There was a lot of expansion and moving of organizations in the early years of the NBA. During this 20-year time period is when notable franchises entered the NBA like the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers), the Philadelphia Warriors (now the Golden State Warriors), Minneapolis Lakers (now the Los Angeles Lakers), and Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings).
During this time period the league experienced its first substantial growth, although it was short-lived, as the league was back down to nine teams by 1961.
Seattle is the most populous metropolitan area and also the largest American media market without an NBA franchise. The city previously hosted the Seattle SuperSonics from the 1967–68 season until the 2007–08 season, after which the team was sold and relocated to Oklahoma City, due to team and local officials being unable to come to an agreement to build a new arena for the team in the Seattle area. Seattle is widely considered the leading candidate to host a potential NBA expansion team.[3]
It was reported in 2013 that the Sacramento Kings were close to moving their franchise to Seattle, but the NBA Board of Owners voted against relocation, thus ensuring that the Kings would remain in Sacramento, California.[4]
As of 2018[update], the only statements that had been made by the NBA about it returning to Seattle had been that it would likely be through league expansion.[5][3]
On December 3, 2018, the renovation of what was once the KeyArena (now Climate Pledge Arena) began, bringing the arena to current NBA standards and in preparation for the then upcoming National Hockey League (NHL) expansion franchise, the Seattle Kraken, who began play in 2021.[6] Since the renovations, the NBA has hosted a preseason game known as the "Rain City Showcase" starting from 2022.[7][8]
In late 2020, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that Seattle is "at the top of the list" for when the NBA next "invariably" expands.[9]
Las Vegas has long been rumored as a potential destination for a future NBA franchise. The city already hosts the NBA Summer League, which as of 2018, all league teams participate in.
In 2022, LeBron James expressed interest in owning an NBA team, specifically one located in Las Vegas.[2]
In February 2024, during an interview on the Pat McAfee show, NBA commissioner Silver stated that Las Vegas was on the league's list of potential expansion cities.[14]
For decades, San Diego has routinely hosted NBA teams for preseason training camps and exhibition games.[17][18][19] In October 2021, three NBA teams simultaneously held their preseason camps in the city, one at each of the three local NCAA Division I universities (Los Angeles Clippers at SDSU, Brooklyn Nets at USD and Denver Nuggets at UCSD).[20]
The San Diego Rockets, who joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1967, played four seasons in San Diego before being purchased and relocated to Houston after founding owner Robert Breitbard encountered financial turmoil allegedly related to a tax-assessment issue surrounding the San Diego Sports Arena, which he had developed and owned the land lease for. The tax issue led to the arena's two tenants, the Rockets and original San Diego Gulls ice hockey team (also owned by Breitbard) of the Western Hockey League, to be served eviction notices in 1970, just three years after the arena opened.[21] Breitbard turned down at least 14 out-of-town offers to buy the Rockets, hoping to find a buyer to keep the team in San Diego, but without another large arena in the San Diego area, the tax debt on the San Diego Sports Arena ultimately forced Breitbard to reluctantly sell the team to a Houston ownership group in a move the NBA hurriedly approved, fearing the franchise might otherwise fold.[22]
The 1971 NBA All-Star Game was played in the city at the San Diego Sports Arena, where the Rockets hosted the game just months before being sold and relocated.
The San Diego Conquistadors (later Sails), were the first and only expansion team of the ABA, joining in 1972. The team was forced to play its first two seasons at a pair of small 3,200 seat venues, Peterson Gymnasium then Golden Hall, due to a feud between team owner Leonard Bloom and the new San Diego Sports Arena leaseholder Peter Graham, who had lost out to Bloom for the rights to the expansion franchise.[23] The feud was finally resolved prior to the team's third season, allowing it to move to the Sports Arena. The franchise, newly rebranded as the Sails, was abruptly folded shortly after beginning its fourth season in 1975 after ownership learned the team was to be shut out of the upcoming ABA–NBA merger, reportedly at the insistence of then-Los Angeles Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke.[24] Cooke had feuded with the San Diego franchise's ownership over the Conquistadors’ 1973 signing of Wilt Chamberlain away from the Lakers to be a player-coach, which led to a legal dispute that resulted in Lakers ownership successfully suing Chamberlain and relegating him to only coaching duties with the Conquistadors.[25][26]
