Las Vegas showgirls display the official ballot for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game on Monday at the Fashion Show mall. The game is scheduled to be held at the Thomas & Mack Center on Feb. 19. Photo by Isaac Brekken/Review-Journal

Former NBA great Clyde Drexler said February's NBA All-Star week in Las Vegas will be "electric." Former UNLV star Greg Anthony believes the event could be the biggest thing to happen in the city.

And Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and entertainer Wayne Newton called the union between the two entities a "perfect marriage."

Needless to say, Tuesday's official kickoff for the highly anticipated week, which featured the unveiling of the 2007 All-Star ballot and the casting of the first votes, had all the glitz and glamour associated with any major Las Vegas event.

But amid the pomp and circumstance inside the Fashion Show mall, talk and speculation of an NBA franchise making its way to Las Vegas was the hot topic.

"If this goes well, it certainly enhances the chances of Las Vegas having a franchise in the future," said Drexler, a 10-time All-Star who was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. "Everyone involved in the NBA would love to see a franchise in Las Vegas. Who wouldn't want to come here?"

Goodman, who voted for ex-UNLV star and Phoenix standout Shawn Marion on the first ballot for the Feb. 19 game at the Thomas & Mack Center, voiced his optimism about landing an existing franchise in the near future.

"I think whenever we do anything in Las Vegas, the whole world is watching us," Goodman said. "Hopefully the owners are going to see that not only are we a great city for sports, but a great city in and of itself."

Goodman said he believes having the All-Star Game here is a positive direction toward things to come and a natural steppingstone forward.

"I hope it is. We have things to overcome, but we do have a committee that is trying to find a site for an events center," Goodman said. "It's going to be independent of whether or not we get a team, but it would be natural if the NBA came and helped us plan it so it's NBA-friendly and compliant, assuming they ultimately come here.

"If we don't see anything happening by mid-February or the end of March, then I will start to get nervous. I think that's the time we'll have serious discussions (with owners). I've talked to owners who have expressed great interest in having the NBA located in Las Vegas."

Marion, a three-time All-Star, said he hopes this isn't just a one-time affair between the NBA and Las Vegas.

"Every time I come back here it seems like I just left," Marion said. "It's fun. It's part of a long, anticipated wait for the game to be here. I think everyone has been searching for a great city to host it from here on out. It might be the start of something new here."

Sacramento Kings center Brad Miller said he's excited for the opportunity to spend All-Star week in Las Vegas whether or not he gets voted to the Western Conference roster.

"The whole All-Star week is going to be awesome," Miller said. "Obviously the players enjoy coming here and it gives the city a chance to step outside its box and normal day for this."

But while the players were talking about a fun trip to Las Vegas at the midway point of the NBA season, Anthony focused on what he thinks is the bigger picture.

Anthony said this isn't a "trial-and-error" situation in regard to the NBA testing the waters in Las Vegas to see if the city is ready for a franchise. He thinks it's actually the next step toward it happening.

"There's no question in my mind that's what it is," he said. "It's the next step in the evolution of the process of a major league professional sports team coming to Las Vegas."

For more information on how and where to vote for the starters of the 56th NBA All-Star Game, go to >nba.com