• Home
  • FIBA
  • EuroLeague
  • NBA/NCAA
  • National Leagues
  • Podcast
  • Features
  • More
  • Contact

Grimag

  • FIBA
  • EuroLeague
  • NBA/NCAA
  • National Leagues
  • Podcast
  • Features
  • More

Does Europe really want the NBA?

October 16, 2008

I just got back from Berlin where the o2 World hosted the Washington Wizards and the New Orleans Hornets. Germany has always been a country where the NBA is much more known than the Euroleague – maybe one reason why the NBA chose Germany – besides their deal with AEG, which built the arena in Berlin.

Now, this blog is called BallinEUROPE, which might make you think we LOVE the Euroleague and aren’t big fans of the NBA. You just cannot compare the two at all. The one league represents pure passion and love for the team, the other represents show and entertainment. Of course, both are great things to have and follow.

What did the fans think about the game?
Everybody in Germany was excited to get to see Chris Paul, and he got a standing ovation when announced. Fans ran around in Wizards and Hornets jerseys although this was “only” a preseason showoff game. Things where going well until the Hornets were up 47-9.
I really wasn’t expecting much from this game, but I did not expect to see a blowout which you can follow for free in any 6th division league in Germany – for free. The Wizards shot a horrible percentage from the floor and even the quieter German fans started to whistle and boooo!

What does David Stern think of Europe?
David Stern gave his interview before the game and basically named the same facts that he named in London and Paris before. Thanks to some great journalists he even had to answer the same questions again. Come on, guys, a little bit more preparation please!
It was interesting to hear, though, what David Stern had to say about regular NBA season games in Europe and especially about Brandon Jennings.

Nine years ago, David Stern promised regular NBA season games in Europe with a deadline of 10 years. With only one year to go, it looks pretty certain that there won’t be any games going on next season. David Stern’s reason: “Europe is not ready. We have done everything but we do not have the arenas that we need.” This is what Mr. Stern finds out after nine years? If you really want to expand, don’t you think you should try to see if the venues that you want to play in are ready? To me, it just sounds just like a bad excuse to fully pursue David’s new goal, i.e. TAKE OVER CHINA!, I am sure we will see NBA franchises in China earlier than in Europe.

What Stern did promise: NBA regular-season games before the 2012 Olympics in London. Let’s hope we have enough arenas by then!

David Stern’s take on Brandon Jennings
Basically, the commissioner thinks that it only helps NBA teams to see Jennings play at a higher level – So does this mean the NCAA and the D-league suck? He also mentioned that it’s good for Brandon’s bank account as well as for Virtus Roma. The NBA commissioner is also not concerned that this will be a new trend, since so many European players come to the US to go to college while only one guy did it the other way. The only difference: The European guys actually go to college to improve and not just to avoid the out-of-high-school-for-one-year rule.

BallinEurope’s take on NBA Europe in Berlin
Just as Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague’s CEO who enjoyed at least one half from the brand new VIP box, we weren’t “absolutely thrilled” as the German web site sportal.de reported today. How can you be thrilled when an NBA team gets killed and the main stars are on the floor for 10 minutes? One thing we’re really looking forward to: the Euroleague Final Four in Berlin in May. Get ready, Germany!

Oct 16, 2008ballineurope
Powered by Sidelines
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
This post was published on October 16, 2008
Euroleague: TAU Ceramica Vitoria, SpainThe hard Italian life of Brandon Jennings
Comments: 0
Pingbacks: 1
  1. Does Europe really want the NBA? | Travel
    17 years ago

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

ballineurope
17 years ago 1 Comment EuroLeague, More, NBA/NCAABerlin, David Stern, EuroLeague, NBA Europe, o2 world
Recent Posts
Lauri Markkanen delivered a dominant performance as Finland edged past Sweden in a dramatic EuroBasket 2025 opener at Nokia Arena in Tampere.
Lauri Markkanen powers Finland past Sweden in EuroBasket 2025 thriller
1 day ago
Germany opened EuroBasket 2025 with a win over Montenegro as Orlando Magic star Franz Wagner shone on his 24th birthday.
Franz Wagner Celebrates Birthday with a win at EuroBasket 2025
1 day ago
Great Britain battled hard but Lithuania, led by Jonas Valanciunas, proved too strong in their EuroBasket 2025 opener in Tampere.
Great Britain Show Fight but Fall to Lithuania at EuroBasket 2025
1 day ago
Categories
Recent Posts
Miika Muurinen Shows Mamba Mentality at EuroBasket 2025
Lauri Markkanen powers Finland past Sweden in EuroBasket 2025 thriller
Franz Wagner Celebrates Birthday with a win at EuroBasket 2025
Tags
EuroLeagueNBAYouTubeReal MadridCSKA MoscowFC BarcelonaFIBAOlympiacosPanathinaikosZalgiris KaunasACBSpainMaccabi Tel AvivRicky RubioTeam SpainLos Angeles LakersLithuaniaMontepaschi SienaPartizan BelgradeIrelandGermanyPau GasolItalyTeam LithuaniaTurkeyTeam FranceCaja Laboral BaskoniaLietuvos RytasFenerbahce ÜlkerGreeceJuan Carlos NavarroSerbiaSan Antonio SpursTony ParkerMinnesota TimberwolvesFranceEuroleagueDirk Nowitzkibasketball highlightsTeam RussiaALBA BerlinEuroCupDallas MavericksTeam USAEuroBasket 2011
Share
0
Facebook
ABOUT
BallinEurope.com was founded in September 2007 by Christophe Ney (who now runs the excellent scouting-themed website European Prospects) and Tobias Seitz, both then bloggers for FIBA.com with over 10 years’ worth of experience in the professional basketball world each. The mission then was to “provide a very unique perspective of Basketball in and about Europe.”
Most Commented
Why Andrei Kirilenko and CSKA Moscow must win the Euroleague
13 years ago
180 Comments
Euroleague Transfers Table 2008/2009
17 years ago
168 Comments
A week in highlights: Spanish block party, mighty Milos, Utah rap and some dude dunking in L.A.
14 years ago
139 Comments
Archives
Get In Touch

Email: emmetryan@gmail.com

Name: Emmet Ryan

2014 © BallinEurope. Join JCI Dublin