MGM Resorts Chief Murren, Raiders Owner Davis, Kobe In House For Aces’ Season-Opening Win, 83-70, Win Over LA Sparks
By Alan Snel
LVSportsBiz.com
LVSportsBiz.com photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
It was 10 minutes before the Las Vegas Aces began Season 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center and Lance Evans, the MGM Resorts International pointman for the company’s sports deals and sponsorships, greeted his boss — Jim Murren, MGM Resort’s CEO.
In the mix was Ed Winkle, the NBA vice president for global partnerships, who was hanging out with Evans. (It’s no secret that Murren and MGM Resorts would love an NBA team to be a co-tenant at T-Mobile Arena with the NHL Golden Knights and MMA fight promoter UFC.)
Evans and his MGM Resorts sports team shared some good news with Murren, the company chief instrumental in bringing the former WNBA San Antonio franchise to Las Vegas and re-branding the team into the Aces in 2018. The team is now considered a serious contender to win the NBA title this season with the addition of center Liz Cambage (who did not play Sunday.)
The Sports Business Journal, the trade publication that covers the business of sports in this country, awarded Evans and his MGM sports marketing crew the “Breakthrough Award” last week for the company’s expanding sports portfolio and marketing footprint. MGM Resorts, for example, is cornering the sports marketing turf on sports gambling deals with sports leagues like the NBA, NHL and MLB.
Evans told Murren about the SBJ Breakthrough honor and Murren smiled. The MGM Resorts chief executive looked relaxed, wearing jeans and a black golf shirt with the red Aces logo on the front.
Not in his usual suit and tie, Murren looked like he enjoyed the Aces basketball setting more than the board room meetings and quarterly earnings report sessions with analysts.
Murren walked into the Aces home arena with Raiders owner Mark Davis, who took his courtside seat. Davis, who is moving his NFL franchise to Las Vegas from Oakland in 2020 when a $1.8 billion domed stadium opens near the South Strip, is a frequent courtside Aces fan seen watching games last season.
In the house was former Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who had a courtside table behind one of the baskets watching the LA Sparks. More than 7,000 fans filled Mandalay Bay Events Center.
The Aces won even without Cambage. The Aces were led by Wilson’s 21 points and another 20 points by Kayla McBride.
Aces star center Liz Cambage, just acquired in a trade, did not play because of an Achilles injury.
After the game, coach Bill Laimbeer liked the arena’s big crowd atmosphere, noting there was “no oh my God moment, but there was a buzz throughout the game.”
Laimbeer spoke before the season about the team “learning how to win” and said he will “take the effort” in game one of the 2019 34-game schedule. “We didn’t get rattled. It’s still a work in progress.”
Laimbeer noted, “We’ll have our bumps in the road — we still have to prove it (learning how to win.)”
Here’s the LVSportsBiz.com question for Laimbeer and his response:
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