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DENVER, COLORADO – MARCH 5: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers talks to his teammate during the first quarter of the game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on March 5, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Swann/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is likely nearing the end of his NBA career, and there were earlier rumors that the league’s all-time leading scorer would become a team owner upon retirement.
But now, those rumors can be put to bed, for the most part.
According to a new report from The Athletic, James is ‘less likely’ to become an NBA owner in his post-playing days, particularly regarding potential NBA expansion and Las Vegas getting a professional basketball team.
LeBron James ‘Less Likely’ To Become NBA Owner Amid Expansion Rumors
GettyDENVER, COLORADO – MARCH 5: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers talks to his teammate during the first quarter of the game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on March 5, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Swann/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)
Shams Charania of ESPN reported earlier in the week that the league is set once again to have advanced talks about NBA expansion in Seattle and Las Vegas.
With that, James, who has been linked to potential NBA ownership once he retires, was immediately linked to joining the ownership group of the new team that would go to Las Vegas.
However, according to The Athletic, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
“JUST IN: Fenway Sports Group, LeBron James’ business partner, is not currently interested in pursuing an NBA expansion opportunity in Vegas, sources told The Athletic,” they wrote on X. “A source close to James said ‘with Fenway no longer pursuing NBA ownership, it is less likely that LeBron will pursue a team.’”
James has been partnered with Fenway Sports Group since 2011, as he’s been involved in ownership of the English Premier League’s Liverpool team, while also involved in other ventures. FSG was linked to NBA ownership in the future, but now, based on the latest report, that no longer appears to be the case, for the time being.
“As an aside, James would first need to retire to launch a bid for team ownership. He is undecided if he will play in 2026-27, and with the NBA reportedly eyeing the fall of 2028 as a potential launch for the new teams (if the NBA ultimately approves expansion), the timeline would either be very tight or impossible for James to find new investment partners and submit a bid,” Joe Vardon and Mike Vorkunov wrote.
Despite the new report on James and potential NBA ownership should expansion come to fruition, he remains linked to becoming an owner in a new basketball league in Europe.
Lakers vs Rockets Injury Reports And Preview
News that now James is ‘less likely’ to be involved in NBA ownership comes less than an hour before the Lakers vs Rockets game on Wednesday night on ESPN.
Los Angeles has been one of the hottest teams in the NBA recently, despite head coach JJ Redick recently saying the team would be best suited with James as their third-scoring option.
Regardless, he, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and the ever-inconsistent Deandre Ayton have led the Lakers to a six-game winning streak.
Los Angeles has only Maxi Kleber listed on the injury report, as he is expected to miss time with a back injury.
Houston has Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, and Jae’Sean Tate listed on their injury report.
The Lakers beat the Rockets on Monday night, a game in which Houston scored just 22 points in the final 18 minutes.
Whoever wins the Wednesday night rematch will hold the tiebreaker in the West standings, as Los Angeles holds a one-game lead over Houston for the third seed.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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