By: Danica Serena Stockton By: Danica Serena Stockton | December 15, 2023 | Culture, Magazine, People, Lifestyle, Feature, Events, Past Events, Culture Feature, Interviews, Entertainment, Community, City Life, Fitness, sports,
Las Vegas welcomed the NBA for the first-ever In-Season Tournament at T-Mobile Arena for the semifinal game on Dec. 7 and the championship game on Dec. 9. Lakers fans flooded the arena to watch the two semi-finalists go toe-to-toe for the NBA Cup. A grand turnout further supports the efforts of the NBA to further integrate with the Las Vegas professional sports community.
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To get more insight into the NBA affiliation with Las Vegas and answers to rumors of a Las Vegas NBA team and a professional basketball sports arena, I spoke with Joey Graziano, the head of event strategy and development for NBA. Read on to hear how the In-Season Tournament and additional NBA events in Las Vegas forge a path to even more professional sports activity in the city.
Q: I am happy we can connect more on the NBA presence in Las Vegas. Joey, how long have you been spearheading the events strategy and development sector of the NBA?
A: I have been working at the NBA for the last five years, [particularly] on all of our global events. My hands are in everything from NBA All-Star to the finals and the draft to our global games worldwide.
Q: Can you expand on the NBA business opportunities as of late?
Launching new businesses like NBA Con was [an excellent opportunity to showcase that] our players are just as dynamic off the court. Our players are also entrepreneurs, fashion designers, artists and musicians. We wanted to bring the holistic interests of our players into one new experiential opportunity for our fans, so we launched NBA Con.
We built another business called NBA Experience, a combination of our existing portfolio of global events around the world. We operate more than 300 events worldwide a year but also bring net new experiences to our fans.
Q: As the years go by, there is more and more NBA presence in Las Vegas. Can you expand on the path that the NBA is paving within the Vegas market on an overarching scale and the significance to the league as a whole and the players as individuals?
A: We are building tradition right now; this is about legacy. At what point do many of our professional athletes get to say that they won the first-ever event? It only exists for very few athletes because our leagues are well-established with over 75 years of history at the NBA.
See Also: Las Vegas NBA Semifinals And Championship Games Strengthen NBA Ties To Vegas
Our players recognize these are legacy-creating moments to say you won the first ever NBA In Season Tournament and own the first ever NBA Cup. When you look at Las Vegas, you [see] a city built for big moments that galvanize a global community.
More than 215 countries and territories broadcast our games in over 60 languages. Our In Season Tournament is a moment where the world takes notice, and we wanted to do that in a city built for our fans.
Q: I'm excited about more professional sports and NBA activity in Las Vegas. The combination of Vegas-scale events and the NBA's huge fan base is a seamless fit.
A: 100%. Fans are craving these immersive experiences, and Vegas has done that on a number of levels. The professional sports [aspect] is certainly one where we have a big say and a large group of, in particular, global fans. We are excited to continue to work with Las Vegas to marry those two together.
Q: There has also been talk of a Las Vegas NBA team. Can you provide more details on that?
A: We're not in a position to make that commitment right now, but it's certainly possible. With each passing year, we continue to grow the fan base here and showcase that this market is exciting in hopes of even bigger opportunities in the future.
Q: Can you give additional insight on an NBA arena in Las Vegas?
A: Adam Silver, our commissioner, has certainly referenced that. We are not at that point right now. There are still some [details] for our next media deals that need working through, but our commitment is to continue to bring more and more to Las Vegas to showcase that there is a hungry fan base here locally; our commitment to the city is strong.
We continue to show that fans worldwide view Vegas as a location they want to earmark on their calendar. If you are going to make one trip a year to see your favorite team, Las Vegas [is the place.] We have seen that across the other professional sports leagues with the teams that you have locally. The combination of that will only continue to drive more energy and excitement around Las Vegas, and at some point, that will lead to more and more opportunities.
Photography by: JOHN SALANGSANG/BFA.COM (ADAM SILVER); COURTESY OF NBA PHOTOS (PRESS CONFERENCE); MADISON MCGAW/BFA.COM (HOOP)