Could the Memphis Grizzlies play some home games in Nashville?
Nashville, Tennessee is not on the National Basketball Association’s owners’ list of potential expansion markets. There are just two markets that are being considered, Las Vegas and Seattle. But that does not mean Nashville won’t have an opportunity to host some NBA games. Commissioner Adam Silver said on the Pardon My Take podcast that he ‘would like to see’ the Memphis Grizzlies play games in Nashville. That makes sense if the Memphis’ franchise owner Robert Pera wants to expand his marketing territory in Tennessee. The Nashville arena is being renovated and some NBA players would like to see the Memphis franchise move to Nashville. Silver said Memphis “has been a great market historically for the NBA, and there is amazing history in that city and amazing culture. There’s no reason why the Memphis Grizzlies can’t be successful.” There have been complaints from some players led by LeBron James who just are not impressed with Memphis. “Players I talk to all the time like playing in Memphis,” Silver said. “I have never heard that issue of players not wanting to be in Memphis.”
Silver added that Pera “has no interest in moving the team out of Memphis, he’s made that clear.” But Pera is trying to get Memphis politicians to put up money to renovate the city’s arena. Pera’s lease with the city ends in 2029. There is a $550 million taxpayers package on the table but nothing has been signed. Meanwhile, Silver likes the Nashville market. “Nashville is a city on the rise; there’s incredible things happening there. If it were up to me, I would love for them to play a few games a year in Nashville and sort of be Tennessee’s team, to the extent that they can.” Silver may be putting pressure on Memphis politicians to get the Grizzlies’ deal done.
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