Bill Foley is looking to expand his sports empire in Las Vegas.
Foley, the founder and majority owner of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, announced on Monday that he’s launched a bid in pursuit of an NBA franchise in Sin City.
“Las Vegas has earned its place among the great sports cities in America, and an NBA team belongs here,” Foley said in a statement. “We built the Golden Knights into a championship organization from the ground up, and we are prepared to do it again – with the same standard, the same commitment to this community, and the same insistence on winning. We have the market, a proven world-class arena, and a best-in-class organization in place. Our intention is to be ready the day the NBA is ready.”
Foley, 81, is the chairman and CEO of Black Knight Sports & Entertainment, a consortium that owns the Golden Knights and has a minority ownership stake in T-Mobile Arena.
In a press release, it was stated that “Foley intends to build the franchise on a foundation already in place in Las Vegas: majority ownership and control of the Vegas Golden Knights, the 2023 Stanley Cup champions; venue rights at T-Mobile Arena, and an organization that has operated a major professional sports franchise in the market since 2017.”
The semifinals and finals of the NBA’s in-season tournament have been hosted in T-Mobile Arena before, and the venue has played host to multiple Las Vegas Aces home games.
In late March, the league said it was exploring expansion in Las Vegas and Seattle, but it’s not yet certain that the NBA will expand to the city.
“This is the NBA’s decision to make,” Foley said. “Our job is to provide the league a Las Vegas option that is ready, credible, and built to last.”
