With the NHL set to drop the puck in Las Vegas next season, the first of many shoes have dropped. The city itself has been looking to play host to professional sports teams for the better part of the past decade. But until one league decided to take that step, it seemed to be holding others back from doing the same.
Now, months after the NHL announced a new expansion team in the desert metropolis, the NFL’s Oakland Raiders have passed through all the political hurdles in Nevada to relocate to Las Vegas. Whether that comes to fruition is really up to the NFL itself.
Interestingly enough, it doesn’t stop here.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, MGM CEO Jim Murren is pursuing an NBA team for the city’s T-Mobile Arena.
“MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren said he is actively pursuing an NBA franchise to play at T-Mobile Arena. Murren, who told the Review-Journal last week he thought Las Vegas could be home to an NBA franchise within five years, discussed the matter with KNPR-FM, which reported his quotes Wednesday.”
Murren went on to tell the paper that it wouldn’t be an expansion team. Instead, the goal here would be the relocation of a current team.
With the Sacramento Kings playing in a new venue in California’s capital city, they are completely off the table here. Among the teams looking to potentially relocate due to arena issues in their local markets, the Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit Pistons come to mind first.
This is a long way out. Though, Las Vegas itself seems to be a prime destination for an NBA team. T-Mobile Arean is a state-of-the-art venue located just outside of the strip in downtown Vegas. It would definitely act as an upgrade for many teams around the Association.
And the city itself is definitely thirsty for professional sports. That is already well know.