Should Las Vegas get a NBA team?

JoseA · 02-16-2007, 08:39 PM

What are your opinions.

With all this all-star game talk this has been in the news a lot.

Personally I think that they should get a team and I think it would be pretty succeful. There are no MLB or NFL teams in vegas, and pretty sure no NHL teams.

What are your thoughts?

bedir than average · 02-16-2007, 08:42 PM

Vegas is the largest market (31-IIRC)without a "big four" team. It is also one of the fastest growing markets in America. They could handle a NBA or NHL team at this point.

JoseA · 02-16-2007, 08:45 PM

Good points Bedir

However, Vegas is known as a fast-paced town. I know the attendance would be high in the beginning, but do you think the attendance will be good in the long run (for instance if they have a bad team)?

John F · 02-16-2007, 08:52 PM

It also happens to be the most lawless of markets in the US -- with gambling legal as well as prostitution.

It's much easier for a young man with money to lose his way in LV than in any other American city. Yes, it can happen in any US city but in Vegas -- it's an open invitation to ruination.

JoseA · 02-16-2007, 10:14 PM

Here is what the mayor of Vegas said:

Quote:

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is convinced the NBA soon will reside there on a permanent basis. Goodman said Thursday that Commissioner David Stern has given him the go-ahead to present a proposal to league owners in April.

SI.com - Scorecard Daily - NBA: Feb. 16, 2007 - Friday February 16, 2007 11:34AM

Interesting...sound like they more than likely will get a team...which doesn't suprise me, but will it benefit the Nba

SeanVol · 02-17-2007, 11:46 PM

Yes! Because I don't see anything wrong in playing BB in city that gambles.

Zen653 · 02-18-2007, 02:21 PM

There are other NBA cities, such as New Orleans, with casinos. I think a fair compromise would be to ban gambling on any games involving the Las Vegas team. Otherwise keep the NBA sportsbook open. You don't want any of the Las Vegas players getting caught up in gambling schemes where they get paid to point-shave, or lose games. While that could happen anywhere, it would be more likely to happen in Las Vegas because the players would be living in the gambling capital of the world and hanging out with unsavory high-rolling lowlifes. That no longer becomes a risk if you prohibit all bets on Las Vegas games.

As for prostitution, it's actually not legal in Las Vegas. It's only legal in authorized bawdy houses in the suburbs of Reno and in some rural areas of Nevada. I suppose some of the players might drive a couple hours to see a prostitute but so what? Toronto has legal prostitution and that didn't stop the NBA from moving there. And NBA players have groupies following them around, offering themselves up for free anyway.

KRS-One · 02-18-2007, 07:23 PM

The Kings are gonna move to LV sometime in the next 2 years.

SeanVol · 02-19-2007, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KRS-One

The Kings are gonna move to LV sometime in the next 2 years.

Yeah, I agree! The Maloof Brothers rather their team be in Vegas than Sacramento

DiamondDave · 02-20-2007, 10:07 AM

I don't see where the Casinos and gambling trade are a problem.. Miami has it, New Orleans, hell even the riverboats in St. Louis.....

And just because prostitution is legal (not in the City of Las Vegas, I believe though)... should not really be a concern.... hell... players are knocking up anything that moves anyway...

I would like to see a NBA team go there as a water tester... I think it would be a huge success.. .not only locals with good money, but casinos giving away tickets and ensuring filled seats...

I think it would be a gateway into having a MLB or NFL team there within 10 years

bedir than average · 02-20-2007, 10:10 AM

One thing that I think works in favor of the casinos is that they have more reasons than any other institution to want the betting on a local team to be straight and up-and-up. Because can you imagine the jail time, firings, finings, etc if a team based in Vegas was found to be the subject of a betting scandal?

Remember that most of the recent betting scandals (ASU pointshaving) have been caught by the casinos, not the sports organization and not the law.

Zen653 · 02-20-2007, 03:28 PM

The Las Vegas Sun isn't convinced that the NBA can survive in Nevada:

Quote:

"Will we support an NBA team?"

That answer isn't as definitive.

For a year, yes, without question we will support it. But what happens when the novelty wears off and/or the team starts losing?

