NEW YORK (AFP) — The National Basketball Association is moving forward with expansion into Europe, including a plan to operate five franchises over the next 10 years, American sports magazine Sports Illustrated reported Wednesday.
Sports Illustrated said sources told them that commissioner David Stern will announce the NBA's stance during a news conference on Saturday, the day before the NBA all-star Game in New Orleans.
The plan being pondered includes organizing a European division with five teams which would play a full 82-game schedule and compete for the NBA title.
This is not the first time that Stern has entertained overseas expansion.
He brought up the idea five years ago, saying at the time that the league would look into European expansion within a decade.
Last month, the NBA announced the formation of NBA China, a project in which four Chinese investors have pledged more than 250 million dollars.
In the past, Stern has said the biggest obstacle to placing franchises in Europe is the lack of NBA-sized buildings.
The NBA has played regular-season games in Japan and Mexico, and played exhibition contests this season in London and Rome.
The all-star weekend kicks off Friday with the Rookie Challenge where China's Yi Jianlian will try to help the first-year players stop LaMarcus Aldridge and the second-year players.
The second-year players have won the last five-straight games.
Saturday is the skills competition, comprising four special events. The most noteworthy is the Slam Dunk contest where Minnesota Timberwolves Gerald Green will try to defend his title.
This year fans will be able to cast their votes and help pick the winner.
Orlando's Dwight Howard, Memphis' Rudy Gay and Toronto's Jamarian Moon are also entered in the Slam Dunk.
There is also a Skills Challenge, Three-Point Shootout and a Shooting Stars team event on Saturday.
Kobe Bryant will be seeking his third all-star MVP award in Sunday's 2008 All-Star Game to go with ones he won in 2002 and 2007.
Bryant scored 31 points and had six assists in leading the West to a 153-132 win over the East in 2007 in Las Vegas.
Amare Stoudemire added 29 points and nine rebounds and Carmelo Anthony had 20 points and nine rebounds for the West.
The 2006 All-Star MVP LeBron James led the Eastern Conference with 28 points, six rebounds and six assists and Dwight Howard tallied 20 points and 12 rebound.
oh god i feel sorry for players playing in europe, imagine the tours theyd have to go on and then american teams having to go over there just 2 play randomly(u know those times when a team would have a away game and go home for like 4 games). lol wont work, jetlag will **** players sideways.
its a stupid idea. Create a minor league if he really wants to but not an NBA team. Teams would have to travel all the way to Europe for 1 day and then fly back after the games. Even if they are playing 2-4 straight games in Europe, it will still take a toll on the players. It will be a royal mess.
also, most North American players would not want to go to a team located in Europe. Its the most stupid idea that stern has come up with. He will make a big deal out of it but nothing will happen. It can't.
honestly, i hate the brand of basketball we play here in the states. where you can just touch someone and get a foul called on you.
fiba rules > nba rules
it's only been that way for the past 7 years.... NBA disallowed hand checking before the 01-02 season..... I agree though. I hate the perimeter touch fouls in today's league
The NBA already has enough **** teams, why add more and dilute the talent further. If anything, Stern needs to cut five teams, send them to the D-League or something.
NBA players in Europe would be huge for a few years. The reason why American support of sports sometimes wavers is that we see it all the time. Europeans don't get to see NBA players like Kobe, LeBron, and KG very often. It would be a huge draw for a few years, but long term I think it would wear out.
If David Stern is serious about expanding to Europe, I think the best way to do it is to make NBA teams do small "tours" during the season. For example once or twice a year send 5 random teams to Europe to player each other. Each team plays 4 games around Europe, which means Europeans have either 25 or 50 games to get tickets to each year. It would suck for teams, but in all it would equal out because all teams would go over an equal amount of time. It would also be tough for players becuase they would have to do all the meet and greet stuff, but it is each player would only have to go over once every few years.
NBA players in Europe would be huge for a few years. The reason why American support of sports sometimes wavers is that we see it all the time. Europeans don't get to see NBA players like Kobe, LeBron, and KG very often. It would be a huge draw for a few years, but long term I think it would wear out.
If David Stern is serious about expanding to Europe, I think the best way to do it is to make NBA teams do small "tours" during the season. For example once or twice a year send 5 random teams to Europe to player each other. Each team plays 4 games around Europe, which means Europeans have either 25 or 50 games to get tickets to each year. It would suck for teams, but in all it would equal out because all teams would go over an equal amount of time. It would also be tough for players becuase they would have to do all the meet and greet stuff, but it is each player would only have to go over once every few years.
Sounds a little bit like the old McDonalds Championship to me. I used to love that, team with the best record went and played the best teams from other (Mainly Euro, plus Australia) leagues. I remember getting pumped at the prospect of the Chicago Bulls playing the Perth Wildcats (I'm from Melbourne, but Perth kept winning back then)... Scottie Pippen would have been no match for Scott Fisher and Andrew Vlahov would have destoyed Horace Grant. Bill Cartwright? He would have been James Crawfords lunch!:)
How can Stern hope to create successful franchises overseas when teams like the Sonics and Hawks can't put fans in the stands? Even the Hornets, who are atop the west with a MVP candidate can't fill up an arena. Overseas teams create so much more problems like road trips, culture difference, security, sporting competition, etc.
As has been mentioned, the travel schedule would just be totally messed up, especially for a 82 games schedule and there only being 5 teams in Europe. How the hell do you work that out?
The only way it might work is some sort of a format similar to the NL/AL of baseball. Where teams mostly play within their own league, but do mix in some interleague games. Then have a "world championship" with the best team in the US vs. best team in Europe. But that will require expansion of 30 franchises, which is not happening.
David Stern plans to expand the NBA to Europe
