Now that we have established that the Kings belong in Sacramento, it's time to address the cities that don't have an NBA team, and desperately need one. This list includes both places that had former NBA or ABA teams that lost franchises and deserve another chance at supporting a team, and brand new destinations that could clearly support a professional basketball team.
Seattle
Sonics fans were heartbroken when their team left for Oklahoma City in 2008. If the NBA were to expand, I would hope that this would be the first city to regain a franchise. The same city that brought us Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam also brought us Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, which is still to this day, one of the most exciting combinations of stars to ever grace an NBA court. A return of the green and gold to the "Emerald City" would be a great investment for the league.
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| I would hope that this same exact symbol is used if the NBA returns to Seattle |
St. Louis
This is a little more unrealistic, given that St. Louis is one of the poorest cities in the United States, but they support 3 professional sports teams with considerable ease, and adding a basketball team doesn't seem too far-fetched. St. Louis already had the Spirits as an ABA team in the 70's, and the Hawks before they moved to Atlanta as an NBA team. A return of professional basketball could be something highly desirable for a city that has such a rich basketball history.
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| Bringing the Spirits back would be a classy move |
Vancouver
After losing the Grizzlies to Memphis in 2001, this beautiful city in British Columbia needs a new basketball team to fill that void. They already have an arena in place, and already support both the Canucks and Whitecaps. It's time for the NBA to try its hand once more in the city some call "Vansterdam."
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| I was a much bigger fan of the Vancouver Grizzly |
Montreal
The NBA has done pretty well with preseason games here, so I'd imagine that the French-Canadians would be happy to have a franchise of their own. Clearly, they'd be arch rivals with the Raptors, which would make for an interesting Anglophone Vs. Francophone scenario, the likes of which the NBA has never seen.
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| Without question the coolest symbol in Montreal sports history |
San Diego
Another beautiful city, SD had both the Clippers and the Rockets at one time, and deserve a shot at another NBA franchise. It's a beautiful city with gorgeous weather, maybe the best in the country, and could at least attract some big name stars in the twilight of their careers who may be looking for a pleasant place to retire.
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| Sweet threads in San Diego |
Pittsburgh
At the NBA's inception in 1946, there was a team called the Pittsburgh Ironmen. They folded after 1 season in the league, and basketball never returned to the steel city. But Pittsburgh supports 3 professional teams, so adding a basketball team to the mix shouldn't be too hard, and I can only imagine how cool their black and yellow jerseys would look.
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| Might be a good look for an NBA team too |
Las Vegas
The idea has been thrown around for years, but always vetoed, and still to this day there is now major pro sports team in Vegas. For obvious reasons, this gambling city is considered a threat to the integrity of the game, but if everyone plays by the rules, it could be an extremely lucrative investment for the league to expand to "Sin City."
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| NBA ready |
Virginia Beach
Even I spat out my coffee when I read that the Kings were considering a move to this Southern Virginia travel destination, but upon further review, this would be the perfect type of city for the NBA to spread its wings to. It has a fairly transient population, similar to Orlando or Miami, but Norfolk is right near by, and that was home of the Virginia Squires, which could be the best name for a team if the league was to expand to "Neptune City."
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| Epic Symbol |
Albuquerque
This is a little far-fetched, given that there has never been a major pro sports team in the city, but the pretty weather and cool scenery could make it an interesting place for a team, similar to the likes of San Antonio.
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| Just look at that gorgeous, NBA ready Albuquerque skyline |
Charleston
Another small-market team would be a hard sell for the league office, but Charleston has lovely architecture and South Carolina is crazy about college sports, so it's not completely unfathomable that an NBA team would succeed as well.
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| The bridge to an NBA team in Charleston, South Carolina |
Nice article. Pictures on the last few posts looking very good!
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