NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reaffirmed the league’s commitment to Memphis in comments Wednesday, but also said he would like to see it happen. Grizzlies Play occasional games in Nashville in an effort to increase the team’s fan base.
“[Memphis] Has historically been a great market for the NBA, and there’s amazing history and amazing culture in that city,” Silver said on the “Pardon My Take” podcast. “There’s no reason why the Memphis Grizzlies can’t be successful.”
Silver said Grizzlies owner Robert Pera “has no interest in moving the team out of Memphis, he’s made that clear.”
The future of the Grizzlies recently came under the microscope when Lebron James Commented on a podcast about not liking going to Memphis for games and suggested the team should move to Nashville.
“Nashville is a growing city; there are incredible things happening there,” Silver said. “If it were up to me, I’d want them to play a few games a year in Nashville and be a Tennessee team to the extent they can.”
The Grizzlies have held training camp in Nashville the past two years, but have never played regular season games there.
elsewhere, San Antonio Spurs Over the past several years the Giants have played two “home” games per year in nearby Austin, Texas.
Silver said that to his knowledge, players prefer playing in Memphis. Over the years, visiting players have sometimes complained about the quality of hotels in Memphis compared to other NBA cities.
“The players I talk to all the time love playing in Memphis,” Silver said. “I’ve never heard an issue of players not wanting to be in Memphis.”
The Grizzlies’ current lease at FedExForum expires in 2029, and the team is in talks with the city about extending the lease. A $550 million renovation of the arena is in the planning stages, involving city, state and private funds.
The NBA is in the process of evaluating the possibility of expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas. Silver has stated several times over the past year that there are no plans to relocate any teams at the present time.
