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LeBron James Addresses Ownership as NBA Expansion Talk Progress

Originally posted on AirJordanChronicles | By Utsav Sinha | Last updated Mar 19, 2026 2:58 PM ET

Following the LA Lakers’ win over the Rockets (124-116) on March 18. Media and reporters gathered in the locker room to ask questions about the game. During the talk, Veteran sports reporter Dan Woike asked a very straightforward question.

Woike wanted to know if LeBron was still interested in the team ownership, mainly after the recent expansion news.

His reply was quick and clear. “No, I’m not, not at all.” For years, LeBron has been open about his interest in owning an NBA franchise in Las Vegas. But as the officials move nearer to add new teams, the star player has chosen to close that door.

.@DanWoikeSports: "We've heard you talk for years about your ownership desires. Where did the expansion stuff kind of hit you? Is that still something big-picture that you're interested in?"

LeBron James: "No, I'm not. Not at all " pic.twitter.com/oFeIYeQOjn
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 19, 2026

Just a few days before, Fenway Sports Group officially pulled out its interest in a Las Vegas expansion team. FSG owns Liverpool FC, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Boston Red Sox. They have also been LeBron’s business partners for years. He currently holds 1% ownership share of the entire FSG.

The NBA Board of Governors is set to meet on 24th- 25th March to discuss the decision of expanding teams. The main agenda of the vote is to discover two particular cities. Right now, Seattle and Las Vegas are the only sites on the board.

It’s understandable why the NBA wants to set foot in Nevada. Over the past decade, Las Vegas has become a professional hub for sports. The city hosts the NFL’s Raiders, the NHL’s Golden Knights, and the WNBA’s Aces.

If everything goes as planned, the league is expected to launch these 2 new franchises in the 2028-29 season. After which, the league will have a total of 32 teams.

LeBron’s Interest in Owning an NBA Team

LeBron has been openly interested in this for a long time. In June 2022, after becoming the 1st active player to mark billionaire status, he talked about his desires on his HBO show, The Shop. “I wanna own a team…I want a team in Vegas.”

He pushed the narrative forward. He made a public appeal to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in October 2022. In 2023, he was also seen telling the reporters that owning a franchise for the Vegas NBA team just makes perfect sense.

Throughout the year 2024-25, many news outlets reported that FSG, RedBird Capital Partners, and LeBron were ready to make a formal bid. They even discussed plans for a new arena on the Las Vegas Strip.

Everyone viewed LeBron as the frontrunner to lead the franchise, obviously after his retirement. Now, that vision is completely faded.

This article first appeared on AirJordanChronicles and was syndicated with permission.

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