The NBA is the focus of the T-Mobile Arena, the Lakers & Warriors are testing Las Vegas as an NBA market

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — While the biggest sports news circulating across Southern Nevada on Tuesday began with Davante Adams being traded from the Las Vegas Raiders to the New York Jets, that didn't seem to matter to the announced crowd of 16,907 at T-Mobile Arena .

The Los Angeles Lakers were in town for their annual preseason visit to face the Golden State Warriors, and as always there was plenty of power.

A few warm-up dunks from LeBron James, followed by his patented pregame chalk toss, tipped the scales.

James' failed attempt at a windmill dunk in less than three minutes drew some reaction from the crowd before his two-handed throw at 7:15 of the first quarter drew widespread praise.

The NBA had returned, if only for one night.

“Las Vegas has proven itself to be a great sports city,” coach JJ Reddick said after his Lakers (1-3) lost 111-97 to Golden State (5-0). “I know there’s a nice following whether it’s the hockey team, the WNBA team or the NFL team. There is obviously a lot to do. It’s a place that people love to visit.”

Sitting courtside behind the Warriors' bench was Los Angeles Sparks star Dearica Hamby with daughter Amaya and teammate Rae Burrell, while undefeated super lightweight Emiliano Vargas sat directly behind James on the Lakers' bench.

Related stories

The new-look Pacific Division should be competitive and it could come down to which NBA veterans stay healthy

The new-look Pacific Division should be competitive and it could come down to which NBA veterans stay healthy

LeBron: Working with Steph in Paris was “everything and more,” but “no idea” if it will happen again

LeBron: Working with Steph in Paris was “everything and more,” but “no idea” if it will happen again

LeBron and Bronny James are already battling it out with the Lakers ahead of their historic father-and-son season

LeBron and Bronny James are already battling it out with the Lakers ahead of their historic father-and-son season

“It's unbelievable, you know, they don't get that experience very often outside of Aces basketball, so to speak,” Hamby said at halftime. “I think the city shows up when given the opportunity to support basketball in Las Vegas.”

Burrell, who was born and raised in Las Vegas, said she remembers growing up around non-residents and thinking her hometown was nothing more than the famous Strip and the historic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.

“But it really was The Strip — and sports,” Burrell said. “If you were in sports, you kind of knew everyone in Vegas. When I see everything coming to life and all these teams coming in, I know the city is just so excited.”

It goes back even further than Burrell's childhood, as the marriage between the NBA and Las Vegas arguably began in the 1983-84 season, when the Utah Jazz scheduled eleven “home games” in the then newly constructed Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus. On April 5, 1984, with the Lakers in town to play the Jazz, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the leading scorer in NBA history at the time, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain's 31,419 points.

The Lakers then began playing preseason games in Las Vegas in 1988. In 2007, when the NBA All-Star Game was held in Las Vegas, the late Kobe Bryant was named MVP after leading the Western Conference to victory.

The NBA Summer League has been a fixture in Las Vegas since 2007, with games also being played on the UNLV campus.

“Vegas, we just love our sport. Even during the national anthem, fans of the (NHL's Golden) Knights could be heard singing the part where they shouted “NIGHT!” I mean, it’s just unbelievable,” Burrell said. “There’s just always so much support in Las Vegas. Just having the preseason games and the in-season tournament games in Las Vegas and adding those things just shows the support that there is in Las Vegas. I just think it’s great and I think it just keeps getting better.”

Although a formal process is years away at the earliest, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned Las Vegas and Seattle when discussing expansion in July.

With league expansion looming that would make the NBA a regular event every season, Warriors star Draymond Green doesn't think the allure of Las Vegas is waning.

“It will never let up,” Green said. “It hasn’t slowed down since (Frank) Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in the ’60s. Basketball, football, baseball, or anything else will only reinforce this. I think what you're seeing in Vegas is a shift from the entertainment that Vegas once saw to sports.

“You have all the sporting events coming up. Boxing has been doing this for years. Dana White, the work he did at UFC – absolutely incredible. The work that Mark Davis did with the Las Vegas Raiders and the Las Vegas Aces – great. …This is an amazing place. I don't think you've ever heard many people complain about having to come to Las Vegas. And that's why I don't think it loses its appeal at all. I think actually the legend is growing.”

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA