Twenty-five ESPN.com writers e-assembled this week to discuss the viability of various cities as NBA hosts.  American cities such as Seattle, Las Vegas and Kansas City were acknowledged, along with international options such as London, Moscow (!) and Berlin.

Without honorable mention, though, was Louisville, Kentucky.  Since 2000, we have tried to land the Rockets, Grizzlies and then-Hornets, and come up empty each time.  There was even a proposal to acquire an NBA team, re-name it the Colonels (after the former Louisville ABA team), and draw up the logo to advertise Kentucky Fried Chicken, Colonel Sanders’ mug and all.  We are desperate. (I live in Louisville, if you were wondering.)

I present my case through a series of points:

- Louisville is the 29th-largest city in America.  If you count everything within city limits, we’re 17th.

- Kentucky/Indiana is basketball country, as the Universities of Louisville, Indiana, and Kentucky were and still are basketball schools.

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