There are no guarantees a losing team will draw here. Heck, there's no guarantee a winning team will draw here. Why do you think the Maloofs are so committed to Sacramento? It can't be that the cocktail lounge at the Holiday Inn is a better place to impress chicks than Ghostbar at the Palms. But it might be those 17,310 seats “ 100 percent occupancy “ at decrepit Arco Arena that are filled every night the Kings pull off their warm-ups, regardless of how many shots they clang off the rim.

This is putting the cart way, way in front of the horse. But our ability to support an NBA or other major league franchise over the long haul, with the possible exception of the NFL (and you can forget about that because pro football isn't coming), is a concern that shouldn't be dismissed like a midweek game in Boston.

I recently came across an item that referred to a crowd of 14,914 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis as "sparse." Around here, UNLV coach Lon Kruger gets more excited than a Trekkie at a Leonard Nimoy convention whenever 10,000 show up for a Rebels game.

Here's something that's even more eye-opening. The Grizzlies play in a spectacular new arena and play to 80-percent capacity, or an average of 14,765, which sounds pretty impressive.

Not by NBA standards. The Grizzlies' average attendance is next-to-last in the league, part of the reason Memphis would be a prime candidate to move to Las Vegas were it not locked into a long-term lease on Beale Street.

Las Vegas SUN: Ron Kantowski on why the race for a Las Vegas pro sports team doesn't end after the first two hurdles have been cleared

JoseA · 02-21-2007, 06:11 PM

Personally I think it would do an o.k. of job with a NBA team, but not great.

However, if they had an NFL team it would be a huge hit with the city in my opinion....

By the way isn't Vegas the fastest growing city in the U.S.?

BMW · 02-22-2007, 06:59 PM

I'm not sold on it having it's own team, but I wish the All-Star weekend was there every year!

DR3AMR · 02-23-2007, 12:12 PM

There was an article about a baseball team being located in LV a couple years back in Baseball Weekly.

I know basketball plays only half the number of games, but they were saying that any big league sports league would have a problem with attendance because a significant portion of the LV population works at odd hours. So, they were saying that most MLB games would have to be played at like 1:00 pm to fit the work demographic.

Anyway, if Memphis can have an NBA team, then I think virtually any other city could have one as well.

Also, I like how all the leagues now have a number of teams that fit the divisional setups. Giving an expansion NBA team to LV would upset the divisional set up of the NBA.

02-16-2007, 08:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
JoseA Moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: USA Posts: 2,097	Should Las Vegas get a NBA team? What are your opinions. With all this all-star game talk this has been in the news a lot. Personally I think that they should get a team and I think it would be pretty succeful. There are no MLB or NFL teams in vegas, and pretty sure no NHL teams. What are your thoughts? __________________ Register here and join the discussion

02-16-2007, 08:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
bedir than average Administrator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Starbucks Posts: 8,256	Vegas is the largest market (31-IIRC)without a "big four" team. It is also one of the fastest growing markets in America. They could handle a NBA or NHL team at this point. __________________ US Men's National Team World Cup Qualifying \| Democracy in Sports Meets My First Campaign "You're only so sure you're right because they're so sure you're wrong." Orson Scott Card in Xenocide

02-16-2007, 08:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
JoseA Moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: USA Posts: 2,097	Good points Bedir However, Vegas is known as a fast-paced town. I know the attendance would be high in the beginning, but do you think the attendance will be good in the long run (for instance if they have a bad team)? __________________ Register here and join the discussion

02-18-2007, 07:23 PM	#8 (permalink)
KRS-One Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Just South of Baltimore, MD Posts: 185	The Kings are gonna move to LV sometime in the next 2 years. __________________ Orioles-Ravens-Wizards-Terps How could colonized minds lead to such uncivilized times? Maybe the tribes were harmonious and you were erroneous.

