What States Do Not Have an NBA Basketball Team?

As of 2020, there are only two states in the US without an NBA team.

The first is Alaska. The state is simply too far away from the rest of the teams to make it feasible. The second is Hawaii.

The NBA has tried to establish teams in Hawaii in the past, but the logistics and costs have been prohibitive.

NBA Teams by State

There are currently thirty NBA teams, split evenly between the Western and Eastern conferences. Of these thirty teams, fourteen are in the Western conference and sixteen are in the Eastern conference. There are no NBA teams in the following states: Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Vermont.

List of NBA teams by state

The following is a list of National Basketball Association (NBA) teams by state. Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Vermont do not have NBA teams.

-Arizona: Phoenix Suns
-Arkansas: None
-California: Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings
-Colorado: Denver Nuggets
-Connecticut: None
-Delaware: None
-District of Columbia: Washington Wizards
-Florida: Miami Heat, Orlando Magic
-Georgia: Atlanta Hawks
-Hawaii: None
-Idaho: None
-Illinois: Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks
-Indiana: Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls (play in nearby Gary, Indiana)
-Iowa: None
-Kansas: None -Kentucky: Louisville Cardinals (play in nearby Louisville, Kentucky) -Louisiana: New Orleans Pelicans -Maine : None -Maryland : Baltimore Orioles (play in nearby Baltimore, Maryland) -Massachusetts : Boston Celtics -Michigan : Detroit Pistons -Minnesota : Minnesota Timberwolves -Mississippi : Memphis Grizzlies (play in nearby Memphis, Tennessee) -Missouri : St. Louis Blues (play in nearby St. Louis, Missouri) -Montana : None -Nebraska : Omaha Mavericks (play in nearby Omaha, Nebraska) Nevada : Las Vegas Golden Knights (NHL) New Hampshire : None New Jersey : Brooklyn Nets (play in nearby New York City) New Mexico : Albuquerque Thunderbirds (NBA G League) play home games at the Santa Ana Star Center New York : Brooklyn Nets , Buffalo Braves/San Diego Clippers , Knicks , Rochester Royals North Carolina : Charlotte Hornets , Raleigh Durham Skyhawks North Dakota ; Grand Forks Blue^{JG} Notes foo bar baz quux^1 This is a note ^2 Another note header 1 header 2 header 3 row 1 col 1 row 1 col 2 row 2 col 1 row 2 col 2

Rhode Island Providence Steam Rollers South Dakota Sioux Falls Skyforce Tennessee Memphis Grizzlies Texas Dallas Mavericks , Houston Rockets , San Antonio Spurs Utah Jazz Vermont No NBA teams Virginia Norfolk Virginia Squires Washington Seattle SuperSonics West Virginia No NBA teams Wisconsin No NBA teams Wyoming Casper Horseheads

Map of NBA teams by state

Map of NBA teams by state

Why Does Not Every State Have an NBA Team?

There are a number of reasons why not every state has an NBA team. Cost is one of the biggest factors. It is expensive to start and maintain an NBA team. There also needs to be a sufficient market for the team in the state. That means there needs to be enough people who are interested in the sport and willing to support the team financially.

Lack of market interest

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams, 29 of which are located in the United States and one in Canada. Depending on where you live, it may be easy or difficult to find an NBA team to support. In some states, there are multiple teams while in others there are none at all. Why is this?

Several factors contribute to whether or not a state has an NBA team. The most important factor is market interest. For a team to be viable, there must be enough people in the area who are interested in attending games and supporting the team financially.An additional factor is the availability of suitable arenas. A state may have plenty of basketball fans but if there are no arenas that meet NBA standards, a team cannot be based there.

There are also political factors that can come into play. For example, the state of Virginia has never had an NBA team despite having a large population and being home to several successful college basketball programs. One reason for this is that Virginia does not have any cities with large enough arenas to host an NBA team. Another reason is that Virginia does not have any viable candidates for ownership of an NBA franchise.

So, if you live in a state without an NBA team, don’t worry – it’s not personal! It’s just a matter of market interest and political factors beyond your control.

