NBA Las Vegas expansion supported by Nevada delegates in letter sent to league

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and other Nevada delegates sent a letter of support to NBA commissioner Adam Silver Thursday night, regarding awarding an expansion team to Las Vegas.

The letter, sent less than a week before the NBA is set to vote on exploring Las Vegas for an expansion team, highlighted Southern Nevada’s relationship with the NBA, the growing professional sports landscape in the area and pointed out the state’s basketball history.

“For over 20 years, Las Vegas has hosted the NBA Summer League, growing significantly since its inception,” the letter stated. “From this success, a strong basketball legacy, and serving as the host for the mid-season NBA Cup championships, we firmly believe that Las Vegas is an ideal home for NBA expansion. As you consider the future of the NBA, we strongly urge you to build on the League’s local momentum by selecting Las Vegas as a site for a future league franchise.”

The letter, signed by Cortez Masto, Sen. Jacky Rosen, Rep. Dina Titus, Rep. Susie Lee, Rep. Mark Amodei and Rep Steven Horsford, also highlighted that Las Vegas has become a premier destination for major sporting events including the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff championship, NCAA men’s Final Four, WrestleMania, the National Finals Rodeo and Formula One.

Adding the NBA would complete the big four of professional sports leagues to Las Vegas, joining the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals champion Vegas Golden Knights, the NFL’s Raiders and the MLB’s Athletics who are set to begin playing in Southern Nevada in 2028.

A Las Vegas NBA team would have lofty expectations to live up to, as the WNBA’s Aces have won three titles in the last four years.

“Specific to the sport of basketball, we are also very proud that since coming to Nevada in 2018, the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces have garnered support from all over the country, making a name for themselves the moment they stepped onto the scene,” the letter read. “In the years since, the Aces are one of the most successful teams in the history of the WNBA, winning three of the last four league championships (one shy of tying the overall league record) and being the first team in the over 25 years since the league’s establishment to sell out every home game.”

The success of the collegiate teams in Nevada was also noted, with UNLV having 12 conference titles, reaching the Final Four four times and winning the national title in 1990. UNR’s basketball program was established in 1913, with the university having 23 conference championships and a pair of Sweet Sixteen runs.

Las Vegas draws nearly 40 million visitors annually, who take in the world-class hospitality and venues in the area. The NBA would benefit as much as the city would from adding a team to Las Vegas, the delegation said in the letter.

“Expanding the NBA to Las Vegas would further strengthen the league’s standing not only in the United States, but internationally, serving as a meaningful step towards increasing NBA reach into global markets,” the letter said. “As one of the world’s premier destination cities, Las Vegas already attracts millions of domestic and international visitors each year, offering the league a built-in global audience and unparalleled international exposure through our millions of visitors from around the globe.”