NBA

If you are a follower of the NBA, you may be wondering what is going to happen with the Charlotte Bobcats. This basketball team may seem to be progressing forward, making a first round play off appearance in 2010, but unfortunately much more change is actually needed for them to be caliber competitors. Although the owner of the franchise, Michael Jordan, appears to be optimistic, this team has many problems that lay ahead of them. They are searching for not only team leaders, but also a super star or a go to guy that they can depend on. Losing their lone dependable player Raymond Felton, leaves even more holes to be filled, and everyone is hoping that coach Larry Brown can work some miracles.

Michael Jordan, being possibly the greatest basketball player of all time, and using that to his advantage, will be the teams only chance to draw in new players. With Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul being the next big names in free agency, Jordan can only hope that he has what it takes to bring at least one of these players to the table, with the goal ultimately being both of them. Is that really going to happen? Maybe, no one but the players really know whats going on behind the scenes. But, you cant win with just one key player, or two, they need help, so there is a lot more work to be done. Unfortunately though, a lot of money has gone out for Tyrus Thomas in a 5 year $40 million deal, and he’s there to stay. This may hurt the Bobcats come trade time.

With all of the work that there is to be done, the Bobcats aren’t going to be climbing any ladders any time soon. This team is about as good as Michael Jordan is a baseball players, they belong in the minor leagues. In their division, they have to go against teams like the newly renovated Miami Heat, the Championship Boston Celtics, and the constantly improving Orlando Magic. They will be trading, wheeling, and dealing for a few more years before they even see a hint of improvement, and remove themselves from NBA hell.

With the popularity of basketball and the NBA rising, Commissioner David Stern has his eyes set on global expansion. The NBA has organized exhibition games in a variety of different international markets, including China and the UK. It has recognizable players and superstars from all around the globe. However, not a single team plays outside of North America. Yet with overseas interest in the NBA growing to a palpable level, Stern envisions an expansion team being placed in Europe within the next ten years.

The obstacles are many. The proposed expansion team would need to be in a city willing to fund an NBA-sized arena. It would require a fan base willing to fill that arena for forty-one nights a year, and a television contract profitable enough to compete with those in the United States.

Popularity comes with recognizable, home grown stars. According to the NBA, over half of its international players are from Europe, including former MVP Dirk Nowitzki of Germany and Tony Parker from France. Nowitzki is the first foreign born player to win the award. Not only will great international players attract more fans, it will inspire future generations of international stars. Furthermore, with the recent purchase of the New Jersey Nets by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, the NBA has been on the forefront of expanding their brand not only on the court but in the front office. Outside of hockey, none of the other major American sports has the amount of international influence as basketball.

However, the most daunting aspect is the travel. With a flight from New York to London taking eight hours, drafting a schedule that involves only a single franchise might require a bit of creative juggling. A more plausible solution would be to have four teams in Europe, which would allow a visiting west coast team to take care of their European road games in a single trip. Unfortunately, expanding in this fashion would require more money and more arenas. Furthermore, it would thin out the talent pool of the league. When the NBA expanded to Canada, the Vancouver franchise lasted only six years before moving to Memphis.

While an NBA franchise in Europe will happen eventually, a number of logistics will need to be worked out, a number of hurdles overcome. Nevertheless, whether or not it happens now or in the future will depend mostly on money. If the product is profitable and economically sustainable, it may very well happen in the next decade. Whether it does depends largely on the shape of the global economy and the new collective bargaining agreement which will be hammered out next year.