New Orleans Hornets are looking into alternate locations for a new NBA season in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.
New Orleans has become a disaster area and is unlikely to be prepared to host sports events for months.
Little damage has been reported at New Orleans Arena, the Hornets' 112 million-dollar home adjacent to the refugee-haven Superdome stadium. But flooded streets and a lack of electricity have made the area uninhabitable.
"It's way too early to be able to predict how things will play out," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.
"Even if the arena is operable, it still may be impossible to play games in New Orleans for some time," NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik said.
The Hornets were scheduled to train at the arena starting October 3, play an October 20 exhibition there against San Antonio at New Orleans and play their first regular season home game there on November 4 against Sacramento.