The San Diego Clippers, who in 1978 relocated to San Diego from Buffalo, New York (where they were known as the Buffalo Braves), played three seasons in San Diego before they were purchased by Los Angeles real estate developer Donald Sterling in 1981. The team played three additional seasons in San Diego that were mired in persistent attempts by Sterling to relocate the team to Los Angeles.[27] Sterling was officially denied permission by the NBA to move the team to Los Angeles in both 1982 and 1984. In September 1982, following an NBA investigation, Sterling was found to have been late in paying creditors and players (among other violations), and a league committee recommended his ownership be terminated, with a league takeover of the Clippers to be implemented.[28] Sterling narrowly avoided this however, by agreeing to hand over operational duties to Alan Rothenberg, who became the team's president. After the 1984 relocation rejection, Sterling moved the team to Los Angeles anyway, triggering a lawsuit filed by the NBA in federal court against Sterling, which aimed to return the Clippers to San Diego at threat of the league dissolving the franchise.[29] Sterling ultimately prevailed over the league after a counter-suit and the team did not return to San Diego.[30]Basketball Hall of Famer and San Diego native Bill Walton was a member of the Clippers for five of its six seasons in San Diego, though he appeared in just 102 games during the period due to recurring foot injuries, and has been outspokenly very self-critical about San Diego's loss of the Clippers. "I wish we had NBA basketball here, and we don't because of me. It's my greatest failure as a professional in my entire life. "It is a stain and stigma on my soul that is indelible. I'll never be able to wash that off, and I carry it with me forever."[31] The Clippers relocation to Los Angeles remains the only franchise move in NBA history that was not approved by the NBA.[32]
San Diego also hosted the Golden State Warriors for six games (initially planned for more) during the 1971–72 NBA season following the Rockets departure to Houston. The Warriors notably changed their name from "San Francisco" to "Golden State" prior to the season as the team was searching for a new home arena and looked to split the season between the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego before committing to a new permanent home. The team ultimately stayed in the Bay Area, settling full-time in Oakland the following season.[33]
In 1994, the Minnesota Timberwolves nearly relocated to San Diego to play in a proposed new downtown arena before the City of Minneapolis agreed to purchase the team's arena, Target Center, with $80 million in public bonds to help the team out of financial trouble.[34][35] In 2001, the Vancouver Grizzlies, before moving to Memphis to become the Memphis Grizzlies, listed San Diego among the cities it was considering relocating to.[11]
Longtime NBA commissioner David Stern, when asked about the potential return of the NBA to San Diego, routinely underscored the need for a new arena in the region for it to be considered for a franchise.[36] On August 29, 2020, following a competitive proposal selection process, mayor Kevin Faulconer announced that city officials had selected a development team to build a new privately-funded sports arena and entertainment district at the site of the San Diego Sports Arena in the city's Midway District.[37] In January 2021, new mayor Todd Gloria, on the topic of the new arena, stated "we would welcome the NBA's interest." He continued by saying "...this project is not dependent on recruiting new professional sports. This is a world-class entertainment (venue) for San Diegans".[38] In late 2020, it was revealed that the arena plan selected by Faulconer's team violated a new California state law requiring the property's solicitation to affordable housing developers before other parties. In June 2021, Mayor Gloria announced the city had restarted the solicitation process for the new arena and entertainment district.[39] In September 2022, the city announced it had selected the new development team and a proposal for a new 16,000-seat arena and an estimated 4,000 residential units on the 48 acre site.[40]
Louisville previously hosted major professional basketball with the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1967 to 1976, the entire duration of the league. The team folded when it was left out of the ABA–NBA merger. During their nine seasons playing at Freedom Hall, the Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league. The team won the ABA Finals in 1975.
Montreal is the second-largest Canadian city, and one of the largest markets in North America without an NBA franchise. It has a metropolitan population of 4 million, more than any other American or Canadian area without an NBA franchise. Montreal has a modern arena suitable for basketball, the Bell Centre, which can hold up to 22,000 attendees for basketball. In addition, the city has regularly hosted the Toronto Raptors' preseason games. In 2018, a group of local businesspeople led by Michael Fortier announced their intention of seeking investors for an expansion team.[50]
Pittsburgh has a modern arena, PPG Paints Arena (which opened in 2010), that holds over 19,000 for basketball. It was rumored for a short time that the Detroit Pistons were moving to Pittsburgh,[51] and Pittsburgh was one of the cities mentioned by David Stern as a possible relocation site in 2013.[52] Pittsburgh has a long basketball tradition with NCAA Division I college programs Pitt, Duquesne, and Robert Morris in the area.
The Hampton Roads metropolitan area in Virginia has no major league sports team, but in August 2017, there was a proposal to bring an NBA team to the area's largest city, Virginia Beach whenever a sports arena is approved and built to host the team in the future.[53]
Since 1992, the NBA Global Games have had NBA games hosted in different places around the world, with Palacio de los Deportes and Mexico City Arena in Mexico City (the capital and most populous city in Mexico) being two of the venues for hosting preseason games and regular season games. The arenas both have a capacity of over 20,000.
On December 7, 2017, reports stated that the NBA would put an NBA G League team in the city.[54][55] Commissioner Adam Silver also made a statement that the NBA had been in discussions to open an NBA Academy in that city for Latin American and Caribbean players.[56] The team began play in the 2021–22 NBA G League season.
