kansascity
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- Bill Simmons argued Kansas City merits consideration for an NBA expansion or relocation.
- More than 800,000 people attended the FanFest or one of the six matches combined.
- Mayor Quinton Lucas endorsed Simmons view and tagged the NBAs official account.
Kansas Citys long-running dream of bringing the NBA back to town gained another high-profile supporter this week.
On his latest podcast episode, media titan Bill Simmons said Kansas City should be in the conversation for either an NBA expansion franchise or a relocated team, pointing to the citys recent success on the world stage as evidence that it is ready for another major professional sports franchise.
Kansas City is a bigger factor than people think, Simmons said.
They just had the World Cup.
That city is built for big events now.
They had basketball before.
Simmons comments come just weeks after Kansas City played a starring role during the FIFA World Cup, hosting six matches at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium while drawing massive crowds to the FIFA FanFest in downtown Kansas City.
According to the KC2026 organizing body, more than 800,000 people combined attended either the FIFA FanFest or one of the six World Cup matches at Arrowhead, which was known as Kansas City Stadium during the tournament.
The citys strong showing also translated to television audience.
On Wednesday, Fox Sports PR released its list of the tournaments top TV locales and Kansas City led all markets with a 4.89 DMA rating and 20 share.
They had basketball before alludes to the Kansas City Kings, who called the KC home from 1972 until 1985 before relocating to Sacramento.
The franchise struggled with attendance and financial issues during its final years in Kansas City, problems that were compounded after the roof collapsed at Kemper Arena.
Simmons comments quickly caught the attention of Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, one of the most vocal advocates for bringing the NBA back to the KC metro.
Quoting a post on X highlighting Simmons remarks, Lucas replied with a one-word endorsement: Correct.
He also tagged the NBAs official account.
It is hardly the first time Lucas has publicly campaigned for pro basketballs return to Kansas City.
In May 2021, after the Sacramento Kings missed the playoffs for a then-NBA record 15th consecutive season, Lucas quoted a post about the drought with a familiar pitch.
Bad vibes out there, time to come back to Kansas City.
A year later, after Sacramentos playoff drought stretched to 16 seasons, Lucas continued to knock on the NBAs door by quoting a post linking to an article about the Kings lengthy rebuild.
The Kings finally ended their championship drought in 2023, but the franchise has since gone 108-138 since then, missing the playoffs in each of the past three seasons.
Back to famine.
Fresh off a World Cup that showcased just how passionate Kansas Citians are about sports, calls for an NBA team whether it is the Kings or an expansion franchise seem to be growing louder.
Whether putting another NBA team in Kansas City is actually feasible remains a different question.
Any expansion or relocation effort would require an ownership group with the financial resources to purchase or establish a franchise, and no such bid has emerged publicly.
Lucas has even floated the idea perhaps partly in jest that Royals owner John Sherman could help lead that effort.
Whether Sherman or another billionaire eventually steps forward, Kansas Citys recent run on the international stage has only strengthened the its case.
If the World Cup proved anything, it is that Kansas City can rally behind major sporting events.
Now, supporters hope that same passion might one day help bring back the NBA.