Dear David Stern...Bring the NBA to Las Vegas

Dear David Stern,

 

This year more than any other, I'm looking forward to NBA All-Star Weekend.  Not only because I'll be treated to a sponsor-riddled slew of slam dunk contests, three-point shootouts, and fundamentally unsound pickup games featuring the best players in the world—but because all the events are set to take place in Las Vegas. 

 

This location leads me to believe that you and your league are open to the prospect of an NBA franchise eventually relocating to Sin City.  And I know I'm not alone in my excitement.

As an unapologetic fan of Las Vegas and all it has to offer, I'm giddy at the thought of a professional sports team moving to the city. Unfortunately, the NFL and Major League Baseball are a little overly-sensitive when it comes to gambling, and refuse to even consider the possibility of a Vegas relocation.  But Mr. Stern, during your tenure as NBA commissioner you've proven yourself to be a big-picture visionary, a man who sees things in terms of the league's best interests rather than personal or popular opinions.

You're a savvy businessman and a realist, Mr. Stern.  And that's why the NBA is the league that's going to turn my dream of professional sports in Las Vegas into a reality.

Perhaps I'm blinded by the bright lights of the Strip, but an NBA presence in Las Vegas feels inevitable. The league currently has two franchises with major arena issues (the Sacramento Kings and the Seattle Supersonics) and a third that is rumored to be mulling  a move (the New Orleans Hornets).  Oscar Goodman, the high-profile mayor of Las Vegas, would welcome the Association with open arms and—more importantly—an open pocketbook.  State and local governments could generate enough money through hotel, rental car, and other tourist taxes to build a state-of-the-art basketball facility. And that's to say nothing of the revenue a Las Vegas franchise would earn from the most glamorous luxury boxes the sports world has ever seen.

You're no idiot, Mr. Stern, and I'm sure you're concerned about the gambling issue.  We all are.  Okay, actually...I'm not.  The average NBA player makes millions of dollars.  I can't imagine even the stupidest player in the league risking his lucrative livelihood just to make some extra scratch betting on games or shaving points.  I have to assume you don't see that happening either.  After all, how concerned could you really be about the legality of gambling in Las Vegas considering that...

A. The Vegas All-Star Weekend will mark the first time the All-Star Game has been hosted by a city without an NBA team.  If the league didn't see Las Vegas as a viable future market, why would you choose it to host your prestigious event?     

B. The Maloof brothers, owners of the Sacramento Kings, also own the Palms Hotel and Casino.  If owners of an NBA franchise are allowed to have a vested interest in Las Vegas gambling—and in a Las Vegas sportsbook, no less—how could you have a problem with NBA players living and working in the city? 

C. Las Vegas hosts the NBA's biggest summer league.  The Las Vegas Summer League is the only one held in a city that isn't home to an NBA franchise. If you were really concerned about players falling victim to the evils of gambling, wouldn't you do more to protect the vulnerable rookies who dominate the summer rosters?

Mr. Stern, it certainly appears as if you and the NBA are ready to wager on Las Vegas. But perhaps I'm wrong.  Perhaps you're using the city as a bargaining chip to get arena deals done in current NBA markets—the same way the NFL uses Los Angeles. I hope this isn't the case. Because I believe that everyone wins with an NBA franchise in Sin City.  The Las Vegas community wins, the NBA wins, the fans win. Not only the thousands of local fans who desperately want their own team, but also the millions of fans who visit Las Vegas annually. I am just such a fan. And rest assured, if I'm in town and I have a choice between NBA basketball and Cirque du Soleil...well, it's hardly a choice at all. 

I know I'm looking forward to the future of basketball in Las Vegas, Mr. Stern.  I hope you are too.  

Best of luck,

Dave Metrick