By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -NBA Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood says excitement is building in both Seattle and Las Vegas as the league considers expansion, with recent meetings fueling speculation that both cities could soon be home to new franchises.
“They just had the meetings yesterday. Adam and everyone – Seattle, and Las Vegas. So that’s pretty exciting,” Haywood told Reuters at ESPYs on Wednesday, referring to discussions involving NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA Board of Governors in Las Vegas this week.
Seattle has been without an NBA team since the SuperSonics relocated and became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008.
Las Vegas, which has never hosted an NBA franchise, has emerged as a prominent sports destination in recent years, buoyed by the success of the WNBA’s Aces and the NHL’s Golden Knights.
“I live in Las Vegas and I was just up in Seattle. We just put up a statue for Lenny Wilkins. We’re getting ready.”
Haywood, who starred for the Sonics alongside fellow Hall of Famer Wilkins, suggested a return of the team could come within the next three years.
“All my stuff, Lenny Wilkins’ stuff, and Gary Payton’s stuff is in storage at the Hall of Fame for when they come back,” he said with a smile.
The former Olympian noted the passionate support for basketball in Seattle, where fans turned out in large numbers to honor Wilkins despite the absence of a team.
“The fans are hungry. We had thousands of people who came out for a statue unveil of Lenny Wilkins, with no team,” Haywood said.
Las Vegas, where construction on a new stadium for Major League Baseball’s Athletics recently got underway, is also poised for NBA action, according to Haywood.
“Same thing with Las Vegas. We have seen it with the Aces, they’ve won championships. Same thing for the Golden Knights,” he said.
“Sports is a good thing.”
Commissioner Silver has previously expressed interest in expanding the 30-team league – with Seattle and Las Vegas considered the front-runners – though no official announcement has been made.
Silver said after the Board of Governors’ meetings that committees at the league have been tasked with further evaluating potential expansion.
For Haywood and fans in Seattle and Las Vegas, the prospect of NBA basketball appears closer than ever.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los AngelesEditing by Marguerita Choy)
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