He wants to create a five team European division in five different countries with one team residing in each country. They would play a total 82 game schedule and compete for the NBA championship...
The travel considerations could be worked out with proper planning.
I personally think this is an incredible idea and would revitalize professional basketball and make it a much more interesting product.
Originally Posted by WilyMoROCKS
Says him. He's not the one that's going to be skipping across several time zones in the middle of an 82 game schedule.
I think its an interesting idea, but I don't think it will work.
One you are going to dilute the current NBA schedule. This is 5 less games you would be playing against your own conference. And the travel would be brutal. Some teams have a hard enough time playing back to back nights in LA and Sacramento let alone Madraid and Athens.
If you think it'd be tough on the US teams, imagine how brutal it would be on the Euro teams. The only humane way to do this for them would be to send each of them on a 3-month road trip in the US.
I also wonder how a French player would feel about getting traded to the team in Germany or vice-versa. There's a lot of nationalistic pride among the players from those European countries.
/r/reds
"You've been traded to Berlin" has a slightly different effect than "You've been traded to Charlotte".
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
"You've been traded to Amsterdam" has a pretty nice ring to it, especially if you're single and are guaranteed a 7-figure minimum salary.
The NBA would have to rethink that recreational drug policy.
It's going to happen. It's just a matter of when. It's been Stern's goal for a long time.
Stick to your guns.
Stern wants to go global. That's his goal. I think all the concerns you raise are valid, but would be viewed as secondary concerns by Stern.
What about diluting an already diluted league and having games that are played at noon on Thursday is going to make the league more interesing?
Players Association will never go for this IMO. I don't think a Shaq is going to be too happy when he gets traded to Berlin.
Why does anyone think a global league has any chance of working?
Because there's so much money to be made out there that eventually someone will come up with a way around the logistical problems.
Though, I imagine the finished product will look more like UEFA Champions League format (leagues in many different countries sending their top teams to play in a tournament) than any global, multi-league NBA.
Cincinnati Reds: Farm System Champions 2022
French skeptical of NBA's European plans
Feb 14, 2008 - 11:04 AM
By Steve Douglas Special to PA SportsTicker
PARIS (Ticker) - Infrastructure problems would be the main stumbling point to any prospective plan to create an NBA franchise in France, according to the French Basketball Federation (FFBB).
SI.com on Thursday reported that NBA commissioner David Stern is contemplating a plan to create as many as five franchises as part of a full-scale expansion into Europe over the next decade.
The proposals are understood to include the formation of a European division, with the five franchises in major markets playing a full 82-game schedule and competing for the NBA championship.
France, and most likely its capital city Paris, could be one of the places targeted by the NBA.
But Julien Guerineau, who works for the FFBB as an editor of its publication 'Basketball Magazine', believes infrastructure issues would have to be overcome if the idea was to even get off the ground.
"The answer is always the same when this question comes up," Guerineau told PA SportsTicker. "It is not a question of distance or anything like that. It is that there are no arenas.
"The biggest we have is in Bercy (Paris) and that has 15,000 seats. In France, we have a lot of work to do to find places to play in."
While France does have plans to build new arenas in the near future, Guerineau believes the country is trailing in the wake of its European neighbors
"We are bidding for the World Championships in 2014 and we would like to use this opportunity to build a new place," he added. "There is a project going on for the building of a stadium in Lyon.
"But still the biggest place is Bercy. In other countries, there are NBA arenas in London and Berlin. They would be more suitable."
According to the SI.com report, Stern will announce the NBA's stance during a news conference on Saturday, the day before the All-Star Game in New Orleans.
Guerineau believes the FFBB would be willing to talk to NBA officials, but is pessimistic about whether the proposals will bear fruit.
"David Stern does this once a year, and each time it is in a press conference before the All-Star Game," he added.
"People have talked about this project for the past 10 years but nothing has happened."
Good idea on paper, will never ever happen, nor should it.
Go Gators!
Terrible Idea.
Creating an NBA affiliated/feeder (not a minors system) league, most likely by merging with a respected league in Europe? Much better idea. Hold a separate draft for the college kids that don't get drafted and give them a chance to develop for a year or two before allowing them to be free agents, or something along that line.
You could create a juniors system like many worldwide leagues have and develop foreign talent that way, as well.
Last edited by guttle11; 02-13-2008 at 11:16 PM.
My thoughts exactly. Here's an idea, Commish: Forget expansion.Take care of your existing franchises first, especially Memphis, New Orleans--The Hornets shouldn't have been permitted to move there in the first place-- and Seattle.
Hot bout something like the AL/NL used to be, they only played exhibitions and a final series.
Go Gators!
Posting Permissions
|
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please. |
Reply With Quote