In honor of Independence Day, I opted to write today's column about international basketball, because I'm so very patriotic. In my head, the idea seemed sound, I could write about the impact American basketball is having on today's international sports landscape, and relish in America's past dominance and hopefully it's future. Sarcasm aside, I do love America, and in this column we shall examine how the United States managed to globalize a domestic game and how it plans to expand into the future.
Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker, and Dirk Nowitzki are all global icons and ambassadors for the sport of basketball. All three men are past champions, all-stars, as well as future hall of famers. These three international heroes all fell in love with a foreign game when the Dream Team arrived in Barcelona. The United States squad arrived with the admiration of the press and the aspirations of Americans, and immediately became rock stars in Spain. Basketball had never looked so cool, so fun, or so possible. A world dominated by international football would experience a torrent in the form of basketball stealing headlines and popularity. True, even to this day soccer rules the international athletic landscape, but basketball has never been as prominent as it is today, and much of that is owed to the Dream Team.
Oh good...the only fat one is an American
How cool was that! There are kids today in China, Nigeria, Lithuania, Argentina and even England who dream of being like Mike, not Messi. And Ronaldo is pretty cool, but he can't fly like LeBron James. Sure it's the beautiful game, but have you ever seen Chris Paul dribble? All of a sudden, countries around the world adopted basketball into their own cultures. Here's a pretty incredible list of countries who love basketball, and where they rank, courtesy of www.mostpopularsports.net
Countries where Basketball is King
Argentina- Believe it or not, there are more sports websites dedicated to basketball than to soccer in Argentina. This being the country responsible for producing the current best soccer player alive.
China- Basketball got so popular at the 2008 Beijing Olympics that basketball in China experienced a meteoric rise in terms of being an active and spectator sport. The CBA is now one of the most popular basketball league's around the globe.
France- I honestly didn't believe this, but it's the same story as Argentina. The number of Frenchmen in the NBA increases by the year.
Lithuania
The Phillipines
Basketball also ranks second in Canada, Germany, Greece, and Japan. Each of these countries has sent players to the NBA, and each of them represents a growing international demographic for the NBA.
Here's the scoop on David Stern, Stern might be the most successful league Commissioner in the history of American sports. David rescued the NBA from a potentially fatal cocaine spell that destroyed the reputation of the league and renovated the association into a totally marketable and exciting league. It's been no secret that Stern always hoped to turn the NBA into a global phenomenon, and thanks to incredible marketing and loads of superstar talent, it has. Part of the reason China has embraced not only the sport of basketball but specifically the NBA brand is because of the incredible job the association did in marketing superstars overseas. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are legends in China, as well as across the globe. Programs like Basketball Without Borders has spread the game into corners of Africa and Asia, as well as improved the NBA's handle in Europe. Basketball wouldn't be the game it is today without David Stern at the helm of the ship and the future of global sports will have him to thank long after he is gone.
As far as future competitors go, it stands to reason that as the world learns to love Basketball it will improve, and while America may always stand atop the heap in terms of both popularity and international success, other countries will begin to rise to at the very least, challenge the United States. Canada has a ridiculous amount of NBA prospects currently in the league, and in American colleges and high schools. Soon, Canada will probably move into the discussion for International elite status, an idea that used to be no more than a joke after Steve Nash announced he would retire from Canadian basketball. Countries that love basketball in the way China, Lithuania, France, Nigeria, and Spain do are bound to breed superstars to attempt to match the success of America. As the game grows internationally, basketball will improve. While soccer may always rule the world, basketball will always lurk about to challenge soccer for its popularity. A sport that is rapidly growing global is teaching giving youth in other countries something to work for and to be excited about. For that, America should be proud. Happy Independence Day.
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