The NBA originated in 1946 with 11 teams, and through a sequence of team expansions, contractions, and relocations currently consists of 30 teams. The United States is home to 29 teams and one is located in Canada.
The following table shows current NBA teams that are participating in the 2022–23 NBA season, in which city they are located, when the club was founded, joined the NBA, number of times relocated and times the franchise name has changed.
The Charlotte Hornets are regarded as a continuation of the original Charlotte franchise. Because of this, the New Orleans Pelicans are no longer the same franchise as the original Charlotte Hornets. The New Orleans Pelicans were established in 2002. The Charlotte Hornets rejoined the league in 2004, and were known as the Bobcats from 2004 to 2014.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams. It is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball league in the world.
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The Clippers play their home games at Crypto.com Arena, which they share with NBA team Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Clippers plan to move into their own arena, the Intuit Dome in nearby Inglewood, by 2024.
The San Diego Conquistadors, were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in San Diego. The "Q's", as they were popularly known, played from 1972 to 1975. As the Sails, they played an incomplete season only, beginning the 1975–1976 season but folding after only 11 games with 3 wins and 8 losses.
There are 13 United States cities with sports teams competing in the four major leagues of the United States and Canada: Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, National Football League, and National Hockey League.
Paycom Center is an arena located in Downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It opened in 2002 and since 2008 has served as the home venue for the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Oklahoma City Thunder. Previously, the arena was home to the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League (CHL) from 2002 until the team folded in July 2009, and the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz of AF2 from 2004 to 2009 when the team moved to the Prairie Surf Studios. In addition to its use as a sports venue, Paycom Center hosts concerts, family and social events, conventions, ice shows, and civic events. The arena is owned by the city and operated by the SMG property management company and has 18,203 seats in the basketball configuration, 15,152 for hockey, and can seat up to 16,591 for concerts.
Pechanga Arena is an indoor arena built in 1966 and located in the Midway area of San Diego, California.
An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also hope that the expansion of their competition will grow the popularity of the sport generally. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues but is applied to sports leagues in other countries with a closed franchise system of league membership. The term refers to the expansion of the sport into new areas. The addition of an expansion team sometimes results in the payment of an expansion fee to the league by the new team and an expansion draft to populate the new roster.
The 1988–89 NBA season was the 43rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Detroit Pistons winning the NBA Championship, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers. This was the first season of the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets.
The commissioner of the NBA is the chief executive of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The current commissioner is Adam Silver, who succeeded David Stern on February 1, 2014.
Sports in San Diego includes two major professional sports teams, several teams from other highest-level professional leagues, minor league teams, semi-pro and club teams, and college athletics. The most prominent team in San Diego is the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). San Diego FC will begin play in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2025. The San Diego State Aztecs football and basketball teams play in NCAA Division I (FBS). The Farmers Insurance Open is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played annually at Torrey Pines Golf Course.
The Vancouver Grizzlies relocation to Memphis was a successful effort by the ownership group of the Vancouver Grizzlies to move the team from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The team began play as the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2001–02 season. It was the first of three National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise moves between 2001 and 2008, and the third of four major league teams to relocate from Canada to the United States between 1995 and 2005.
The New Orleans Pelicans are a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team commenced play in 2002 after the NBA granted founder George Shinn an expansion franchise to play in New Orleans. The Pelicans' establishment was unusual compared to most modern expansion teams in that New Orleans' roster was not stocked through an expansion draft. Instead, Shinn transferred the entire basketball organization of his former team, the Charlotte Hornets, to his new franchise.
Professional sports have existed in the United States since the late 19th century. The NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL have millions of fans across the nation and are an important part of American culture. Professional sports did not enter into the American West until the mid-twentieth century. However, the expansion of professional sports into the West has helped to increase the popularity of each of the professional leagues and has changed the landscape of professional sports in America.
The following is a timeline of the expansion and evolution of franchises in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league was formed as the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946 and took its current name in 1949. The histories of NBA franchises that were also members of the American Basketball League (ABL), National Basketball League (NBL), National Pro Basketball League (NPBL), and American Basketball Association (ABA) are also included.
Relocation of professional sports teams occurs when a team owner moves a team, generally from one metropolitan area to another, but occasionally between municipalities in the same conurbation. The practice is most common in North America, where a league franchise system is used and the teams are overwhelmingly privately owned. Owners who move a team generally do so seeking better profits, facilities, fan support, or a combination of these.
↑ Canepa, Nick (May 16, 1984). "Sterling never belonged here, but his departed NBA team did". The Evening Tribune. p.D-1. 'I'm willing to spend unlimited sums to build a winner here,' Donald T. gushed at his introductory news conference.
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