30 years earlier than NFL. They haven't had one for over 60 years. Yeah they could use one. Okay, a fifteen-minute drive across the bridge isn’t going to kill you, but you’ve got to feel for Oakland inhabitants losing two sports franchises in quick succession. Yet, in a conurbation of almost one million, with a catchment area of two and a half million in the surrounding five counties, Austin could surely fill a 20,000-seater NBA arena. Ted S. Warren/Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Trying to decide which city is deserving of an NBA team is a no-win proposition. Colorado Springs has a surprisingly large population and is a hub for national sports governing bodies, including USA Basketball, the U.S. Olympic Training Center and 23 Olympic National Governing Bodies. It may be a few years off yet, but if Birmingham can fill the Legacy Arena, they will have proven the city warrants an NBA team of their own. Josh Hickmore March 23, 2016. The biggest cons, however, would be the altitude: Mexico City is 7,000 feet above sea level, plus there are safety concerns and the problem of getting basketball players to live there. Furthermore, the Pit where the UNM Lobos play already seats over 15,000, which isn’t a huge arena - but it’s a start. Pittsburgh can be called the Ironmen because of the steel industry's impact in the area. So it’s the Nuggets or nothing, right? The Royals and Chiefs have a couple of the greatest fan bases in all of sports despite a serious drought of success (outside of the Royals' recent World Series appearance). “Bringing an NBA G League team to Mexico City is a historic milestone for the NBA which demonstrates our commitment to basketball fans in Mexico and across Latin America,” Silver said following the announcement. This location may seem left field, but the combined population of Norfolk (244,703) and Virginia Beach (450,435) creates a conurbation the size of Washington D.C. or Boston. Send the Clippers to San Diego to go with the Padres. If we can shift the great college fan spirit to an NBA team, the games would be packed every night. Vancouver failed once, we should not let history repeat itself. Montreal has a metro area boasting over four million people – that’s nearly three times more than Vancouver, and they had the Grizzlies, so why shouldn’t Montreal have an NBA franchise? State: Iowa No, not basketball; Breaking Bad! These cities are either big enough to have a team or have many sports fans who live there who want a team. The G League’s Iowa Wolves play in the Wells Fargo Arena, which holds 16,110 people, so there’s a ready-built arena and good facilities, but they may need improving to attract a franchise to Iowa. Especially avoiding all those alligators in your airboat. Center. If we can shift the great college fan spirit to an NBA team, the games would be packed every night. Las Vegas, Nevada. There are ten cities that deserve a chance to have a pro baseball team. Population: 1,425,976 Michael Jordan Career High 69 Points vs Cavs HD Best Quality | March 28,1990. In the lead-up to the 2017 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers — each franchise having returned to the City of Angels within the past calendar year — launched a social media campaign dubbed the “ Battle for Los Angeles.”The two teams not only had to contend with each other for the attention of fans across the Southland, but with the … Population: 488,943 The Midwest is another huge region distinctly lacking in NBA basketball. Seahawks basketball should've been invented since pro basketball have established, instead of short lived Miami Seahawks in the 1946 and 47 NFL seasons. Most popular sports teams nearby: Kansas City Chiefs. Most popular sports teams nearby: Carolina Hurricanes. The Ravens have had some success, so a team here would do great. The Vancouver Grizzlies lasted just six seasons before heading to Memphis but the world has changed in the two decades since 2001. Just a matter of time. Austin is also the 11th largest city in the US and the biggest city that doesn’t have a Big 4 team. Ah yes, Las Vegas. The NBA really ought to have a team somewhere in the midwest. Population: 302,605 Team: Oklahoma City Thunder Country: USA City: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Sport: Basketball League: NBA Arena: Chesapeake Energy Arena Capacity:18203 Address: 100 W Reno Ave, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102 Though he created the sport in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891, he noticed how quickly the sport caught on in Indiana. Population: 8,918,653 If you’re thinking Washington is too close to Baltimore, the Redskins and Ravens have proven that D.C., Maryland and Virginia can support multiple sports teams, so the area could definitely handle a second NBA franchise. Many teams have died their deaths or were relocated against fans' wishes. San Diego had the Clippers from 1978 to 1984. This would be like putting an NFL team in Alabama. Also there's definitely an interest