Trailblazers launching G League expansion team next season

[MMC]

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[PCSPounder]

About time.

Will be playing in the Chiles Center on the University of Portland campus. Some are surprised that the newer (and notably smaller, which tends to suit the G-League better) Viking Pavilion at Portland State wasn’t chosen, but it seems the major pro teams in town have a habit of dealing with UP when partnering with colleges for anything.

 

[MMC]

I don’t know very much about the G League and how it operates but can someone explain why the South Bay Lakers play in such a small venue? Only 750 seats?

 

[PCSPounder]

I don’t know very much about the G League and how it operates but can someone explain why the South Bay Lakers play in such a small venue? Only 750 seats?

If you’ve followed how the AHL has embarked on a semi-transition from a minor league to a development league, similar principle here. Parent teams are less interested in making a second “fan base” happy and more interested in retooling their G-League team as a necessary development expense. Plus, if teams overseas need to buy a player, the NBA team can make money off that sale. So the Lakers own South Bay, own the practice facility, and thoroughly do not feel compelled to make the effort to fill more than a few hundred seats per game.

For that matter, the two arenas I’ve seen that are mostly full for games (Maine, Santa Cruz) seat no more than about 2,500. Maybe Sioux Falls is close at a slightly larger capacity. And maybe other people here will claim some other claimed attendances pass the eye test, but most don’t.