Louisville Might Be Home Of An NBA Franchise Next Season – The Louisville Raptors

If there ever will be another NBA expansion, Louisville, Kentucky, next to Seattle, Washington, seems to be the front runner as home for a new franchise.

The basketball crazy city has been in talks for decades, ever since the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels, one of the league’s most successful franchises, were poised to make the jump into the NBA when the two leagues merged, before owner John Y. Brown decided to cash out.

Then, Louisville was destined to become the new home of the Vancouver Grizzlies in 2001, but local politics apparently killed the deal shortly before it was finalized, and the Grizzlies ended up in Memphis, as you all know.

While there certainly won’t be an NBA expansion this year, Louisville might be home of an NBA franchise after all next season – The Louisville Raptors.

As of now, 2019’s NBA champion out of Toronto, will not be able to play the next season in their hometown, and could face a similar destiny as the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays, who played their home games in Buffalo, New York, and the MLS’ Toronto FC who played in East Hartford, Connecticut.

Due to the United States’ handling of COVID-19, travel into Canada has been banned. In comes Louiville.

According to Yahoo Sports, former NBA player and successful businessman Junior Bridgeman ‘has been in contact with the NBA, considering Louisville has the KFC Yum! Center that is NBA-ready’.

While nothing has been decided yet, it doesn’t appear likely that the coronavirus situation will be handled by January, or at least have low enough new cases for Canada to open its borders for international travel. So the 2021 NBA season might actually start with a new team, the Louisville Raptors.