For the ninth successive year a sell-out crowd at London’s O2 Arena watched "a competitive NBA game" on Thursday when the N.Y. Knicks lost 101-100 to the Washington Wizards, according to Martyn Herman of REUTERS. Speaking on the eve of the game, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said that “it was a matter of time” before other European cities hosted a game and did not rule out London staging more than one regular-season fixture. He said, "There has been a lot of interest in teams wanting to go to Paris because France is a hotbed for basketball. We have nine French players in the NBA now. It's just a matter of building the right business case and having the right partners in those areas. It is an important market for many of our marketing partners. It's just a matter of time." While Spain and Italy are also large markets for the NBA, Tatum said that they "lacked the required facilities." He said, "We still don't have the critical mass of facilities and buildings that can host NBA games. But now we are seeing that in Paris and Berlin." Tatum also suggested the NBA's All Star Game could "one day be hosted outside" the U.S., while Wizards guard Bradley Beale said that he would "welcome a franchise in London." Tatum: "I wouldn't rule it out. I'd say that's not immediately on the horizon, but it's something down the road we would contemplate and look at" (REUTERS, 1/16).
WISHING FOR A STAR: ESPN.com's Mark Woods reported Thursday's regular-season game sold out within minutes, "as they always do." Those avid basketball fans are, however, "in the minority," with the crowded U.K. sporting landscape "dominated" by the Premier League. For those pushing the NBA's brand, this annual London game is a "priceless shop window." Especially considering the U.K. has "no homegrown NBA superhero to call its own." The 2012 Olympic Games in London "led to the arrival of stars." The hosts had an NBA All-Star from that year: Luol Deng, a "totem for Great Britain." Deng, now "restricted to a minimalist role" for the Minnesota Timberwolves, was "never transcendent, even in his pomp." Even in the U.S., he was "never a household name." And while he "admirably continues to stage an annual developmental camp for young British talents," he called time on his in'l career after those Games. In reality, British basketball is "still awaiting its first high-profile basketball star." How "impactful could that player's presence be?" A look at neighboring European countries "gives a glimpse of the possibilities." Germany has had "a figurehead at the summit for two decades" in Dirk Nowitzki. France (Tony Parker) and Spain (the Gasol brothers), likewise. Slovenia might have "landed its first" in Luka Doncic. There are "some signs of progress." The U.K. has the greatest number of subscribers in Europe for the NBA's League Pass streaming service while it "ranks second in sales of branded product." Further advances "would be even easier" if the U.K. had a pitchman from these islands, one widely recognized "with stardust to sprinkle onto both the presently struggling national team and the domestic British Basketball League." Regrettably, there are "no obvious candidates in the works." Should one emerge, that player "could be quickly elevated into the mainstream on the back of the visibility the NBA is obtaining in the U.K." (ESPN.com, 1/16).
AFTERTHOUGHT: In Washington DC, Candace Buckner reported The Knicks and Wizards faced off Thursday as part of the NBA's London Games, but basketball is still "largely an afterthought." The popularity of the NBA remains high, as the game "sold out" the 20,000-seat arena in an hour, and the U.K. is the top "European market for NBA League Pass." Additionally, a government study shows basketball is the "second-most played sport among 11- to 15-year-olds" in the country. However, despite "evidence of the game’s rampant popularity in some circles, British basketball pales in comparison to its continental European neighbors and basketball superpowers: France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Lithuania, Turkey and even Slovenia." London resident Joshua Pattison-Neill said, “It’s not as popular here as it is in the States and to be honest, in Europe. It’s probably the fifth-most popular sport." The basketball community in England "believe the game suffers due to lack of structure, poor government support and funding and little to no national media exposure" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/17).
LIFE OF THE PARTY: In N.Y., Marc Berman reported the Knicks on Wednesday practiced in a "gym in London’s financial district," and "more than 300 European journalists crowded into the facility." Knicks GM Scott Perry attended the '16 game the Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors played in London and said that the "media throng wasn’t nearly like this." Reporters "came from all across the continent," including Latvia and Lithuania (N.Y. POST, 1/17).
GROWING THE GAME: Before the game, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver touted the growth of the sport internationally. Silver noted fans from more than 39 countries bought tickets to the game, and he extended thanks to partners including AEG, The O2 arena and Sky Sports. Silver: "We have a brand new television partner. ... I anticipate that will be a long-term partnership." He also thanked the participating teams: "It's a bit disruptive in the regular season for them to travel over to London for a game, but I will say that they do it enthusiastically." Silver pointed out that both team owners -- the Wizards' Ted Leonsis and Knicks' Jim Dolan -- made the trip. Silver concluded by paying tribute to late FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann, who died unexpectedly in October (NBA.com, 1/17).
