Video: LeBron James Hopes Vegas Has NBA Team Soon; Talks Kawhi’s Injury, Withdrawal

After Team USA’s 86-72 victory over Team Canada in an Olympic exhibition game in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, LeBron James has renewed hope to bring an NBA franchise to Sin City.

While speaking to reporters after the game, James said he was impressed with the atmosphere while playing in front of a record-setting crowd of 20,756 at T-Mobile Arena and added that he’d love to see Las Vegas have an NBA team.

“Nothing short of amazing. … Hopefully an NBA team will be here soon,” James said.

James chipped in seven points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block in Wednesday’s victory. Team USA has a deep roster with a mix of youth and veterans, so the 39-year-old doesn’t need to be the focal point of the team’s attack in every game.

That depth helped make up for the loss of Kawhi Leonard, who withdrew from Team USA on Wednesday and was replaced by Derrick White, who will join the team this weekend. James addressed Leonard’s departure, saying he understands the situation and respects his decision to get healthy for the 2024-25 NBA season.

“Obviously it was a decision that was mutual, I believe, between Kawhi and USA Basketball. We [were] definitely looking forward to it,” James said. “At the end of the day, he’s still a brother of ours. He went through training camp with us, he’s still a brother of ours. More importantly, we just wish him the best and that’s all that matters.”