The fact that NBA players make a lot more money, most of the time, than Euroleague playes. This certainly helps bring all the talent to America. Here are some examples;
I think another contributing factor could be the fact that the Euroleague needs to compete for attention with football (soccer) due to their seasons overlapping so much. In the United States the NFL and the NBA have some overlap but not quite as much since the NBA's playoffs run through June, while the NFL's season concludes in early February. The Euroleague faces the challenge of having their championship game in May, the same month as the Champions League final. In the United States the NBA's season primarily overlaps with the NHL's, which is no where near as popular in the US as soccer is in Europe.
It is a lot easier to promote the NBA in the United States because of the amount of money put into the sport with player contracts, marketing, etc... as well as the fact that there is a lot of glamorization in the NBA in regards to the players themselves, who they hang out with, and who they are dating/are married to. In this regard, the NBA is similar to football in Spain. Everyone knows about Pique and Shakira dating, and it is a status symbol to be associated with either of them or an FC Barca player. We can not say the same for any players of the Euroleague, can we? In today's day and age, the NBA is a lot more successful because of the status symbols that it represents because of the high culture of being associated with it. I personally feel that if the Euroleague wants to gain more recognition and popularity, they do in fact need to glamorize the league a little more. It needs to become something that younger generations strive to be a part of, and fans are proud to identify with the team because of its popularity. If the Euroleague finds a way to glamorize the sport itself, its players, and the league, it will naturally gain more popularity over time.
I wouldn't say that Euroleague is necessarily worse or that the NBA is better, but they are simply different. Our main goal with these blogs is of course to compare the leagues, but they designed themselves so that they wouldn't have to compete. Basketball is one of the biggest sports in the USA (NASCAR is number one...unfortunately). The NBA also doesn't have to compete with something as worldly popular as European Futbol Leagues. The branding of team names like FCB or Real Madrid has helped to popularize basketball in Europe, but there is still work to be done. The Euroleague attracts many players from the United States that didn't make it in the NBA or didn't get drafted. Some people enjoy watching college stars who went to Europe because their game didn't translate well to the NBA. I would also argue that the Euroleague is NOT struggling to gain popularity because as we learned while visiting the headquarters, basketball is the second most popular sport in Europe whereas it is lower on the popularity list in the United States.
I think Euroleague's problem is that Europe is a futbol continent. Practically the ONLY sport any child plays growing up is futbol, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or economic standing. Despite basketball being the 2nd most popular sport in Europe, the difference in popularity (and culture) between the futbol and basketball is huge. Until large numbers of kids play basketball while growing up, or a large recreational following develops, Euroleague will continue to have problems with its fan base.
Turkish Bulls Center, Omer Asik
The fact that NBA players make a lot more money, most of the time, than Euroleague playes. This certainly helps bring all the talent to America. Here are some examples;
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ballineurope.com/european-basketball/budgets-of-basketball-clubs-in-europe/
http://nbasalaries.org/
Mikey Mintz
I think another contributing factor could be the fact that the Euroleague needs to compete for attention with football (soccer) due to their seasons overlapping so much. In the United States the NFL and the NBA have some overlap but not quite as much since the NBA's playoffs run through June, while the NFL's season concludes in early February. The Euroleague faces the challenge of having their championship game in May, the same month as the Champions League final. In the United States the NBA's season primarily overlaps with the NHL's, which is no where near as popular in the US as soccer is in Europe.
ReplyDelete-Scott Shelley
It is a lot easier to promote the NBA in the United States because of the amount of money put into the sport with player contracts, marketing, etc... as well as the fact that there is a lot of glamorization in the NBA in regards to the players themselves, who they hang out with, and who they are dating/are married to. In this regard, the NBA is similar to football in Spain. Everyone knows about Pique and Shakira dating, and it is a status symbol to be associated with either of them or an FC Barca player. We can not say the same for any players of the Euroleague, can we? In today's day and age, the NBA is a lot more successful because of the status symbols that it represents because of the high culture of being associated with it. I personally feel that if the Euroleague wants to gain more recognition and popularity, they do in fact need to glamorize the league a little more. It needs to become something that younger generations strive to be a part of, and fans are proud to identify with the team because of its popularity. If the Euroleague finds a way to glamorize the sport itself, its players, and the league, it will naturally gain more popularity over time.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say that Euroleague is necessarily worse or that the NBA is better, but they are simply different. Our main goal with these blogs is of course to compare the leagues, but they designed themselves so that they wouldn't have to compete. Basketball is one of the biggest sports in the USA (NASCAR is number one...unfortunately). The NBA also doesn't have to compete with something as worldly popular as European Futbol Leagues. The branding of team names like FCB or Real Madrid has helped to popularize basketball in Europe, but there is still work to be done. The Euroleague attracts many players from the United States that didn't make it in the NBA or didn't get drafted. Some people enjoy watching college stars who went to Europe because their game didn't translate well to the NBA. I would also argue that the Euroleague is NOT struggling to gain popularity because as we learned while visiting the headquarters, basketball is the second most popular sport in Europe whereas it is lower on the popularity list in the United States.
ReplyDeleteI think Euroleague's problem is that Europe is a futbol continent. Practically the ONLY sport any child plays growing up is futbol, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or economic standing.
ReplyDeleteDespite basketball being the 2nd most popular sport in Europe, the difference in popularity (and culture) between the futbol and basketball is huge. Until large numbers of kids play basketball while growing up, or a large recreational following develops, Euroleague will continue to have problems with its fan base.
Jake