Vegas Owns Summer Basketball And all destination basketball events. Throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s, youth basketball tournaments exploded in Las Vegas. More than 1,200 teams annually, featuring the top players in the country, competed in front of college and NBA coaches each summer. Before 2004, the NBA Summer League was played in gyms to less than 1,000 fans. That year, Albert Hall and Warren LeGarie brought it to Las Vegas. The first year it drew less than 5,000. Today, more than 135,000 tickets are sold for the summer showcase.
The WAC and MWC have hosted their annual tournaments in Las Vegas since the late 1990’s. In 2009, they were joined by the WCC and in 2013 the Pac12 Conference joined the fold.
Las Vegas is “Hoops City.” But it did not get there organically. As Las Vegas grew and evolved as an event destination, so did the sophistication of the hotels and how they partner with promoters to enhance the fan experience. In Since 2006, Las Vegas has been home addition, in the past 15 years, Las Vegas to USA Basketball. In 2007, the NBA has added and renovated many of its All-Star game was hosted here. In award-winning venues. 2019, the Mandalay Bay Events Center hosted the WNBA All-Star Game and Las Vegas Events connects the dots to ensure basketball continues to G-League Showcase. grow and evolve.
LeBron James, among others, has been instrumental in the resurgence of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team.
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NBA Summer League attracts sold-out crowds at the Thomas & Mack Center.
