Establishing an NBA franchise in London is a “fantastic long-term goal” but will take a lot of work, according to a top NBA European exec. Ben Morel, NBA senior VP, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “We have been talking about maybe one day having a franchise, which obviously would be a fantastic long-term goal.” Morel was speaking ahead of Thursday's NBA game at the O2 in London between the N.Y. Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, which will air on a prime slot on U.K. pay channel BT Sport.
MAKING GAINS: The NBA’s popularity in the U.K. appears to be growing. The Knicks-Bucks game was the fastest sellout to date, with tickets bought out in less than an hour. A London-based NBA team appears to be the logical next step, particularly as U.S. TV networks appear excited about the possibility of London as a regular venue, allied to the fact that there is a substantial number of European players in the NBA. Morel, though, is erring on the side of caution about the possibility of a franchise, pointing out that London would need to be part of a Europe-wide NBA division for it to flourish and work logistically. Morel: “That requires a lot of work, building the fan affinity, building the economics of basketball. But that is also why we stage those games as it’s a good experience for us.”
HOMEGROWN TALENT: Currently there are two players from Great Britain plying their trade in the NBA -- Miami Heat forward Luol Deng and Portland Trail Blazers center Joel Freeland -- out of 97 int'l players, more than half of whom come from Europe. Morel said that because of the sizeable chunk of European players in the NBA, the Knicks-Bucks game will resonate across Europe, helped by recent NBA games already being staged in Berlin and Istanbul. Morel: “Europe is one of the biggest regions for us in our global business. Basketball really resonates in the region.” British basketball recently received a fillip when it was announced it would receive £1.2M in taxpayer money after the government reversed a controversial decision to cut support to the sport.
UNTAPPED MARKET: The NBA is looking to tap into this huge potential, particularly among young people from black and ethnic minority communities in inner-city areas. It is introducing a raft of initiatives to grow the popularity of the NBA in the U.K., with a focus on convincing youngsters of the virtues of bouncing a ball rather than kicking it.
The NBA has struck a partnership with Deng’s Foundation in Brixton, encouraging youngsters to play basketball along with striking a deal with Basketball England to create a junior NBA league. Morel: “Once they have the aspiration, you also need to give them facilities and good level of coaching.”
John Reynolds is a writer in London.
