With the start of the NBA regular season just around the corner (10/30), the league has kicked off its preseason schedule with some flair. A number of teams are traveling around the globe so David Stern can expose more people to his product; a move that has paid huge dividends – a fact evidenced by the growing numbers of non-American NBA players in the league.To wit: the Boston Celtics are playing some games in London, England while the Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies visited and played in Spain. Because of these world tours, the globalization of the NBA naturally increases as does its popularity. So much so, in fact, you’ve got a number of talented young players who may have been playing another sport like soccer or… soccer now concentrating and honing their skills on a basketball court.
And the NBA is not the only basketball institution that recognizes this trend. NCAA basketball coaches are widening their net, looking to add foreign players to their stables as well.
Not only is the NBA taking their preseason tour to the Europeans, they are also giving non-lower 48 American residents a taste of what pro basketball offers. To facilitate this process, the NBA sent the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angles Lakers to Hawaii for a two-game “series,” which the Warriors, led by ex-UK Wildcat Kelenna Azubuike, got the best of.
These barnstorming tours are doing wonders for the worldwide appeal of the NBA; however, the popularity of the sport in the mainland US needs to be addressed. There’s an undercurrent of criticism surrounding the NBA’s image, something middle-class America seems to have a hard time relating to… that is, until their town gets a winning team. Once that happens, all concerns about the image the players produce goes right out of window.
Like much preseason games in all sports, there isn’t much to garner from these games except to see how some younger players and unknowns are performing because the established stars aren’t featured as much. In fact, their presence is more like a courtesy to the attendees who may not get to see players like Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash in person. The best way to look at the preseason is more of a proving ground for the up-and-coming players and rookies alike.
However, the NBA preseason is a great way to get prepared for the upcoming season, while letting fans learn a little about the new players their favorite team has acquired. It also serves as an opportunity for the NBA’s goodwill gestures and relationship building between other countries; something that’s been so successful for the NBA that David Stern should perhaps retire from NBA and help the government out with their foreign relation issues.
Don’t forget, the NBA regular season tips-off on October 30. How is your team going to fare?
Chris Richardson is the full-time purveyor of the soon-to-be-launched IntentionalFoul.com sports blog.
