Could Kentucky Get An NBA Franchise?

Recently there have been rumors of an NBA expansion, with Louisville named as one of the contenders to host a new franchise. A report from 16winsaring.com, an independent sports news site, cited unidentified sources from the league stating that talks of expansion have indeed happened. Granted, it is difficult to base an argument off speculation, but for the sake of playing devil’s advocate, lets analyze the possibilities of a Louisville based expansion.

The report claims that Seattle and Mexico City are the frontrunners, as the NBA wants to bring on two new franchises, though Louisville is another feasible option. This speculation has sparked a whirlwind of articles and reports out of the Louisville area, kindling interest in the possibility of an NBA team coming there. Las Vegas and Vancouver have also been slated as possible destinations for another franchise. Each city has its issues, but you could make the argument for all of them.

Seattle, home of the now defunct Seattle Supersonics (who relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder), has been vying for a return of the franchise ever since its departure. Mexico City holds promise in that two regular season games hosted there were a great success, though logistical errors like traveling come up. Las Vegas hosts one of the NBA’s summer leagues, but the legalized gambling and sports betting is an issue.

Interestingly enough, the NHL just moved to Las Vegas and the NFL are waiting to see how the potential Oakland-Raiders-To-Vegas deal works out. This could lead to the NBA wanting to follow suit and open a franchise there. Vancouver is a hockey city and there’s doubt that they could build a solid fan base for basketball, though to be fair the Toronto Raptors have been successful.

One thing that separates Louisville from some of the other destinations is that they already have an NBA-ready facility in place with the KFC Yum! Center. The only problem is that the University of Louisville’s basketball program are the main tenants of this arena and are heavily invested in it. This means that if this hypothetical NBA franchise were to use the KFC Yum! Arena, there would have to be renegotiations with the University of Louisville’s contract, as the NBA franchise would want the majority of shares, usage and money involved with the stadium. Louisville does have Freedom Hall, the former home to the University of Louisville Cardinals, though it would require major renovations to be able to host an NBA-sized crowd. The addition of an NBA team would likely also spark increased interest in sports betting in Kentucky.

The main determining factor here is interest. It’s a three-way deal—interest from the NBA, interest from investors, and interest from fans (or taxpayers, as another way of looking at it). The league would certainly support a franchise if it saw the potential for longevity. An investor would not only have to be extremely wealthy in order to purchase and operate a franchise, they would also have to have some type of interest in the sport. From a fan’s perspective, an NBA team would be a dream come true. Kentucky is a basketball state with two of the most successful programs in the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the University of Louisville Cardinals. This level of basketball fandom could transfer to a professional team, although there is quite a variance in ticket prices compared to those of NCAA teams.

Again, these fabled reports are entirely speculation, but there is a chance we could see a new NBA franchise or two by the year 2020. If Louisville can figure out the financials and logistics, especially in regards to the KFC Yum! Arena, they could be a new team in the Eastern Conference.