Is Mexico City in the running for an expansion team?
The National Basketball Association has its annual Mexico City game on November 7th, this year. It will feature a Denver Nuggets-Indiana Pacers matchup. It is the NBA’s 35th regular season game in North America’s largest city since 1992. There is a bit more intrigue in the NBA showing up in Mexico City, Mexico this year because of a story from ESPN’s so-called NBA insider Brian Windhorst who reported that Seattle is no longer a lock to get an NBA expansion franchise and that Mexico City might be in the mix for an NBA expansion franchise. Silver might be questioned about Mexico City’s viability as an NBA expansion site during his time in Mexico City if he travels there for the game. The NBA has designed Las Vegas and Seattle as the two markets that could be given expansion franchises by the end of 2026. Silver sort of clarified the Windhorst report on another ESPN show, Pat McAfee’s program.
“We’re still a few seasons away from actual expansion taking place, but as you said we’ve been public about the fact that we’re looking closely at Las Vegas and Seattle,” Silver said. “Las Vegas seems to have an insatiable appetite for sports and entertainment. Several groups now are thinking of even building a brand new arena in town, you know, which at least, the presentation is maybe the most spectacular arena ever. Seattle has a great arena. There is a great NBA tradition there. So we’re looking closely at returning to Seattle. I’ve mentioned down the road maybe there’s Mexico City, largest city in North America. A burgeoning, huge basketball base of fans in Mexico. A large Mexican-American population. So, a bunch of different opportunities out there. Discussions are ongoing about Las Vegas and Seattle right now.” But it will cost billions to join the NBA.
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