NBA Europe Division

[TexasTerror]

Lots of talk with the NBA teams training and playing games in Europe about a potential NBA European division...four teams in fact are training in Europe...

What do you think are the possibilities of an international league like this with teams in USA, Canada and Europe if this were to happen? How would it work? Would teams go on two-week road trips to Europe to hit up the European teams and then the Euro teams would come to the USA for a few weeks to play games here?

This would really be an intriguing step for the NBA and I think we'll see something like this happen before David Stern steps down...

[Pard4Life]

Lots of talk with the NBA teams training and playing games in Europe about a potential NBA European division...four teams in fact are training in Europe...

What do you think are the possibilities of an international league like this with teams in USA, Canada and Europe if this were to happen? How would it work? Would teams go on two-week road trips to Europe to hit up the European teams and then the Euro teams would come to the USA for a few weeks to play games here?

This would really be an intriguing step for the NBA and I think we'll see something like this happen before David Stern steps down...

I'd say remote. The dollar is very poor against the Euro so any financing would be very expensive. Furthermore, the NBA would likely have to compete with territoriality and competition issues with local clubs. It is clear that the NBA would dominate everything in terms of basketball in Europe. The European Union trade and fair competiton regulations are very stingy and will definetely put up a challenge. They have massive issue when dealing with broadcast/media rights between soccer leagues and player transfers. Heck.. just look at Microsoft as well. Plus, would ticket prices be within range? Standard of living is high there but disposable income is less. Soccer is king there anyway and likely gobbles up the 'disposable income on sports' bracket. Also... travel is an issue. It is 8 hours from Newark to Belgium, Frankfurt... many more from teh west coast. Travel is a burden and players hate it.

[Hansel]

don't know if NBA-Europe would happen-

but I wouldn't mind seeing a "club basketball tourney" UEFA champions league style

[TexasTerror]

Here's the story from ESPN.com...

BARCELONA, Spain -- An all-Europe division of the NBA -- with teams in cities such as Madrid, London, Moscow, Berlin and Cologne -- has been a fantasy for basketball fans on this side of the Atlantic for a number of years.

That fantasy may have taken the first step toward reality in Barcelona this week when NBA Commissioner David Stern received an informal proposal from a delegation of mighty Spanish sporting club Real Madrid that could lead to five NBA expansion franchises one day being placed in Europe.

Stern on Thursday met Real vice president Jose Sanchez and former NBA All-Star Vlade Divac, Real's new head of basketball operations, before he attended the Philadelphia 76ers' exhibition game against host Winterthur Barcelona at the Palau Sant Jordi, part of the NBA's Europe Live preseason tour.

Sanchez and Divac floated the idea of returning with a formal proposition for five ownership groups in five European cities to join the NBA simultaneously at an unspecified future date.

"Our response to that was we would be happy to talk about that and that we look forward to receiving a proposal from you," said Stern, who confessed that such expansion into Europe has long been a dream.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2614550

[Hansel]

Here's the story from ESPN.com...

BARCELONA, Spain -- An all-Europe division of the NBA -- with teams in cities such as Madrid, London, Moscow, Berlin and Cologne -- has been a fantasy for basketball fans on this side of the Atlantic for a number of years.

That fantasy may have taken the first step toward reality in Barcelona this week when NBA Commissioner David Stern received an informal proposal from a delegation of mighty Spanish sporting club Real Madrid that could lead to five NBA expansion franchises one day being placed in Europe.

Stern on Thursday met Real vice president Jose Sanchez and former NBA All-Star Vlade Divac, Real's new head of basketball operations, before he attended the Philadelphia 76ers' exhibition game against host Winterthur Barcelona at the Palau Sant Jordi, part of the NBA's Europe Live preseason tour.

Sanchez and Divac floated the idea of returning with a formal proposition for five ownership groups in five European cities to join the NBA simultaneously at an unspecified future date.

"Our response to that was we would be happy to talk about that and that we look forward to receiving a proposal from you," said Stern, who confessed that such expansion into Europe has long been a dream.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2614550
I like it :nod:

[Pard4Life]

I can see it now...

Allen Iverson playing for the 'Moscow Red Herring'.

[Hansel]

I can see it now...

Allen Iverson playing for the 'Moscow Red Herring'.
the russian mafia would probably have him under their control :(

[GeauxColonels]

I could see a SEPARATE European League being established...but I think having 5 Euro teams as full-fledged members of the NBA is a HORRIBLE idea. How do you then construct the playoffs? Are the European teams going to be "Eastern Conference" members? If so, does this lead to a dramatic realignment of the league? Plus, the travle expenses would SKYROCKET for some teams.