The NBA has had its eye on Europe for some time now and has unveiled plans to extend its reach into Europe as it did with Africa and the Basketball Africa League. The WNBA has more fans and popularity than ever before. Now, the NBA and its CEO, Adam Silver, have set their sights on Europe, a market where the NBA could have a huge impact but has been hesitant to explore. Is this going to be part of the NBA expansion or a stand-alone competition? The EuroLeague might have something to say about that.
What is the history of the international appeal of the NBA and basketball?
Basketball was invented by James Naismith on December 21, 1891, in the town of Springfield, Massachusetts. While considered an American sport, the NBA has done much to expand the popularity and appeal of the game of basketball. Basketball was introduced in France in 1893 and quickly spread to other countries like England, Australia, China, India, and Japan.
The international appeal of the sport was minimal in those early days, with the sport largely being ignored by the majority of fans in those countries. However, the world became intrigued by basketball when at the 1992 Olympics, a “dream team” was given the first opportunity for NBA players to represent the USA at an international sporting event.
Players like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird dominated the 1992 Olympics, igniting a global basketball frenzy internationally. The exploits of that dream team were enough to give the sport the fans it needed to expand the reach of basketball. However, the leagues that popped up in countries like China and Europe were stand-alone organizations that had no connection to the NBA, which is still the case today.
Why are the NBA and Adam Silver targeting Europe now?
While the European leagues have produced some truly amazing talent, the best European players always make their way to the NBA (mostly to the Mavericks). The sport has found some sense of support as games between the bigger clubs in Europe now boast around 10,000 fans per game. So now, the NBA is looking to partner with the Euroleague and create a new competition that has a direct connection to the NBA.
To be clear, this is not an expansion of the NBA, and no NBA teams will take part in the new proposed competition. The new league will feature existing teams and a few new ones. The appeal of expanding the sport is palpable after the international sports market became more accepting of American sports. The NBA would not take part and will instead eye a future where they have a range of international competitions, such as the Basketball Africa League.
This would no doubt bring in some financial returns for the NBA, especially in the broadcasting rights for NBA-associated games. But Adam Silver and the NBA have made it abundantly clear that the financial aspect is not the major concern. Some teams and countries have shown more interest than others, as teams like Fenerbahce and Panathinaikos have stated they are happy to remain part of the Euroleague and not interested in an NBA Europe competition.
Will we see the best players in the NBA playing in Europe soon?
The simple answer to that is, no, we will not. The NBA has been very clear on the fact that this is not an international expansion for the NBA, but rather an expansion of the sport and the organization. So we will not see Lebron James playing in Europe, unless for the Lakers in a preseason friendly. With the Draft Lottery encapsulating the excitement for the new season, one can understand the rest of the world’s desire to be a part of that excitement. Whether the NBA follows the lead of the NFL and hosts games in European cities or not remains to be seen. One thing for sure is that Europe might have its own version of the NBA very soon.
