LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley says she hopes to pitch the NBA on a downtown arena as the new home of an expansion team.
Berkley told reporters on Thursday that she is planning to speak with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver via Zoom next week.
She said she believed the league was looking at several locations within unincorporated Clark County, which includes the Las Vegas Strip, but not within the city limits.
“We have an alternative, and I’d like to propose it to them to see if they would even come down and see it for themselves,” Berkley said. “Right across the street [from City Hall], there’s 20 acres near the [World] Market Center. It’s near a freeway. It won’t be as congested on the Strip.”
The NBA announced last week that it will move forward with exploring bids for expansion franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle.
Silver has said he considered Las Vegas the league’s 31st franchise because of its years hosting NBA Summer League and, more recently, in-season tournament semifinals and championships.
MGM Resorts has already pitched T-Mobile Arena, the home of the Vegas Golden Knights, as a potential NBA team’s home as well.
“T-Mobile Arena was built for basketball and hockey,” MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle said in a statement. “Our long-standing relationship with the League is a positive one that stretches back many years, and we would welcome the opportunity to work with the NBA on creating an unforgettable fan experience.”