Toronto Raptors could play next season in Louisville if border still closed
With the NBA hoping to hold games in teams' respective arenas rather than in one single bubble next season, there lies the question about what the Raptors will do if the Canadian-U.S. border closure keeps getting extended, preventing other teams from coming to Toronto to play at Scotiabank Arena.
The rules restricting cross-country movement, implemented back in March, were recently extended until at least Nov. 21, and some experts believe they could last well into 2021.
With the next NBA season slated to start in January sans-bubble, the Raptors may have to find somewhere south of the border to call home — and it looks like Louisville, Kentucky's KFC Yum! Center is on the table.
siakam spinning gonna scare the shit outta ppl thinking there's yet another tornado rolling through their state
— Depressed Sixers Fan (@depressedsixer) October 22, 2020
The facility is fully NBA-ready, the city itself having been trying to get an NBA team of its own for decades. And, it is a very realistic possibility for Toronto home games, sources allegedly told Yahoo Sports yesterday.
Apparently, per the outlet, former NBAer and businessman Junior Bridgeman reached out to the league to propose the idea, though the validity of that news has been called into question.
The team may also end up sharing a current NBA market, the sources said, or set up temporary shop in another U.S. city such as Seattle.
A lot of details about the upcoming season are definitely still up in the air right now and only in the early stages of being sorted out, including whether fans will be able to attend games in-person.
There may be more details by Friday, when an NBA Board of Governors call is set to take place.
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