Only a Matter of Time Before NBA Goes Global

David Stern's recent talks with several European basketball clubs may have gone unnoticed by a lot of basketball fans across the U.S., but I am going on record right now to say that, it won't be long before the NBA truly takes its wonderful product global - and institutes an all-Europe division that will compete against the best players the longtime U.S. league has to offer.
That's right, the NBA is closer to "going global" than ever before and as usual, if there is a dollar to be made, the ingenious Stern will figure out a way to capitalize on the possibility.

Just a couple of weeks ago, while several NBA teams were participating in numerous overseas preseason games, Stern was listening to a pitch from a group representing the Spanish team, Real Madrid, that could eventually lead to as many as five NBA expansion franchises one day being placed on European soil.

Stern met with Real Madrid vice president, Jose Sanchez and former NBA All-Star Vlade Divac, the team's new head of basketball operations, before he attended the Philadelphia 76ers' exhibition game against host Winterthur Barcelona that was part of the NBA's Europe Live preseason tour. The pair conversed with Stern about possibly forming ownership groups in five European cities that would join the NBA simultaneously at 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 openly admitted that expansion into Europe has long been a dream of his and other NBA officials.

Although a recent NBA study by the NBA found that the possibility of such an expansion might not be a possibility any time in the near future because there aren't enough suitable arenas in Europe, many advocates of the proposal think the plan is closer to becoming a reality than ever before.

Just recently, Ramon Calderon, the president of the Real Madrid sporting club that encompasses the world's most valuable soccer team, claimed Real was building a new basketball facility that is scheduled to be in operation in 2008, with consultation on the project being provided by the NBA.

All of the talk sounded good - and may be a dream that Stern wishes to see come to fruition one day, but he remained non-committal on the idea, even suggesting that the possibility of it happening may not be a reality any time soon.

"While here, I had a meeting with Mr. Sanchez, accompanied by Vlade Divac," Stern said. "They suggested we should stay in touch concerning an idea they have about the possibility of, over time, as many as five European teams being considered for the NBA - if there was ownership and if there were NBA buildings, and if they were prepared to pay the expansion fee owners would ask for. There is absolutely no time frame. You tell me. At what point will there be five teams with five buildings with five ownership groups with something in excess of $400 million appearing on the scene?"

Stern did however, add that, if he were approached with a more concrete scenario, he would have to present the idea to the league's current owners.

"It would be a great conversation to have and if we do have it, I would feel duty bound to report the offer to my owners. It is a dream of mine, but we did our research and the research said there were no buildings, no public support for such buildings and no ownership groups at the present time."

Stern did add that, although the league's research showed it may not be a possibility right now, something could be worked out where such an expansion does occur - in about a decade.

"But at some time, the research said that new buildings would be in place for family and business entertainment, which is not done now in Europe. Football [soccer] is not used for family and business entertainment. The family and business entertainment can go to the opera or theater or other such places, but not sporting events. There is a need for that if buildings get built. A building is opening in London in 2007, there is one on the board in Berlin, CSKA Moscow has plans for a building, and there are plans by Real Madrid. You are talking about a conversation which could be a decade away, or never, but it's a nice topic for discussion and I don't think those discussions would go forward without a good information exchange between the Euro League and the NBA."

Stern and other NBA officials are already on record as saying that, lack of suitable venues - not travel or scheduling problems - remains the biggest obstacle to the possible European expansion.

Currently, the 19,000-capacity KolnArena in Cologne, Germany, where the Sixers, Phoenix Suns, Maccabi Tel Aviv and CSKA Moscow played over two nights this preseason, is the only venue currently considered "NBA ready."

Nevertheless, I am once again going on record to say that it is not a matter of if, but when, the NBA will expand into Europe. It could be five years, or, more likely closer to ten, but it will happen - and then the NBA can truly say that it has gone "global."