Lakers' LeBron Updates Pursuit of NBA Team Ownership amid Las Vegas, Seattle Expansion Rumors

As the NBA eyes expansion possibly as soon as the 2028-29 season, LeBron James does not figure to get involved in the bidding as a potential owner for either franchise.

James told reporters on Wednesday night that he's "not at all" interested in owning any NBA team anymore.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Monday that the league will hold an expansion vote for teams exclusively in Seattle and Las Vegas at the upcoming board of governors meetings from March 24-25.

James has often spoken about his desire to be part of an NBA ownership group. He specifically cited wanting to buy a team based in Vegas during a 2022 episode of The Shop.

While it's unclear why James now sounds pretty definitively against getting involved in NBA ownership, two potential reasons that jump out are the cost and limited financial backing.

Charania's report noted the expected bids would be "in the $7-to-$10 billion range" for each expansion franchise.

Per The Athletic's Joe Vardon and Mike Vorkunov, Fenway Sports Group is "not currently interested" in bidding for the Vegas expansion team.

James purchased a one percent ownership stake in FSG in 2021, then expanded his equity with a lifetime marketing deal two years later.

Vardon and Vorkunov noted that Fenway Sports Group was "long expected" to be the primary financial backer for James if he were to invest in an NBA franchise.

"With Fenway no longer pursuing NBA ownership, it is less likely that LeBron will pursue a team," one person close to James told Vardon and Vorkunov.

Despite James' not having much interest in an NBA ownership stake, his deal with FSG does give him equity in the various sports franchises they already control. Those assets include the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC and Pittsburgh Penguins.