The NBA continues to have nearly the slightest possible in-season presence in Europe. With two games this season, both in Paris to showcase Victor Wembanyama, the association struggles to meet a continent-wide demand. Emmet Ryan on the challenge and the opportunities that come with expansion
The idea of the NBA playing more regular season games in Europe has been floated for years. This is fueled by the growing popularity of basketball on the continent and the increasing number of European players starring in the league. While the concept is appealing, the reality presents a complex set of challenges and opportunities.
Those obstacles have prevented Adam Silver and the NBA from maximising attention on this side of the Atlantic. Whereas the NFL has continued to add more games, the NBA’s been largely stagnant for bringing its experience to Europe.
Logistical Challenges
Hosting NBA regular season games in Europe is logistically challenging. That’s the polite way of putting it. It’s an utter nightmare on the face of things. The NBA operates on a much more gruelling schedule than the NFL, the main comparison here. Managing an 82 game schedule for 30 teams is a lot tougher than managing a 17 game slate for 32.
This dense schedule makes the prospect of adding international travel particularly taxing. While NFL teams can manage travel for one or two games abroad, thanks to a weekly game cadence, NBA teams would struggle to maintain competitive balance. Additionally, player health could be compromised by the added strain of crossing multiple time zones frequently.
As a surprise to nobody, the NBA’s schedule is far less forgiving than that of the NFL. Back-to-back games are a common feature of the NBA season. Long-haul flights to Europe would exacerbate the fatigue associated with such a packed calendar.
Unlike the NFL, where teams can schedule a bye week after an international game, the NBA’s continuous play structure would require far more substantial adjustments. These could include longer breaks between games or mid-season pauses for teams involved in international matchups. Both of these solutions however immediately add to the logistical headaches.
Arena issues
There are fewer NBA grade arenas in Europe than regular readers might think. There are also more than most new readers might realise. The Accor Arena in Paris, which will host both of the Victor Wembanyama homecoming games between the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers, is smaller than all 30 NBA arenas.
In total, Europe can lay claim to 14 arenas capable of hosting a larger crowd than the Smoothie King Centre in New Orleans. The home of the Pelicans is the smallest in active use in the NBA. That sounds good but they are somewhat concentrated.
Three are in the UK, with two of them in Manchester alone, there are also two each in Spain and Germany. While all large markets, it’s not ideal that these three basically have half of all the arenas. Add on Russia being a big no no for the foreseeable future and the list drops to 14.
The biggest asset the NFL has been able to jump on in Europe is the sheer number of huge modern stadiums. These are optimally designed for TV, with broadcasters gushing over Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in particular. They’re also loaded with corporate boxes to sell.
Think of it this way, the total number of combined attendees at NBA games in Europe this coming season will be about 33,000. That’s barely half the capacity of the aforementioned Spurs stadium, which will host two games.
There are two others in Europe for the gridiron kings in larger venues. Wembley in London and Allianz Arena in Munich will both host a game each as well. That’s a lot of money and a lot of touchpoints for the NFL with fans on the ground.
It’s time for some innovative thinking
The NFL series in Europe works because it has been consistent and it has kept building. The question for Madrid and Dublin is if not when for those cities to get games. The anticipation has been built to make more cities want more games.
The NBA has a complex problem with its logistics so it needs an innovative solution. That cluster of arenas between the UK and Germany in particular presents a route to a solution. Rotterdam and Antwerp both house similar grade arenas that would tick all of the boxes. Belgium and the Netherlands may not be enormous basketball markets but their location is useful.
Clusters are the answer here. The idea being that the jump requires several teams to play a series of games over a set period. This would reduce the number of transatlantic flights and provide fans with a mini-tournament experience. This approach would also allow the NBA to maintain its competitive integrity by minimising disruptions to the regular season schedule.
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No, I’m not forgetting the European South
I can already hear the fans in Belgrade and Ljubljana roaring at me in the comments. They would surely be quickly followed by as many more voices in Greece and Spain, amongst others.
The cluster format, were the NBA to adopt it, would require a staggered rollout. The UK-France-Germany bridge would be the first to be built. It keeps corporate stakeholders happy and there is room for expansion within that through the Benelux options..
Then you have the opportunity to bring a lot of stars home. Giannis Antetokounmpo in the OAKA. Luka Doncic in real regular season games in the Wiizink Center and Arena Stožice. Nikola Jokic in the Belgrade Arena would be wild.
Granted the OAKA has a maximum revenue issue due to comparatively fewer corporate seats. Arena Stožice has a more modern set up but has 4,000 fewer seats than the NBA’s smallest arena. Still, as part of a bloc rota they could work.
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No, this is not a call for a European division
That is, quite simply, a dreadful idea. Fiscal desire could be enough to get the NBA to engage in my multi-layered napkin grade plan. That plan however would still comprise just two weeks of the season at most for just a small number of teams.
That’s a wildly different proposal to jumping fully onto the continent. The logistical challenges already mentioned would be multiplied exponentially. A European division would require teams to play a significant portion of their games across the Atlantic. This would lead to travel demands that could severely impact performance and player health. The NBPA would just block this outright and they’d be right to do so.
The financial and infrastructural investments required to establish and sustain a European division are staggering. While there is undoubtedly a growing market for basketball in Europe, the level of interest required to sustain one NBA franchise and the costs that come with it is hard to justify.
The NFL has succeeded with its International Series because it is a novelty, not a permanent presence. For the NBA, giving the people enough to be happy but be left wanting more is the ideal.
The small matter of there already being basketball in Europe
Just to hammer a few more nails in the coffin of the idea of a Europe division is that its in the NBA’s interests to keep FIBA and Euroleague happy.
Both organisations have deep roots in European basketball and have worked closely with the NBA in various capacities over the years. Ensuring their continued support and collaboration is essential for the NBA’s long-term success in Europe.
The NBA loves to emphasise collaboration over competition. By positioning its European ventures not as an attempt to overshadow local leagues but as a complementary effort to grow basketball globally, the NBA can foster goodwill.
The NBA could create joint events or developmental programs around the game clusters that involve both EuroLeague and FIBA, thereby promoting a shared vision of growing the sport worldwide.
The NBA will sell out wherever it goes but it likes to get more than a single payday. It wants to keep the good feeling on the ground with hardcore fans here. That means they’d be best served by working with Euroleague in particular to schedule games in a way that minimises conflicts.
There is a path forward for the NBA in Europe
The challenges of expanding NBA regular season games into Europe are significant, they are not insurmountable. Money talks and this is a clear way for the NBA to substantial improve its earnings from Europe long-term.
The NBA can explore ways to gradually increase its presence in Europe without compromising the integrity of its season. That keeps the NBPA happy, it keeps coaches happy, and it keeps front offices happy.
The NFL continues its expansion by building a continuous project. That’s what the NBA needs to develop. It’s one it can do by working alongside the power brokers and clubs in European basketball.
Essentially treating the North and South blocs as separate entities could make for two single week sets of basketball games in a season. France adds some flexibility how this is shaped given its proximity to Spain. In turn, this could give the NBA two big periods to push in Europe.
