FILE– Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, recently declared by Forbes magazine as the NBA’s first active player worth $1 billion, has a new goal — owning an NBA team in Las Vegas.
The 37-year-old playmaker was shown in a social media video clip from Friday’s edition of his talk show “The Shop” declaring his latest NBA desire.
“I want to own a team,” James said. “I want to buy a team, for sure.
“I want a team in Vegas. I want the team in Vegas.”
Las Vegas has been often mentioned as a prime spot for an expansion club along with Seattle, although NBA commissioner Adam Silver said this week there are no immediate plans for expansion from 30 teams.
But there is a plan for a major new arena in Vegas, which is already the home of an NFL and NHL team and is often mentioned as a possible relocation site for Major League Baseball’s Oakland A’s.
LeBron, a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, owns SpringHill Company, an entertainment development and production firm that made “Space Jam: A New Legacy” — a film released last year starring James.
He’s also a part owner of Fenway Sports Group, which owns MLB’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League football side Liverpool and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.