NBA Summer League Draws 136,623 During 11 Days In Vegas (Second Most Behind 2018); WNBA All-Star Game Was Sellout At 9,472 Attendance
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
Pro hoops — men and women — took over Las Vegas for 11 days in July as the NBA Summer League drew the second-most fans for its run here in Las Vegas while the WNBA All-Star Game at Mandalay Bay’s arena drew a lively crowd and impressive TV numbers.
The July 7-17 summer league event at the UNLV campus drew 136,623 fans — trailing only the NBA Summer League of 2018 when 139,972 fans poured into the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion.
The NBA Summer League also included the NBA Con fanfest event for three days at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center while the NBA’s technology company launchpad event had seven companies, including three international firms. That gave the NBA Summer League an international feel, which included scouts from around the world.
The WNBA also had its fan events, with sponsors also showcased.
As for the game, the All-Star event drew a sellout crowd of 9,472 at the Michelob Ultra Arena on the Strip Saturday.
With Las Vegas acting as the epicenter of the professional basketball world, it fueled more talk of the Vegas market hosting an NBA expansion team one of these years. There’s Tim Leiweke’s plan for an NBA arena as part of a $10 billion hotel/casino/arena project at Las Vegas Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road about two miles south of the Strip.
Plus, Golden Knights owner Bill Foley believes there’s an NBA team in Las Vegas’ future. It’s conceivable that an NBA team could play at T-Mobile Arena on the Strip until a Leiweke arena is ever built to the south.
