Following the Capitanes’ first home season in Mexico, the NBA is looking into the possibility of expanding more Development League teams in other Latin American countries, said league commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday.
“We are happy with the Capitanes experience, the arena, where we expect a crowd of people in the season. There is great interest from fans in the country and that is why we are thinking of expanding the league outside Mexico and in other Latin American countries because everything has been positive,” Silver explained at a press conference in Mexico City.
Silver visited Mexico during the NBA Mexico City Game in which the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Orlando Magic 120-119, the 32nd game in the country and the 13th in the regular season.
The Mexico City crowd shows love to Trae Young after his special performance 🫶#NBAenMéxico x #PhantomCam pic.twitter.com/R3pCzyXaZG
— NBA (@NBA) November 10, 2023
NBA looking to an international expansion
As part of the activities, the commissioner analyzed the Capitanes’ first campaign in Mexico City, where since last year they played their home games in the G-League, the official Development League, becoming the first franchise in the NBA system outside the United States and Canada.
In 2022, the Capitanes had their second G-League experience, after debuting in 2021 in the Showcase Cup, the pre-regular season tournament, but all of their games were hosted in the United States because of the pandemic.
Despite the optimism he showed for the Capitanes project, Silver did not commit to a deadline for Mexico City to have an NBA team, although he assured it is a dream that goes beyond his tenure that began in 2014, but is an idea of his predecessor David Stern, who was commissioner from 1984 to 2014.
“We don’t expand often, we have been conservative in how we grow the league, but there is a big market in Mexico City, it is the largest country in North America. Conditions are always changing and we have to get on the same page with our partners to make it happen. But it is a dream that we have not forgotten,” he said.
The Capitanes will begin their third year in the G-League and the first one with NBA champion Juan Toscano on the roster. The season G-League season starts November 10th with the team playing the Osceola Magic at home at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City.