Could This NBA “G League” Team Really Be Coming To Shreveport?
At the time the announcement came that Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler was going to pursue the New Orleans Pelicans new "G League" team, many in the Ark-La-Tex were skeptical, including me. We don't have enough money to fully staff the Shreveport Police Department, yet we can build a new sports complex for a basketball team? Never gonna happen.
Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit. This thing may actually happen. KSLA-TV is reporting that Shreveport is now a finalist to be the home of the new NBA Development League franchise.
The list of finalists is now basically at three. Mobile, AL, has officially dropped out of the running, because they just couldn't afford to refurbish their Civic Center to meet Pelicans' officials' standards. Baton Rouge has said essentially the same thing with the caveat that they'd be willing to submit a proposal if the Pelicans would be more flexible in their requirements. KSLA says that it was unable to contact officials with Jackson, MS, or Pensacola, FL, so they don't know if either city is still in contention.
The City Council has endorsed the effort, so there's apparently no obstacle there. Mayor Tyler held 3 two-hour meetings last week to discuss the issue, so it seems that the city is busy planning its next steps should Shreveport be chosen.
Maybe they're trying to come up with a potential mascot for the team. How about the Shreveport Shooters? Think about it--it works on a couple of levels.