Twenty years ago, David Stern did not believe the NBA would expand to Las Vegas. The longtime commissioner’s reported reaction to Steve Kerr’s suggestion that the city could eventually become an NBA market reflected the concerns that surrounded professional sports in Las Vegas at the time.

Stern, who led the NBA from 1984 through 2014, spent much of his tenure managing the league’s global growth while maintaining strict standards around gambling and competition integrity. In the early 2000s, Las Vegas was widely viewed as a complicated market for major professional sports because of its close association with casinos and betting.

According to a recent retrospective on the conversation, Stern told Kerr there was “no way” the NBA would expand to Las Vegas. The comment has gained renewed attention because the city’s sports identity has changed significantly since then.

Las Vegas has moved from being considered an unlikely destination for major league sports to becoming one of the most prominent sports and entertainment markets in North America. The city now hosts major events across football, hockey, boxing, motorsports, and other sports categories, while professional teams have established long-term operations in the market.

The National Football League’s Las Vegas Raiders relocated to the city in 2020, while the National Hockey League’s Vegas Golden Knights began play in 2017 and quickly became one of the league’s strongest examples of market expansion success. The city has also hosted Formula 1 events and major championship competitions, further strengthening its reputation as a global sports destination.

For the NBA, Las Vegas has become increasingly familiar territory even without a franchise. The league has regularly used the city for major events, including the NBA Summer League, which has become one of the most important annual showcases for young players, coaches, executives, and basketball personnel.

The NBA’s relationship with Las Vegas also reflects broader changes in how professional leagues evaluate expansion markets. Modern franchise decisions are influenced by television agreements, sponsorship opportunities, corporate partnerships, arena development, population growth, and international visibility, in addition to traditional measures such as local fan support.

Sports betting has also become less restrictive across the United States compared with the environment that existed when Stern made his earlier comments. The Supreme Court’s 2018 decision allowing states to legalize sports betting changed the national conversation around gambling and professional sports. Many leagues that once maintained significant distance from betting companies have since developed commercial partnerships with sportsbook operators.

However, the NBA has remained careful about expansion decisions. The league has focused on long-term growth rather than quickly adding teams, with commissioner Adam Silver repeatedly emphasizing that expansion discussions would require the right conditions.

Las Vegas has frequently been mentioned by analysts and industry observers as a potential future NBA market, alongside other cities that could support professional basketball. A successful expansion bid would likely depend on ownership groups, arena plans, market economics, and the league’s broader strategic priorities.

The city’s transformation has also changed how athletes and executives view Las Vegas. A generation ago, many professional sports leaders questioned whether the market could support major teams. Today, players, fans, and investors increasingly see the city as a legitimate destination for elite competition.

Kerr, who later became the head coach of the Golden State Warriors and a major figure in NBA history, has witnessed that transformation firsthand. His earlier conversation with Stern now serves as an example of how quickly sports markets can evolve.

The Las Vegas story also highlights the difficulty of predicting the future of professional sports. Markets once considered unsuitable can become valuable as social attitudes, business models, and infrastructure change. The NBA’s eventual expansion plans remain uncertain, but the assumptions that shaped the league’s view of Las Vegas two decades ago no longer define the conversation.

As the NBA continues evaluating its future growth opportunities, Las Vegas remains one of the most frequently discussed destinations. Whether the city ultimately receives a franchise or not, its rise has already reshaped how professional sports organizations think about expansion, entertainment, and the relationship between sports and emerging markets.