Sacramento Kings moving franchise to the OC, CA.

Plus, would Las Vegas truly support an NBA team? It's one thing in Milwaukee or Indianapolis where, in the winter, that might be the apex of entertainment. In the Entertainment Capital of the World, I'm not sure they'd draw 15,000 fans in a town where you can see the world's best performers most nights a week.

 

Not to mention a lot of the residents are transplants.

 

More importantly, the NBA would never approve it.

 

It amazes me when I still see people suggest moving the Kings to Vegas. I'd think people that post on a journalism board would be a little bit more aware of the happenings in the world, especially when Vegas' decline has been well covered in the media.

 

I bet they would. Casinos would have to keep the Kings/Royals/Whatevers off the board, but the NBA wouldn't stop it if it viewed Vegas as a viable market.

A few years ago it may have been viable, but not now.

 

This, plus not beign able to put games on the board, plus, in many ways, Vegas is like Sacramento (hear me out). Drive a half-hour out of Sacramento proper and you've got a lot of farms. Drive a half-hour out of Vegas and you've got the desert.

 

You're forgetting about the disaster of an all-star weekend there.

Stern has softened on the whole gambling thing apparently, but after Donaghy, putting a team there would be a bad idea.

 

I am not sure if NBA approval really matters. After the Raiders lawsuit against the NFL I think the NBA or NHL are also afraid of the potential legal consequences (MLB has antitrust protection the other leagues do not). One of the results of the Raiders case was that leagues can collect transfer fees. Would the NBA risk the lawsuit if anyone tried to move to Vegas or anywhere else when the league can instead collect the transfer fee? I don't think that the Kings would be allowed into the Anaheim market without the implicit threat of an antitrust suit. In fact, I think that the Clippers, who moved from San Diego right after the Raiders suit would have been allowed to move without the implicit threat of a lawsuit.

Leagues can approve owners which is how the NBA kept New Orleans away from Larry Ellison and the NHL has kept Phoenix in the league rather than moving them but I don't think that the NFL, NBA or NHL would risk stopping an existing owner from moving. They have not tried since the Raider case.

 

All-Star weekend is a very different animal. It's not the same crowd you get for any NBA regular season game.

 

And it may take that long to get every casino in town to stop taking action on the NBA. Tim Donaghy weeps, and knows not why.
[/quote]

I live on Nevada/California stateline in Lake Tahoe. Trust me on this one thing: Action will be taken either way. Betting is a way of life for sports bums here. A guy who I work with literally cashed his paycheck, took it to the casinos 2 miles from work and placed a whammer on UCONN to beat Kentucky last week. He won, fortunately. It matters not what the sport is here in NV, people WILL come. Yes, people will come.
As for the Kings, it would be a shame if they moved, but oh well. Too bad. We've had our hearts broken before (see Robert Horry).

 

The Kings in Vegas could be fantastic. Topless (well, apparently nude except for a few rhinestones and body paint) dancers, the Flying Elvis stunt team, lights, music - it would almost make the spectacle that has become regular season pregame intros perfectly fitting.

 

I'd love to see the free agents flock there...

It will never happen though...