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European Basketball Hurting?

by TCB on Nov 13, 2011 1:42 PM MST

Thanks for reading my first post here

So it is Sunday evening here in the cold be beautifull Netherlands, normally I would be watching a basketball game with my beloved league pass. As we all know that won't happen anytime soon.

Despite the lock out there was a little bit of NBA for me this week. Last Wednesday Deron Williams and Besiktas came to town to kick kick some local team's ass. Initially I though that would be fun but when I thought about it and looked at everything surrounding the game I came to the conclusion that NBA players coming to Europe is bad for European basketball.

Normally basketball gets the same amount of attention in the media here as the new Steven Segal movie. Now with Williams coming this changed, there were highlights on TV and the arena was sold out. Don't get me wrong even team USA couldn't rival the Dutch national soccer team for attention but basketball mattered for a little bit.

Somehow after the game I got a negative feeling about it. Reading Facebook posts and Twitter messages afterwards got me thinking this can't be all good. Everybody talked about Williams as if the other players on the court didn't matter. For years European basketball has tried to establish it's own identity in basketball. I can't support this with statistics or science but my gut tells me it can't be good. What happens when the lock-out ends and all NBA players have to report back home. What happens to the Deron "Besiktas" WIlliams team? Like I said I can't prove it or predict what will happen but my guess is the lock-out in the long ru will hurt European basketball too.

Let me know what you think.

Poll

Will the lock-out hurt European basketball?

Yes

9 votes

No

21 votes

Who cares, they shouldn't play b-ball at all there.

7 votes

37 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 8 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Nice first post :)

I can see where your concers comes from, i mean, the fan base of the Phoenix Suns will considerably reduce after Steve Nash leaves, but i would difer from your thoughts thinking that no matter what, Deron Williams brings a lot of buzz to the game and social media, at the same time people will develop some loyalty to their local team and that would allow more local/international people to discover the european basketball, just as Steve Nash has being doing for the Phoenix Suns…see my point ?

Do not let Steve Nash and Grant Hill go away, please.
Otherwhise im not buying any tickets from you Saver.

by Lino Canaan on Nov 13, 2011 9:06 PM MST reply actions

Thanks for the compliment. I do see your point but up until yesterday it was not an honest comparison. Nash has been part of the Orange army for several years now. He has made a commitment. Williams on the other hand could leave any day, just like all the other NBA players. Although this doesn’t seem very likely at the moment.
So for now we won’t know what the effect will be for teams that have heavily invested in NBA players and will lose this investment and talent all of a sudden.

by TCB on Nov 15, 2011 11:39 AM MST up reply actions

Enjoy the novelty...

Looks like it will last longer then expected. Imagine Durant and Kobe going over there! Nothing will ever compare to soccer popularity, but having 5-10 top notch NBA players will be great for business. I’m sure the teams will take into account team chemistry, but now with the NBA season looking like it might get cancelled it gives them much more freedom to sign players and incorporate their skills. I’m sure there will be some massive failures too, which can also be entertaining.

by oLLiE Boombayay on Nov 14, 2011 10:12 PM MST reply actions

Yeah

I would say it is hurting but with the season likely cancelled in the NBA it should be nothing but good things for business over there.

by Airwave on Nov 14, 2011 10:38 PM MST up reply actions

I’m sure there will me massive failures, don’t think that teamowners or GM’s in Europe are smarter than in the US. I believe right now more then half of the soccer team sin Europe are on the verge of bankruptcy including teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and the entire Italian league.
Guess what the people running those clubs also have ties to the local basketball organizations. This is a recipe for disaster.

by TCB on Nov 15, 2011 11:46 AM MST up reply actions

I have to think that if the great soccer stars like Messi and Xavi came to the US for part of the season it would only be good. Casual fans that don’t follow MLS might come to those games and some would stay after the starts left.

Raising Arizona Sports at SB Nation Arizona twitter: @sethpo

by Seth Pollack on Nov 15, 2011 10:06 PM MST reply actions