in basketball in KC with all the damn Jayhawks fans. Most popular sports teams nearby: Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Wizards. As Durant said this week, it’s a basketball … State: Kentucky Tacoma should have the NHL team to be called Tacoma Totems, Spokane should have SOCCER, and Boise and Salem should have the NFL. Does your city deserve a professional NBA team? State: Washington Kansas City. State: New Mexico Plus, they have the Cardinals, Rams, and the Blues. That's why we've listed these 25 cities alphabetically. ), is higher than all other North American markets including New York City’s. Click on up and down arrows to affect item's ranking Add … The Hoosier State’s passion for basketball can be traced to the game’s inventor himself: Dr. James Naismith. After the success story of the Toronto Raptors in Canada, Mexico City is a good shout for the NBA. I mean Seahawks basketball, NOT football! Most popular sports teams nearby: Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders. Cities That Deserve A New NBA Team 20 items ranked. Austin we got enough teams in Texas Tennessee needs another, bring back the braves #BUFFALOVSEVERYBODY. Most popular sports teams nearby: None within a 100-mile radius of the city. Portland is for basketball. So, when you factor in nearby Durham’s population of 267,743, that makes a grand total of 737,041 potential eager fans and, if they can fill the seats for the newly-founded Basketball League’s Raleigh Firebirds, they can fill the 19,000-seater PNC Arena pretty easily. People who live in Seattle can root for Portland in basketball, and people who live in Portland can root for Seattle in football. Kansas city is a city that backs up their team in any way minor league or major. Yes that is right put a basketball stadium in Springfield. No copyright infringement is intended, all videos are edited to follow the "Free Use" guideline of YouTube. Most popular sports teams nearby: Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds. Seattle and KC to me are most valuable markets for league expansion when it makes sense.”, State: Nevada “I’m utterly confident we’re going to get a basketball team in the next few years”, … With the Steelers, Penguins, and the Pirates being good, this city could use an NBA team. Select and rank the cities that would be the right place for a new, or relocated, team. State: Ohio Which city do you think is most deserving of an NBA team... or do you have a suggestion of your own? As with the NBA, one thing that is likely to be lost during the negotiations for a new NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is that some NHL cities just don’t deserve to have an NHL team. The Royals are a great MLB team, so an NBA team would fit in great here. If you come from North Carolina you’ll love your NASCAR and you’ll love your college basketball. They had a NBA team, but they relocated to Sacramento and did worse than expected there. Pittsburgh has an ABA team; the Steel City Yellow Jackets but, more importantly, has an arena available for use. Seahawks basketball we wished should've established in 1946. 4 Relocate: Sacramento Kings. Got it? If there’s one city that’s crying out for an NBA team, it’s Austin, Texas, where arts and culture meet cowboys and barbeque. Therefore, we thought it was high time we looked at some of the fine cities which could host an NBA franchise. It even is the fastest growing city in the top 50 of the US. okc is a distant 3rd to saint louis and kansas city in all practicality (population=revenue), but they bought the sonics (pending lawsuits) so what are you gonna do, the owner wants to send a team to his home town. Note that this list of NBA Teams includes the recently renamed Pelicans. With the move to Anaheim looking more and more likely, I thought to look at nine other cities that deserve to have a NBA team in town. St. Louis, Missouri. In the USA, basketball has become the second most-watched sport after football. ... Top 10 Cities That Deserve NBA Team… Most popular sports teams nearby: Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Sounders. It’s a real thing I’ve heard from multiple sources. OKC and Tulsa are close jointly (80-ninety miles) so the NBA could study and become conscious of whether or no longer the two cities mixed function as a single industry. Also there's definitely an interest in basketball in KC with all the damn Jayhawks fans. We’ve selected some cities we think deserve an NBA team if the time comes. The old stigma surrounding Nevada’s betting laws is fading and Commissioner Adam Silver now welcomes the league working with sports betting. The Top Ten. They're the biggest city without an nba team. Rated 0 points - posted 9 years ago by Y_and_A in category Sports. Portland is for basketball. With appropriate team names too, of course. Until recently, if you were a basketball or football fan living in Oakland, you’d have been as happy as a clam at high tide. Seattle deserves an NBA team probably more than any other