A Las Vegas NBA team would be a big fan favorite

An NBA team in Las Vegas would be immensely popular and likely be the city's favorite pro sports team.

Feb 21, 2023

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1. A Las Vegas NBA team would be a big fan favorite

Las Vegas has become a hotbed for professional sports but The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp believes an NBA team in Las Vegas would be immensely popular and likely be the city's favorite pro sports team.

My thought is an NBA team would jump right to the top of the list when it comes to being the locals’ favorite. The Golden Knights were the first major league pro sports team to call Las Vegas home and the organization formed an unbreakable bond with the community in the aftermath of the mass shooting of Oct. 1, 2017. That will never change. But basketball has a special place in the hearts of Las Vegans thanks to the success UNLV had during Jerry Tarkanian’s tenure. Four trips to the Final Four, a national championship in 1990 and a lasting legacy of success makes Vegas a basketball town first and foremost.

2. Russell Westbrook will join the Clippers

Russell Westbrook will stay in Los Angeles and play for the Clippers after securing a buyout from the Utah Jazz. The acquisition reunites Westbrook with his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Paul George, who said during NBA All-Star Weekend that besides himself he would most want to see Westbrook win a championship.

“As much as he’s been through, as much as they paint this picture of him, he is absolutely one of the best dudes and one of the best people in the league,” George said. “It would be nice to see him get that ring.” If Westbrook gets his first championship this season, he will now do so as George’s teammate.

3. Woods is still the fans’ favorite

Even when Tiger Woods was not at the top of the leaderboard, he still had the largest crowds following him at the Genesis Invitational. The Sporting Tribune’s Kamran Nia has more from Riviera

The first tee box saw many groups come and go Thursday morning. But early on, fans began to crowd the path next to it. Many people in the masses jostled to get a better view while the security personnel worked hard to maintain order. With empty wrappers in their hand, nobody wanted to lose their spot. Someone special was coming through. As the time came closer to 12:04 p.m., the commotion ramped up. Then, the figure the spectators were waiting for stepped onto the first tee box, and they burst into cheers. “Tiger, Tiger, Tiger,” they chanted.

4. Las Vegas won’t fumble the Super Bowl moment

Las Vegas has the ball as it prepares to host the Super Bowl for the first time on Feb. 11, 2024. The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp says it should be a memorable day and Las Vegas will deliver.

It sounds absurd, given the city’s history with the NFL, but it is indeed happening. Super Bowl LVIII kicks off on Feb. 11, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium, hopefully on a field that will not see players slipping and sliding all over the place. Plans have been operational since the NFL awarded the game to Las Vegas a couple of years ago. There’s a local Super Bowl Organizing Host Committee. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has mobilized its strength in support of the endeavor. Obviously, the Raiders are heavily involved though the odds of Mark Davis’ team playing in the game are pretty long.

5. Chargers QB Justin Herbert and offensive grades of 2023

With the 2022 season in our rearview mirror, it is time for The Sporting Tribune’s Fernando Ramirez to grade the Chargers’ offensive players, including Justin Herbert.

Justin Herbert is continuing to grow as a quarterback. This season was rough for him. He didn’t put up his typical numbers of throwing for over 30 touchdowns because of different variables. He suffered a rib injury in week two that looked like it hampered him the rest of the season. Herbert powered through it and took care of the football while leading his team to win. Every quarterback has to go through the growing pain of possibly missing a weapon for most of the season. Keenan Allen was out for seven games, while Mike Williams missed four. Even if the numbers don’t dictate it, Herbert had a solid season that will help him in the future. The Chargers need to help Herbert by retooling this offense in 2023.

6. Raiders’ best option at QB isn’t Aaron Rodgers

The Raiders have options at quarterback next season, including Aaron Rodgers, but the best one may be on their roster, according to The Sporing Tribune’s W.G. Ramirez.

Jarrett Stidham has been under Josh McDaniels’ watch all three years of his career, learning the system in both Foxborough and Las Vegas. In five appearances for Las Vegas, including two starts, he completed 53 of 83 (63.9%) pass attempts, threw four interceptions versus three interceptions. And oh by the way, Stidham faced San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City, who could’ve very easily played one another in the Super Bowl had 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy not gotten injured in the first quarter of the NFC Championship.

7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports

Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:

8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick

Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game this week:

Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers (Thursday): $219

9. On the Air presented by Coca-Cola

Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today:

4 p.m. – Anaheim Ducks at Tampa Bay Lightning – Bally Sports SoCal

5 p.m. – Los Angeles Kings at Minnesota Wild – Bally Sports West

10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune

On Monday’s show, the crew talked about the NBA All-Star Game, Mac McClung winning the Slam Dunk Contest and the Clippers signing Russell Westbrook.

Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Fan in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.

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That’s it for today. Talk to you tomorrow!