5 Possible Cities And Mascots For NBA Expansion Teams
Last summer the NBA and the players union secured a new collective bargaining agreement. This summer, they inked a new media deal worth $76 billion. With the money secured, and a contract that defines what percentage everyone gets, NBA commissioner Adam Silver turned his attention to expanding the league.
Silver addressed the issue during his annual NBA finals press conference. “It's not preordained that we will expand this time, but I know there's an enormous amount of interest out there,” he said. “And to me, yes, there are wealthy individuals, institutions that would like to invest and buy NBA teams, but I think it's on the league to look holistically because there is the dilution, of course.”
While this announcement has stirred up excitement, it's also brought to light two important questions; where will these teams be located and what will they be called? Here are five potential cities and mascots we could see in the next half-decade.
1. Seattle SuperSonics
The first city and team is, pun intended, a wide-open layup. Ever since the SuperSonics left Seattle in 2008 to become the Oklahoma City Thunder, the city has been clamoring for their return. The NBA brought back the Charlotte Hornets in 2014, so bringing back the Sonics would not be a huge stretch of the imagination.
Not a lot of creativity is required for the logo and jersey design, as the team will just bring back their old look. An expansion draft may not yield talent similar to Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton, but as far as the city is concerned, it will be like the team never left.
2. Las Vegas Jackals
As the hottest destination for professional sports teams, the desert is quickly becoming a home for champions. The Golden Knights won the conference championship in their inaugural season (2016-17) and a Stanley Cup six years later. The Aces of the WNBA have won the league title in the past two seasons.
It's unlikely the Raiders (2020) or the Athletics (2028) will vie for a championship any time soon, but that doesn't diminish the lure of Sin City. The NBA will surely have the crown jewel of Nevada atop their expansion list when they make their decision.
For a mascot, the NBA will likely avoid gambling themes. Their female counterparts have pushed that envelope as far as it will go. With palaces and pyramids located on the strip, there will no doubt be an abundance of team names thrown around with Roman or Egyptian motifs. The Jackals are chosen here as a nod to Anubis, the god of the afterlife.
3. Tampa Tiger Sharks
Tampa Bay is another city that has an NHL, MLB, and NFL team but no basketball team. The Rays have been referred to as the East Coast A’s, doing what they can to win with one of baseball's smallest payrolls. They've won two American League pennants, but still have yet to hoist the Commissioner's Trophy.
The Lightning have won three NHL championships this century, their most recent Stanley Cup coming in 2021. In 2003, the Buccaneers shed their title of NFL laughing stock and exchanged it for a league title. 18 years later, Tom Brady would hold the Lombardi trophy up for the city. It's only fitting to give the city an NBA team to start a winning basketball tradition.
Florida is known for palm trees, alligators, hurricanes, snowbirds, and sharks. The Tiger Shark may be the most ferocious predator in the warm water off the east coast. It seems a fitting mascot for a team that will do battle in a state with the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat.
4. Pittsburgh Avengers
Pennsylvania has a rich basketball history. Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game happened in the home of American Chocolate (Hershey, PA). Villanova has three NCAA men's national championships. Kobe Bryant set high school scoring records at Lower Merion High School. Philadelphia has the 76ers and Pittsburgh needs to get the Avengers.
Featuring the yellow and black that every team in the city wears (a nod to William Pitt’s coat of arms), the team takes its name from the popular Marvel franchise. The Toronto Raptors adopted their name from the box office-topping Spielberg film Jurassic Park, and Pittsburgh will partner with Disney to showcase this generation's blockbuster.
5. Kentucky Stallions
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team has been to the Final Four 17 times and won eight national championships. Cross-state rival Louisville has been to the Final Four 10 times and won three national championships. It's safe to say that Kentucky is famous for two things. It's fried chicken and basketball.
Giving an NBA team to Kentucky is akin to giving an NBA team to Indiana. It is a land of basketball and deserves to have a team that plays at the highest level. Paying homage to the state's premier sporting event, the Kentucky Derby, this new NBA team will call themselves the Stallions. Their colors will be red and blue, out of respect for the Cardinals and the Wildcats.
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