New NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league's campaign for int'l growth will not slow down under his leadership. Asked if he would continue former Commissioner David Stern's zeal for int'l growth, Silver said, "No question. And I would just say, it's not a zero sum game. Wins and losses are, but it's not as if it's China versus spending more time promoting the game in the United States. We have a terrific CEO in David Shoemaker who runs NBA China. We have 135 people on the ground there. We're probably the No. 1 sport in China right now. I wouldn't be doing my job if I weren't focused on the enormous opportunity in China." In an interview as part of the program of the IMG World Congress of Sports in Dana Point, Calif., Silver added that the league's int'l aspirations do not end at the Chinese border. Silver said, "In India, we have an owner, Vivek Ranadive, who was born in Mumbai. We have a huge opportunity in that billion-plus country." And the league has designs on more than just Asia. Silver: "I traveled last summer to our Basketball Without Borders in Johannesburg, South Africa. (We have) another big, big opportunity on that continent, so I'm very focused on international."