Lack of suitable arena

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a men’s professional basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, and is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world.

However, not every state has an NBA team. In fact, there are several states without an NBA team. The reason for this is that an NBA team requires a suitable arena to play their home games. Not every state has an arena that meets NBA standards, which can include features such as a certain seating capacity, press box facilities, and luxury suites.

Some states without an NBA team have made efforts to build arenas that would be suitable for an NBA franchise, but have been unsuccessful. For example, South Carolina has been trying to attract an NBA team since the early 2000s, but has not been successful due to the state not having an appropriate arena.

The following is a list of states without an NBA team: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont ,West Virginia.

Lack of investor interest

The biggest reason that some states do not have an NBA team is a lack of investor interest. For a variety of reasons, including taxes, cost of living, and market size, it can be difficult to turn a profit in certain states. This is especially true when it comes to professional basketball, which has historically been a regional sport with limited national appeal.

In order for a state to be awarded an NBA franchise, there must be a group of investors willing to purchase the team and build an arena in which they can play. This is often a challenge in states where the population is spread out and there is no large city that can support a professional basketball team. Additionally, many states lack the corporate presence that is necessary to generate the revenue needed to sustain an NBA franchise.

There are also several states that do not have an NBA team because they do not have an arena that meets league standards. In order for a state to be awarded an NBA franchise, there must be an arena in place that meets the league’s requirements for capacity, amenities, and location. In many cases, this can be a challenge for smaller markets or states without a major city.

What Would it Take for a State to Get an NBA Team?

The NBA is the preeminent professional basketball league in the world. It is composed of 30 teams, 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. There have been expansion teams in the past, but no new teams have been added since the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. So, what would it take for a state to get an NBA team?

Market interest

The NBA is a professional basketball league that consists of 30 teams, 29 of which are located in the United States and one in Canada. There are currently no NBA teams located in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, or Wyoming. While there has been talk of expanding the league to include additional teams, there are several factors that need to be considered before a new team is added.

First and foremost, there needs to be enough market interest to support an NBA team. This means that there must be a large enough potential fan base to ensure that the team would be able to sell enough tickets to games and generate enough revenue to be financially viable. Additionally, the market must be able to support the construction of a suitable arena for the team to play in.

Another important factor that would need to be considered is whether or not there are any existing NBA teams located nearby. This is important because having another team nearby can help generate interest and support from fans who may not otherwise be interested in the NBA. Additionally, having another team nearby can help with travel costs and scheduling for both teams.

Finally, it is important to consider whether or not a state has any other professional sports teams. This is because having another professional sports team can help generate interest in the NBA and also help with travel and scheduling logistics.

Suitable arena

A prospective NBA team owner would need to secure a suitable arena in which to play before being granted a franchise. The NBA has minimum standards for arenas, including a requirement for at least 18,000 seats, luxury suites, and other premium seating options, as well as certain amenities and facilities. A state without an NBA-ready arena is therefore unlikely to be considered for expansion or relocation of an existing franchise.

Investor interest

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has made it no secret that he would like to see the NBA expand. In an interview with Crain’s New York Business in 2015, Silver said, “I think we should expand… I’m not sure what the right number is, but right now I think it’s 30 teams.”

The last NBA expansion was in 2004 when the league added the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Charlotte Hornets). Before that, the league had not expanded since the late 1970s when it added four teams. So, why has there been no expansion since 2004? The simple answer is that there has been no compelling reason for the league to do so. The NBA is currently at capacity with 30 teams and does not have a waiting list of cities begging for a team.

In order for expansion to happen, there needs to be strong investor interest and a viable plan for a new arena. The NBA is not going to add a team just for the sake of adding a team – there needs to be a clear business case for doing so. For example, when the Charlotte Bobcats were added in 2004, Robert Johnson paid $300 million for the expansion franchise and committed to build a new arena.

So, if you’re a city without an NBA team that is interested in landing one, you need to start by finding an investor who is willing to pay the $1.2 billion expansion fee and build a new arena.