LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — It does not appear that the King will hold court in Las Vegas anytime soon.
LeBron James was asked after the Los Angeles Lakers' game at Houston on Wednesday about his interest in owning a piece of an NBA expansion team.
"Is that still something big-picture that you're interested in?" The Athletic's Dan Woike asked.
"No, I'm not," James answered. "Not at all."
This comes after The Athletic reported earlier Wednesday that Fenway Sports Group, James' business partner, would not pursue a Las Vegas expansion team because of the potential price tag.
NBA governors are expected to vote next week on whether to explore expanding into Las Vegas and Seattle. Industry experts believe expansion fees for each team could be in the $7-10 billion range, ESPN reported Monday.
James, 41, had previously spoken about his interest in owning a team, specifically one in Southern Nevada.
"Vegas is a really cool city, and they're doing some great things in sports these days," he said back in 2023.
Even without James, a Las Vegas NBA team still has some big basketball names attached as potential suitors, including Shaquille O'Neal and Magic Johnson.
"I want to be heavily involved if it's here," O'Neal told reporters in Las Vegas about expansion last year. "Like heavily, heavily involved."