The Lakers and Warriors play in front of a packed crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas during the preseason.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — While the biggest sports news circulating throughout Southern Nevada on Tuesday began with Davante Adams is traded from the Las Vegas Raiders to the New York Jets, it didn’t seem to matter to the announced crowd of 16,907 at T-Mobile Arena.

The Los Angeles Lakers were in town for their annual preseason visit, overlooking the Warriors of the Golden Stateand as usual there was plenty of electricity.

A pair of warm-up dunks from LeBron James, followed by his patented pre-game chalk throw, created some excitement.

James’ failed attempt at a windmill dunk in less than three minutes drew some reaction from the crowd before his two-handed stuff drew a roar of approval at the 7:15 mark of the first quarter.

The NBA had returned, even if it was just for one night.

“Las Vegas has proven to be an excellent sports town,” coach JJ Reddick said after his Lakers (1-3) lost 111-97 to Golden State (5-0). “I know that whether it’s the hockey team, the WNBA team or the NFL team, there’s a nice following. There is clearly a lot to do. It is a place where people like to come.”

Nestled behind the Warriors bench was Los Angeles Sparks star Dearica Hamby with daughter Amaya and teammate Rae Burrell, while undefeated super lightweight Emiliano Vargas sat directly behind James on the Lakers’ bench.

“It’s incredible, you know, they don’t get this experience outside very often Aces basketballso to speak,” WNBA star Dearica Hamby said at halftime. “So I think the city will step up when they get the opportunity to support basketball in Las Vegas.”

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Burrell says she remembers growing up around non-residents and thinking her hometown was nothing more than the famous Strip and the historic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.

“But it was really The Strip – and sports,” Burrell said. “If you played sports, you basically knew everyone in Vegas. So seeing it all come to life and all these teams being added, I know the city is so excited.

It goes back even further than Burrell’s childhood, as the marriage between the NBA and Las Vegas likely began during the 1983-84 season, when the Utah Jazz scheduled eleven “home games” at the then newly constructed Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV. . On April 5, 1984, when the Lakers were in town to play the Jazz, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the leading scorer in NBA history at the time, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s 31,419 points.

The Lakers then began playing preseason games in Las Vegas in 1988. In 2007, when the NBA All-Star Game was hosted in Las Vegas, the late Kobe Bryant was named MVP after leading the Western Conference to victory.

The NBA Summer League has been a Las Vegas staple since 2007, and games are also played on UNLV’s campus.

“Vegas, we just love our sport. Even during the national anthem, you could hear the (NHL’s Golden) Knights fans singing the part where they say “NIGHT!” shouted. I mean, it’s just amazing,” Burrell said. “There is always so much support in Las Vegas. So just having preseason games and tournament games during the season in Vegas, and adding things like that, just shows the support that there is in Vegas. So I just love it, and I think it’s just going to get better and better.

While a formal process will be years away at the earliest, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned Las Vegas and Seattle when discussing expansion in July.

With the impending expansion of the league, which would turn the NBA into a regular night out every season, Warriors star Draymond Green doesn’t see the allure of Las Vegas diminishing just yet.

“It’ll never wear off,” Green said. “It hasn’t been worked out since (Frank) Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., in the 1960s. Basketball, football, baseball or something else will only contribute to that. I think what you’re seeing at Vegas is a shift from the entertainment Vegas once saw to sports.

‘There are all kinds of sporting events coming up. Boxing has been doing it for years. Dana White, the work he’s done at UFC – absolutely incredible. The work that Mark Davis has done with the Las Vegas Raiders and with the Las Vegas Aces – amazing. … This is a great place. I don’t think you’ve ever heard many people complain about having to come to Vegas. And so I don’t think it loses its appeal at all. I think the legend is actually growing.”