It’s been a while since the NBA has the idea of incorporating new teams at 30 who compete year after year, but the rumors of the inclusion of Seattle and Las Vegas as new franchises is becoming more serious and it would seem that it would become official from the 2023/24 season.
A young Kevin Durant in the Seattle Supersonics, 2007/2008 season.
At the beginning of 2021, prior to the Tokyo Olympics, the commissioner of the NBA Adam Silver had kicked off the idea. Silver had revealed that the idea of adding two new teams had been studied for a few years.due to the decrease in income that the League had registered in 2019, being 10%.
According to John Canzanobasketball journalist, after two decades the NBA will officially announce the new franchises, although the venues are already defined. “Yes ok, it was rumored with the possible transfer of some franchises to Las Vegas, it was finally decided that it will have its own team”, commented Canzano himself on a local radio.
If materialized, Seattle would see an NBA franchise again after 16 yearssince the disappearance of the Supersonics in 2008. That team, founded in 1967 in the state of Washington, was vanished from the league, after the franchise moved to Oklahoma to found the City Thunder.
Those supersonics, they managed to get a ring in 1979 and three conference titles, having achieved his last great achievement in 2005, when he won the title of the Northwest division (now defunct format). His shirt was worn by some legends of the League, such as Gary Payton (12 seasons in the Seattle), Shawn Kemp Y Ray Allen.
The player most recognized by the general public is Kevin Durantwho was drafted in 2007 in the second position by the Supersonicscompleting his season of rookie averaging 22.8 points per game. Finally, the following year the franchise disappeared and Durant became a star in Oklahoma City Thunder.
Durant in his first season in the NBA. At 20 years old he averaged 22.8 points.
Unlike Seattle, where NBA fanaticism is already proven, the bet in Las Vegas is much riskier on the part of the League. In recent years, Nevada City has had a very strong sporting impact with the arrival of raiders of the NFL, the Golden Knights (NHL team) and the Oakland Athletics of the MLB. Only one representative in La Liga would be missing.
The need to reach the public
This new implement joins other campaigns that the League has had in the last moment to increase the popularity of games after the loss of 8.3 billion dollars in 2019. Among them was the announcement by Adam Silverabout what chicago bulls Y Detroit Pistons they will meet in the Regular Season in Paris.
Trae Young and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the main stars of the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022
In addition, the League has already confirmed that it will take two pre-season duels between Atlanta Hawks Y milwaukee bucks to the United Arab Emirates during the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022. All these campaigns, with the clear goal of increasing the popularity of the sport and being able to recapture NBA fans.
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The NBA could add two new teams