The Mexico City Captains made their G League debut on Sunday, and the team can play a leading role in the NBA’s long-term expansion plans.
According to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, the league showed that Mexico City is intended as a site for an expansion team imaginable “hopefully” with the Capitanes, who beat the Rio Grande Vipers 120-84 on Sunday night in front of 7,391 enthusiasts. in the Arena CDMX.
“Expansion is not on the agenda lately, but at some point, if we were to resort to expansion, there’s no question that Mexico City would have to be one [of] the cities that would be with a lot of other very giant cities applicable to North America,” the deputy commissioner of the NBA said. Mark Tatum.
Tatum further explained that the prospect of overseas expansion has been hampered by deal issues, but none of them prevail in Mexico City. the G League “has implemented several security measures, adding a police escort to and from games. “
The last time the NBA expanded was in 2004 with the Charlotte Bobcats, who later moved and became the New Orleans Pelicans. While Tatum reiterated that further expansion is not on the horizon, Spears said it is inevitable.
“If the NBA develops and when it develops, Seattle is expected to bring a team that, despite everything, can upgrade the SuperSonics, who were traded to Oklahoma City in 2008,” Spears said. Silver declared Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. ‘interest in being part of a proprietary organization for a potential expansion team in Las Vegas’.
The advantages of also bringing a team to Mexico City would increase the popularity of the NBA internationally. Not only would it increase the number of Mexicans on the team, but it would also pique the interest of the rest of Latin America.
Mexico City has hosted many NBA games over the years, with a preseason game in 1992 and the first game of the normal season in 1997.
Former NBA forward Eduardo Najera, whose 619 career games are the most lifespan of any player of Mexican descent, believes his country is fit to form a professional team and will prove it with the way the captains do.
“Mexico has been in a position for some time,” Najera said. “If you take a look at the statistics and the enthusiasts here in Mexico, it’s pretty significant. If you do it the right way, an NBA team can galvanize an entire [country]. We are in a position. Certainly, the G League. ” It is the first step. It will be reduced to baby steps. If NBA enthusiasts in Mexico help with that, it will be wonderful to have the greats here. “
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