NBA's European expansion

[Lasser83]

As crazy as it sounds, it looks like the NBA might expand into Europe:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/ian_thomsen/02/13/international.expansion/

or here's the link. (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/ian_thomsen/02/13/international.expansion/)


As a big NBA fan, I love this. Europe and China can't get enough of basketball. While China would never work, expanding into Europe makes sense.

In contrast, the NFL brags about how they might start a team in Toronto and play another game in London. Lets face it: internationally, no one cares about football.

[Cheesehead]

If they can play in Europe, they could play in China. Teams would probably play extended series in both locations. Chinas has Yao and Yi playing in the NBA too.

[PM Thor]

This would be awesome. Soccer has done it, so why not the NBA?

In my world, I would equate it to the way soccer plays things out. Champions league kind of thing. Hell, basketball is on its way to becoming the #1 international sport, so why not take advantage of it? I might just become an NBA fan if this happens.

What the NBA needs to do though is go to the established teams over there to make new teams. Get the leagues over there involved. None of this "starting from scratch" crap. Use the fanbase already there.

[Lasser83]

PMthor, it doesn't sound like it would be liker soccer's current format in Europe (each country with a league and a European tourney).

It sounds like Stern wants teams in London, Rome, Madrid, Paris, and Berlin. And he wants those teams to be fully integrated into the NBA (like another conference).

I'd imagine this might piss off the teams already in the cities I mentioned. This sounds like it would be a nightmare to work out everything (especially with all the redtape in Europe).

But if Stern can pull it off, it would increase the fanbase of the NBA by a staggering amount.

[PM Thor]

Lasser, I would think that it would be a stepping stone for the NBA into Europe, meaning, I would really love it if every league in Europe would be willing to play in a "champions" league, with the NBA participating. That way, it would obviously upgrade every league and not so many high players would migrate to the NBA.

I would think this would be great for pro basketball internationally. Right now the NBA dominates. I don't like that. I want the rest of the world to play on...

[X-band '01]

It would be interesting to say the least what would happen from a scheduling standpoint as far as international NBA games go. Just imagine a New York-London showdown taking place around 2:30 in the afternoon on the East Coast (or 11:30 for Los Angeles-London).

[dc_x]

Interesting - This week the English Premier League announced plans for every team to play 1 extra game in a foreign city. FIFA and some of the planned host countries are against the idea because they say it would ruin the development of the domestic soccer leagues.

An NBA expansion into Europe would do the same thing to the European leagues. Who would want to watch a Spanish league game when there is a full-fledged NBA team in Spain?

[joebba]

Interesting - This week the English Premier League announced plans for every team to play 1 extra game in a foreign city. FIFA and some of the planned host countries are against the idea because they say it would ruin the development of the domestic soccer leagues.

An NBA expansion into Europe would do the same thing to the European leagues. Who would want to watch a Spanish league game when there is a full-fledged NBA team in Spain?

Who would want to watch a full-fledged NBA game when there is a European basketball game on?

[DC Muskie]

Interesting - This week the English Premier League announced plans for every team to play 1 extra game in a foreign city. FIFA and some of the planned host countries are against the idea because they say it would ruin the development of the domestic soccer leagues.

An NBA expansion into Europe would do the same thing to the European leagues. Who would want to watch a Spanish league game when there is a full-fledged NBA team in Spain?

It's stupid for the NFL, the Premiership or any league to play league matches on another soil, meaning, crossing the Atlantic. The players don't want that added match either. I certainly hope it doesn't happen.

And I think most people say in Barcelona, will watch Barcelona play, rather then some NBA team in the same city. But who knows. Just because they stamp, NBA on it, doesn't mean people are going to flock to it.

[Muskie]

In fact... stamping NBA on it may push people away from it. Last time i checked... there was a huge difference between NBA style basketball versus the style most Euro Clubs use. I'm pretty sure the Euro clubs encourage jump shooting for instance.

[DC Muskie]

Excellent point Muskie.

[Lasser83]

Yeah, PmThor, I like the format your thinking of better than creating a new "European division" in the NBA.

But, in defense of Stern, even though European basketball has vastly improved, NBA teams have more resources. I don't think it would be a fair match. You would likely see San Antonio come in and crush their European opponent.

Although, as basketball grows more popular in Europe that might change.

And under the "european division" format, the top markets in Europe would constantly see more American teams in the regular season (and vice versa). There would be more integration between Europe and the US.

But yes, this will piss off a lot of the owners in the increasingly popular teams of Rome, London, Berlin, Madrid, and Paris.

[DC Muskie]

They have Champions Leagues that the NBA could participate in. This is American capitalism at it's glory.

These European NBA teams won't necessarily have all the resources available to them right away anyway.

[Lasser83]

DC Muskie, I agree that there's something slimey about Stern's plan. Many Europeans will be offended by our league expanding over theirs.

but I still find it kind of cool to have an NBA franchise in Paris and Rome. American backpackers can take a break in Paris and watch the Cavaliers play.

[boozehound]

I wonder if it will be as successful as NFL Europe...

[DC Muskie]

but I still find it kind of cool to have an NBA franchise in Paris and Rome. American backpackers can take a break in Paris and watch the Cavaliers play.

If they want to expand that's their choice, but I think it's funny that they have franchises here in America that are struggling. Is the NBA going to be a 45 team league?

[Lasser83]

If they want to expand that's their choice, but I think it's funny that they have franchises here in America that are struggling. Is the NBA going to be a 45 team league?


I love the NBA (which has the absolute best athletes in the world...no offense to soccer fans). So I'm a little biased. But I think the whole "the NBA is tanking" talk is way overblown. Besides New Orleans and maybe Atlanta, there isn't a franchise out there that's really struggling.

And as it is right now, I think the NBA is fairly popular in Europe. I remember backpacking in Paris when the Spurs were in the finals. I was shocked to see so many Spurs jerseys and t-shirts (due to Tony Parker being French). I think having 5 teams in Europe would work (which would add the total teams to 35).