Will Fans Buy in to NBA Europe?
It’s time for the fifth and final part of our series, NBA Europe: The Grand Experiment. This final article on the cultural battle — the emotional, tribal, and unpredictable part of any sports venture. In short, it’s about the fans. The NBA and FIBA may have the branding and the resources, but without fan buy-in, […]
Can NBA Europe Win on TV?
At the end of the day, the NBA Europe project is focused on generating revenue. Part 4 of our series on FIBA and the NBA’s new basketball league focuses on the broadcast and media strategy — arguably the single most important financial pillar for NBA Europe. We break down the potential for success, the very […]
Baxi Ferrol and Claire Melia Fall Short but Stand Tall
This is meant to be a neutral basketball outlet but how could it be on this night. Baxi Ferrol, with Monasterevin and Ireland’s Claire Melia took the court in search of a dream. Emmet Ryan was there to witness their battle with Villeneuve d’Ascq in the second leg of the Eurocup Women final. Not all […]
Will Europe’s Top Clubs Join NBA Europe?
Part three of our series addresses the critical question of club participation. No matter how strong the NBA’s branding is, if the continent’s biggest teams don’t join, NBA Europe will struggle to command legitimacy or fan interest. Today we explore who might join, who likely won’t, and the complicated choices those clubs face. Read part […]
Can NBA Europe Take Over?
Part two of our series, NBA Europe: The Grant Experiment, digs into the structural conflict at the heart of the NBA’s ambitions in Europe — namely, the decision to go around EuroLeague rather than partner with it. Emmet Ryan explores who really controls European basketball, what the NBA wants to change, and whether NBA Europe […]
The High Price of NBA Europe
The NBA and FIBA plan to launch a pan-European league in time for the 2026/27 season. The idea is as ambitious as it is unprecedented. Both organisations are betting on a belief in basketball’s untapped commercial potential on the continent. Emmet Ryan on just how expensive it is going to be for NBA Europe to […]
Everyone’s Ready for TJ Shorts — He’s Still Winning
TJ Shorts is 5’9” (175cm), or at least he’s listed as such. He never played at a level like Euroleague before this season. Shorts isn’t even on a team that was rated going into the campaign. He was also supposed to be a known basketball property before stepping up to this level. Yet all he […]
Claire Melia Stars for Baxi Ferrol With All to Play for in Lille
The atmosphere was electrifying. The game intense and the battle was enrapturing. Emmet Ryan on a memorable night in Galicia as Claire Melia and Baxi Ferrol kept hope alive despite losing the first leg of their Eurocup Women final to Villeneuve d’Ascq This is what I came here for. Will all respect to the wonderful […]
Baxi Ferrol, Claire Melia, and a City United
BallinEurope’s Emmet Ryan is on site in Ferrol for this week’s Eurocup Women final between Baxi Ferrol and Villeneuve d’Ascq. Ahead of the game, where his main focus has obviously been on Claire Melia, he took in the town and what this occasion means to it. This Saturday, in between the two legs of the […]
The Claire Melia effect on Ireland
BallinEurope’s Emmet Ryan is on the ground in Ferrol this week for the Eurocup Women final between Baxi Ferrol and Villeneuve d’Ascq. Back home in Ireland, the impact of Claire Melia’s performance with the Galician club is already being felt. He spoke to some of the people in the know back in her homeland about […]
Joe Ingles Didn’t Just Start. He Represented.
For many it was a lovely moment. That on it’s own meant a lot. For those with autism or supporting those with it, this was something more. Emmet Ryan, an autistic journalist, on why Joe Ingles, Renae Ingles, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA, and the whole of basketball moved him so much on Friday night. […]
Why the ENBL Matters for Europe’s Basketball Future
Bratislava has been announced as the host of the ENBL Final Four. Far away from the elite of Euroleague or even the Basketball Champions League, Emmet Ryan writes that this competition can play an important role in the growth of the game. The reactions from Bamberg fans when they were announced as participants in this […]