city. Seattle and Portland needs BASEBALL and NBA instead of NFL, NFL or SOCCER, they don't need all of them. It even is the fastest growing city in the top 50 of the US. Country: Canada State: Virginia Fans lived in hope that basketball would return when the Sacramento Kings were up for sale in 2013, but the deal fell through. It’s a big economic boost, it makes the cities look far more important and it enhances their The city already has a collegiate team in the Louisville Cardinals, and has an arena that can hold a whopping 22,049 people, the KFC Yum! Seattle, Washington. Population: 892,533 Population: 644,644 Ranking one ahead of another will at … Every major city and a few minor ones, want a sports team. Built in 2008, the PPG Paints Arena is sitting waiting for 19,000 rowdy Pennsylvanian fans. Yet similar stories saw the city refuse to build new venues. Birmingham might not have the highest population on this list but from 2022, the Erie BayHawks (the New Orleans Pelicans' G League team) will relocate from Pennsylvania to Alabama to play in the newly-renovated BJCC Legacy Arena. Here are some possible team names for a Proposed Pittsburgh NBA Basketball Expansion Team:1) Pittsburgh Roadrunners2) Pittsburgh Zebras3) Pittsburgh Constructionmen4) Pittsburgh Bridgemen. State: Colorado I have to admit, this city really deserves a NBA team, especially the proud sports fans that lives here. I don't live in France but it would be great there, This would screw up the league entirely there’s a reason the NFL hasn’t moved to London yet, Top Ten NFL Head Coaches on the Hottest Seat Going Into the 2021 Season, Countries With the Most COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Cases, Best Fitness Center Chains and Gym Franchises. When it comes to major sports franchises, the Great Plains have a grand total of zero. Adam Silver has already mentioned experimenting with a G League team south of the border. That’s definitely large enough to support an NBA team. This is a plain text list of NBA Teams in Alphabetical Order by city name. Population: 472,688 Head south through New Mexico and you’re in Mexico, head north through Wyoming and Montana and you’re in Canada; still without a sniff of a hoop. Click on up and down arrows to affect item's ranking Add item. St. Louis is an independent city and inland port in the U.S. state of Missouri. State: Alabama The City of Pittsburgh really needs an NHL Hockey Team because they do an outstanding job of supporting their other 3 of the 4 main Major Pro-Sports Teams (Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Pittsburgh Penguins), and all 3 teams are average and above quality teams. It would be quicker to swim to Lake Ontario and return home over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Most popular sports teams nearby: Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Impact. Joe ... DCMA | DISCLAIMER - All NBA clips property of the NBA. Most popular sports teams nearby: Club América, Cruz Azul. Perfect for a new NBA team. First, the Vegas Golden Knights had a storybook run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Population: 302,838 The SuperSonics' 2008 move to Oklahoma City is still a stain on the NBA’s conscience. The Steel City is full of rabid sports fans, so finding a following for an NBA team would not be a problem, especially since basketball is played in winter months and Pittsburgh sees 150 rainy days a year (April’s still a winter month up there, right?). Therefore, an NBA team in Omaha wouldn’t just represent the city or the state, it could represent Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. Maybe the Clippers or the Kings could move here. There is certainly a dearth of NBA teams in cities in the midwest and rustbelt. With UL being good, I think they could get one. Most popular sports teams nearby: None within a 100-mile radius of the city. These cities are either big enough to have a team or have many sports fans who live there who want a team. Population: 209,880 State: Missouri Most popular sports teams nearby: Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Yes, we know – Pittsburgh already has three major sports teams, but if we can think of one city whose fans would support a fourth, it’s Pittsburgh. Most popular sports teams nearby: San Diego Padres. 1 of 10. ticketdogs.com. Runtime: 25 min Episode 38 Show Notes: Adam Silver is open to potentially two NBA expansion teams, but which cities actually deserve a shiny new franchise? The Kings have been a laughing stock since owner Vivek Ranadive took over. Basketball’s popularity has exploded in Canada, Vancouver’s metro population has increased by half a million and the Canadian dollar has strengthened. Most popular sports teams nearby: Golden State Warriors, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Athletics. The St. Louis Hawks had done the same thing for Atlanta in 1968. Top 15 Cities That Don't Deserve Their Sports Franchise. The L.A. 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