The NBA's appeal in Asia is examined in an extended
feature by Teresa Watanabe of the L.A. TIMES under the
header, "They're Fast-Breaking From Asian Tradition."
Watanabe: "With its bigger-than-life heroes, trendy fashion
goods and fast-paced court action, the NBA has dazzled new
fans from Seoul to Singapore as it takes on what officials
regard as their greatest potential market in the world."
Asia "already" represents 30% of the NBA's international
revenues and is "projected to grow" by 20% annually. Japan
is the "oldest and largest market here, but officials are
particularly targeting China, Korea and Taiwan." In Asia,
NBA fans "tend to be younger ... whereas older Asian sports
fans still tend to favor baseball and soccer." The NBA
"boom also helped create a hybrid fashion, merging the baggy
pants and T-shirts of hip-hop street culture with athletic
shoes ... now trendy among Asia's youth" (L.A. TIMES, 6/13).
TV EXPOSURE HUGE: The TIMES' Watanabe writes that, in
Asia, "most fans here say it was the reach of TV that drew
them into the game." Watanabe: "New magazines designed
around NBA news have cropped up, such as Rookie in Korea and
Hoop in Japan. ... Rookie readers learned about the NBA's
hottest rookies ... and American basketball slang: 'Shaq's
last dunk was a rim rattler,' and 'Dennis Rodman was talking
trash to the other team'" (L.A. TIMES, 6/13).