02-20-2007, 10:07 AM	#10 (permalink)
DiamondDave Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: MD, on the Potomac River Posts: 5,390	I don't see where the Casinos and gambling trade are a problem.. Miami has it, New Orleans, hell even the riverboats in St. Louis..... And just because prostitution is legal (not in the City of Las Vegas, I believe though)... should not really be a concern.... hell... players are knocking up anything that moves anyway... I would like to see a NBA team go there as a water tester... I think it would be a huge success.. .not only locals with good money, but casinos giving away tickets and ensuring filled seats... I think it would be a gateway into having a MLB or NFL team there within 10 years __________________ Reagan in 08... Even though he's dead, he's the better choice! Superdelegates - Because even the Democratic party knows it's base is too stupid to make really important decisions.

02-16-2007, 08:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
John F Administrator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tampa Bay area, Florida Posts: 2,497	It also happens to be the most lawless of markets in the US -- with gambling legal as well as prostitution. It's much easier for a young man with money to lose his way in LV than in any other American city. Yes, it can happen in any US city but in Vegas -- it's an open invitation to ruination.

02-17-2007, 11:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
SeanVol Rookie Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 4	Yes! Because I don't see anything wrong in playing BB in city that gambles.

02-18-2007, 02:21 PM	#7 (permalink)
Zen653 Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 6,902	There are other NBA cities, such as New Orleans, with casinos. I think a fair compromise would be to ban gambling on any games involving the Las Vegas team. Otherwise keep the NBA sportsbook open. You don't want any of the Las Vegas players getting caught up in gambling schemes where they get paid to point-shave, or lose games. While that could happen anywhere, it would be more likely to happen in Las Vegas because the players would be living in the gambling capital of the world and hanging out with unsavory high-rolling lowlifes. That no longer becomes a risk if you prohibit all bets on Las Vegas games. As for prostitution, it's actually not legal in Las Vegas. It's only legal in authorized bawdy houses in the suburbs of Reno and in some rural areas of Nevada. I suppose some of the players might drive a couple hours to see a prostitute but so what? Toronto has legal prostitution and that didn't stop the NBA from moving there. And NBA players have groupies following them around, offering themselves up for free anyway.

02-20-2007, 10:10 AM	#11 (permalink)
bedir than average Administrator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Starbucks Posts: 8,256	One thing that I think works in favor of the casinos is that they have more reasons than any other institution to want the betting on a local team to be straight and up-and-up. Because can you imagine the jail time, firings, finings, etc if a team based in Vegas was found to be the subject of a betting scandal? Remember that most of the recent betting scandals (ASU pointshaving) have been caught by the casinos, not the sports organization and not the law. __________________ US Men's National Team World Cup Qualifying \| Democracy in Sports Meets My First Campaign "You're only so sure you're right because they're so sure you're wrong." Orson Scott Card in Xenocide

02-21-2007, 06:11 PM	#13 (permalink)
JoseA Moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: USA Posts: 2,097	Personally I think it would do an o.k. of job with a NBA team, but not great. However, if they had an NFL team it would be a huge hit with the city in my opinion.... By the way isn't Vegas the fastest growing city in the U.S.? __________________ Register here and join the discussion

02-22-2007, 06:59 PM	#14 (permalink)
BMW Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cape Coral Florida Posts: 830	I'm not sold on it having it's own team, but I wish the All-Star weekend was there every year! __________________ BMW Green Bay Packers 14-4

02-23-2007, 12:12 PM	#15 (permalink)
DR3AMR Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Atlanta Posts: 5,439	There was an article about a baseball team being located in LV a couple years back in Baseball Weekly. I know basketball plays only half the number of games, but they were saying that any big league sports league would have a problem with attendance because a significant portion of the LV population works at odd hours. So, they were saying that most MLB games would have to be played at like 1:00 pm to fit the work demographic. Anyway, if Memphis can have an NBA team, then I think virtually any other city could have one as well. Also, I like how all the leagues now have a number of teams that fit the divisional setups. Giving an expansion NBA team to LV would upset the divisional set up of the NBA. __________________ Tony Rezko, Paul Ray, Larry Walsh, Rod Blagojevich, William Ayers, Kwame Kilpatrick, Penny Pritzker, Alexi Giannoulias... FUBAR - Felons United for Barack's Almighty Reign Last edited by DR3AMR; 02-23-2007 at 12:20 PM.