Vegas, those cities make some sense. The reason is because the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights have done very well as National Hockey League franchises in recent years. The NBA have obviously done their research and believe they could be successful in both of those markets.
Remember, Las Vegas has been hosting the NBA Cup Finals the last two years with decent interest. However, Adam Silver has indicated it may be time to leave the Las Vegas in future NBA Cups for a college basketball venue. Top possibilities could be Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, or the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
You also need to remember Seattle has had the NBA before. The Seattle SuperSonics were around from 1967 to 2008 before they moved to Oklahoma City. The Supersonics actually won the 1979 NBA Finals as they beat the Washington Bullets in five games.
