Was it necessary for bassanio to persuade antonio to lend him money ?

Bassanio wants to woo (impress) Portia, a wealthy heiress who lives in the city of Belmont. Bassnio doesn't have the money to do this and wants a loan from Antonio.

Oh, I suppose in the context of wooing rich women in Elizabethan England, Antonio had to get the money from somewhere. We are never really told if he had other options for money.