The NBA has been around for 75 years, and in those 75 years, we have seen numerous franchises come and go. Some we’re super popular and are still missed to this day, others are afterthoughts and a stamp on the professional basketball leagues’ history. Today, we take a look at cities, in North America that I believe should be home to an NBA franchise.
Basketball is quickly becoming one of the most popular sports in the world (due to the NBA’s increasing global media expansion and the cheap nature to start playing the game) and NBA expansion would be welcomed, as it would shake things up and create some new excitement in the league.
Mexico City
We start this list off with a team outside of the United States, and in the heart of a city where the population exceeds 8 million people. Mexico City would be a great place to send an NBA team, as the further popularity in Mexico rises, and they will surely have no trouble filling out a 20 000 seat NBA arena with their 8 million + population.
I also believe that sending a team down there will help the game grow, and we will see more Mexican players coming out of Mexico and into the NBA in 20 years or so, just like what happened when the NBA expanded to Toronto and Vancouver. Canada has become a hotbed for NBA talent, and there’s no reason Mexico shouldn’t become one either.
Louisville
If there’s one thing we know for certain about Louisville, it’s that they are die-hard basketball fans. All you have to do is take a look at Louisville when their in March Madness, and you will catch a glimpse of just how crazy Louisville locals are for their basketball. It’s always baffled me as to why the NBA has never made a serious push to bring an NBA team to the Kentucky city.
We know for a fact that Louisville would have one of the most fervent and passionate fanbases in the NBA, and this would make a lot of sense from a money standpoint as well. With a growing business sector in the city, it’s a surprise if this city doesn’t see an NBA team within the next 10-15 years.
Seattle
Growing up, I wasn’t really a basketball fan, but I would have my older cousins staple me to the couch and they’d make me watch the NBA with them. I was more of a “Star Wars and PlayStation” kid growing up, but there was one game where I actually paid attention. That would be a game in which the Toronto Raptors were playing the Seattle SuperSonics. Was I interested in the basketball being played, or the players? No.
What did catch my eye was the SuperSonics jerseys, and how nice I thought they were. Now that I am an NBA fan, and having learned just how much the SuperSonics meant to the city of Seattle, I know the NBA needs to bring this team back. It would be the biggest thing the NBA does in terms of a business decisions for many years.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is arguably the tourist capital of North America, where hundreds of millions of people go every year to gamble, take in shows, and just be flat-out entertained. In recent years the NFL and NHL have decided to expand to Las Vegas, and if the NBA is smart, they will do the same.
There’s no hiding that if you’re going to Vegas, you’re going to have a good time, and why not bring those good vibes to an NBA franchise. Investors is no problem, the arena will always be sold-out, and much like their other sports counterparts, you know their owners will make sure this team is competitive within the first couple of years that they start playing.