LeBron James & Shaq’s Dream in Danger as Adam Silver Takes $2.5 Billion Plan Beyond USA Borders

Before the tip-off of Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the media about a possible expansion of the league. It was a rather uninteresting start to his address when he said, “It’s [expansion is] not preordained.” But the catch is that this is just a timely follow-up that curiously coincides with the NBA’s TNT fallout. Or not? You decide.

The potential expansion of the NBA amuses us all since it has a lot of dreams at stake, including those of LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal. Both O’Neal and James have always hoped to get 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 will be a long-term plan.

“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 on Thursday. “And to me, yes, there are wealthy individuals, institutions that would like to invest and buy NBA teams, but I think it’s on the league to look holistically because there is the dilution, of course.” That said, even though the 62-year-old stood his ground with his plan, the good news for King James and Shaq is that nothing’s set in stone. Silver said the league would consider expanding only after the media rights issue is sorted.

With the $24 billion, 9-year media rights deal set to expire in 2025, the NBA has another year before seriously considering expanding the league. At least, that’s what Adam Silver said on The Pat McAfee Show. But what he said right after would undoubtedly have thrilled Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James. “We have one more year left on our television deal in the US after this year. So we want to figure out what our media relationships are going to look like,” he said, adding, “But then we’ll turn to expansion, and Vegas is definitely on our list.”

However, 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. In his press conference before the Celtics-Mavericks game, Silver 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 the US. There was also a time when the Memphis Grizzlies played via Vancouver, but that’s no longer true. 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 of the NBA. That’s probably why they’re holding a few games in Paris in January. The league will ultimately expand, but expanding to Europe, Africa, and Asian countries, or even on the Eastern side of the globe, might get tricky due to travel time and fatigue with the already condensed 82-game season. However, considering the NBA has already started leaving its footprint in Paris – no matter how small it may be – it looks like the move toward expansion has already gained momentum.

But then, there are a lot of places back home, too. Especially 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. And, just like Paris, the NBA has started leaving its footprint there as well. The T-Mobile Arena hosted the semifinals and finals of the inaugural In-Season Tournament this season. And you can bet James enjoyed winning the tournament there, owing to his Vegas dream.

Hence, for one of the major sports in the United States, like the NBA, the next stop would naturally be Vegas. Silver also said 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 2 more teams would cause a considerable decline in members. “I feel great about where the talent is right now in the league, but those players have to come from somewhere,” Adam Silver 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 using 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, Shaq had a different outlook a few days later. 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? What are your thoughts on the matter? And then, since we’re talking about Shaq, let’s not forget his ex-agent, Leonardo Armato’s take on Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese.

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