David Stern: There WILL Be NBA Teams In Europe

[Euroleague]

Outside of exhibitions, NBA should stay exclusively in the US

Why in the hell is there a team in Canada then?

[Euroleague]

then you don't understand the value of a continental product compared to a global one, or television in general really.

NBA isn't a global TV product. That's just more delusional NBA only fan syndrome bullshit.

[Euroleague]

The concorde was a mad expensive flight I remember, besides, the only team capable of supersonic flight was removed from league. You mention NY and London, but what about west coast trips to Europe? Unless every team that plays the knicks gets to travel to London next, and vice versa with european teams passing through London, thats the only way possible. Crazy stuff.

Obviously, they would simply never schedule a west coast trip to London.

[Rubio2Gasol]

good luck negotiating a TV deal with a 6 hour time difference. that's why it won't happen, not because it takes too long to fly or whatever. weekday 1pm EST games, that'll fly.

People around the world watch football just fine

I don't think it's feasible - mainly because the 16+ hour flight to play is ridiculous and is going to make scheduling a nightmare.

[Swaggin916]

NBA Europe Division

London
Barcelona
Madrid
Munchen (Munich)
Milano

Do this and get rid of franchises like the Bobcats, Bucks, Memphis, NO, and the Clippers... that won't happen, but I mean c'mon how many teams can you really have in this league? There are enough huge cities over there and enough money that they could have their own league and persuade the big stars to come. I mean c'mon Kobe would take a max contract in Milan, Dirk in Munich, Pau and Marc in Barca... etc. The NBA would become a more Global game like Soccer and although for a while it might be watered down... Eventually it would catch up because the interest would increase and more people would play basketball. Then, at the end, you just have the NBA America Champs, and the NBA Europe Champs play each other.

I mean the first way I said is a simpler approach just incorporating them into the NBA... but 35 teams in one league? Jesus.

[Clutch]

There are too many obstacles for European teams to play in the NBA.

First of all there's a travel problem. Some of you said you need only 3 hours from London to New York. That's fine. But how many hours do you need from Turkey/Greece to California ? And not playing on the West Coast isn't a solution. Why even bring European teams to the NBA when they will only be able to play against themselves and the East Coast teams ?

Then there's a time difference problem. Unless European teams play all the games at 12:00 PM ET or something like that only a little amount of European fans will watch them. NBA games are mostly around 1-2 AM in Europe,those played in the West Coast are mostly around 3-4 AM. Casual fans won't watch that shit,only maybe 5% of the fanatics will.

If you just think a little you could come up with more problems but those are the two most obvious ones. Unless we find a faster way to travel and manage to make a schedule in which both Americans and Europeans can watch games in normal time (not really late at night) having European teams in the NBA is just a dream.

[brantonli]

NBA isn't a global TV product. That's just more delusional NBA only fan syndrome bullshit.

Duh what? NBA is almost the only global basketball anything. None of the other leagues come remotely close. Of course basketball is nowhere as global as football yet.


And I don't see why the time zone is brought up so often? If peopl want to see it then they will, here in HK people stay up until 1, 2, 3 am to watch European football matches. Ek I have friends in uk who wake up at 4 to watch NBA games.

[Euroleague]

There are too many obstacles for European teams to play in the NBA.

First of all there's a travel problem. Some of you said you need only 3 hours from London to New York. That's fine. But how many hours do you need from Turkey/Greece to California ? And not playing on the West Coast isn't a solution. Why even bring European teams to the NBA when they will only be able to play against themselves and the East Coast teams ?

Then there's a time difference problem. Unless European teams play all the games at 12:00 PM ET or something like that only a little amount of European fans will watch them. NBA games are mostly around 1-2 AM in Europe,those played in the West Coast are mostly around 3-4 AM. Casual fans won't watch that shit,only maybe 5% of the fanatics will.

If you just think a little you could come up with more problems but those are the two most obvious ones. Unless we find a faster way to travel and manage to make a schedule in which both Americans and Europeans can watch games in normal time (not really late at night) having European teams in the NBA is just a dream.

Stop being a moron.

[Euroleague]

Duh what? NBA is almost the only global basketball anything. None of the other leagues come remotely close. Of course basketball is nowhere as global as football yet.


And I don't see why the time zone is brought up so often? If peopl want to see it then they will, here in HK people stay up until 1, 2, 3 am to watch European football matches. Ek I have friends in uk who wake up at 4 to watch NBA games.

It's NOT a global TV product. Just because it is on TV does not mean it is getting ratings. It's on TV in Europe and barely anyone at all ever watches it. When NBC used to broadcast Euroleague games, did that make Euroleague a global TV product? It was on in every single continent then.

Get serious.

[Pinkhearts]

LOL at faster travel

In case you didn't know, the Concorde is now out of service.

Newly designed planes are actually slower than the good old 747s. The trend is now slower more efficient planes with rising fuel prices

[Chapallaz]

NBA Europe (LOL) would probably be something like the EuroLeague now is. A seperate league.

And thus not needed. What WOULD be fun is a yearly NBA champions vs EuroLeague champions, or even a short tournament of the 4 top NBA teams vs the top 4 EuroLeague teams during the summer.

[gabepizza]

[QUOTE=Euroleague]http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/ey...pe-in-20-years

By Royce Young | Blogger
January 3, 2013 2:55 pm ET


The NBA could be headed across the pond. (Getty Images)

David Stern is stepping down as commissioner on Feb. 1, 2014, which will mark exactly 30 years sitting on the NBA's throne.

It might sound a little crazy, but it shouldn't. Because it almost happened already with an expansion team in London. Via the Boston Globe:

There was a time when Stern had dreams of a team or even a division in Europe, a first in American sports. He was determined to devise a way for a group of teams in London, Rome, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, and Berlin to compete with the 30 stateside NBA teams and even have a real world championship series.

Regardless of how uncomfortable the idea made fans who believe 30 teams was enough -- and regardless of how inconceivable it might be to have a team in a time zone six hours ahead of the Eastern US -- Stern was going to add the London Abbeys to the NBA.

That idea died on the operating table though, because the international economy went rotten and because there aren't any NBA-style arenas overseas.

Which is why Stern put the 20-year timetable on it. Because within that time frame, someone is probably going to build an NBA arena with luxury boxes and concessions and 20,000 seats. Once that happens, an expansion team in London or Barcelona is probably an inevitability.

The NBA is already the second-most globalized game in the world behind soccer, so it's natural to try to expand its borders. There's money to be made internationally. And building a bridge between the NBA and Euroleague would certainly be an interesting evolution.

I know what you're thinking. How is this possible? How could the Trail Blazers take a road trip to Rome on the second night of a back-to-back?

[PsychoWorm]

Champions League would be a great idea but only if the NBA teams can't get away with all that traveling.

[Rooster]

NBA Europe (LOL) would probably be something like the EuroLeague now is. A seperate league.

And thus not needed. What WOULD be fun is a yearly NBA champions vs EuroLeague champions, or even a short tournament of the 4 top NBA teams vs the top 4 EuroLeague teams during the summer.

NBA Summer league team vs Euroleague elite would be more competitive.

[wang4three]

Rantings of a guy that's on his way out.