NBA Commissioner Adam Silver gave his annual state-of-the-league address at Scotiabank Arena ahead of Game 1 He spoke about expansion among a bevy of topics, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press relays.
“We are just not in expansion mode at the time,” Silver said. “We’re flattered that other Canadian cities have expressed interest, as some other U.S. cities have, but again, nothing new. I’ve said this before: We, meaning the NBA collectively, all our team owners are very focused on creating the best possible competition among the 30 teams.”
Should expansion occur, Las Vegas and Seattle are likely contenders for teams.
“I’m sure inevitably, at some point, we’ll turn back to expansion,” Silver said. “But that’s not on the agenda at this time.”
Silver touched on the ongoing trade and tariff clash between the United States and China, declaring that he’s “not concerned at this time.”
“Of course, we’re not immune from global politics,” Silver said. “It’s something that we’re paying a lot of attention to. I look, though, to sports — and this is something Yao and I have discussed — where we can use basketball maybe in the way ping-pong was used in the days of Richard Nixon. There could be something called ‘basketball diplomacy.’”
Silver spoke on the Clippers’ situation with the Staples Center and their desire to move to a new arena. The team currently shares its home with the Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL.
“I think from a league standpoint, if you had both teams in the playoffs, plus a successful hockey team there, it becomes very difficult for us for scheduling purposes,” Silver said. “So in terms of the overall marketplace and the concert marketplace, I can’t speak to that. But maybe purely out of self-interest for the NBA, it would be helpful to have another arena in town.”
Fan behavior was another topic during the commissioner’s speech. Russell Westbrook was heckled and allegedly received racist taunts by a fan in Utah. Silver said the league did not need to step in because of how the franchise handled the situation.
“We have such tremendous confidence in the Miller family, and Gail Miller as the principal owner, I thought by her taking the court prior to the following game, speaking directly to the people in that community and saying, ‘This does not represent our community,’ I think that was much more powerful than me issuing a statement from all the way across country in the New York,” Silver said. “I think they handled it very well.”
Silver also weighed in on the antics of entertainer Drake, who has sat courtside during many Raptors games this postseason. During the Eastern Conference Finals, Drake wandered from his seat and gave coach Nick Nurse a shoulder rub.
“We certainly appreciate his super-fan status, and I know he’s beloved in the community of Toronto,” Silver said. “I think certainly we don’t want fans, friend or foe, contacting an NBA coach during a game.”
