College Basketball

As I'm sure we all can't wait for March Madness to begin, we should take a moment to emphasize the effect that organized college basketball has on the NBA and the lack of college basketball in Europe. NCAA basketball is huge in many aspects. It attracts a diverse fan base, fosters an immense pool of talent (that filters straight into the NBA), and generates immense amounts of revenue. The presence of such an organization puts a spotlight on future players. Before playing in the NBA, many of the best players already play on a huge stage and are thus already well known. They can be stars before they ever play a professional game. No amateur level of basketball exists like this in europe and in this aspect Euroleague is a great disadvantage in comparison to the NBA

- Michael Spetner

Two great Euroleague Players going head to head.

-Mikey Mintz

"Finesse" Croatian forward Toni Kukoc schooling brutish Knicks hall of fame Center 

Patrick 'Chewing' Ewing

Spread of Euroleague, viewing in America

Euroleague, similar to many other European leagues, have teams that are part of a Club.  And by that I mean that their name, crest, and management are all part of one organization.  For example, 2 of the Euroleague teams are Real Madrid and F.C. Barcelona.  However, the F.C. Barcelona team site is simply the football team's site with a hard to find link to the basketball team, thus taking away the possibility for fans to learn about the team and even buy tickets.  On the other hand the F.C. Barcelona Club has a huge football fan base which can therefor transfer to basketball when a football game isn't on.

Any thoughts?
Mikey Mintz

Euroleague Team Site

Why is NBA more popular?

Only founder 12 years later than the NBA, why does the Euroleague struggle so much to gain popularity?

What are some key aspects that makes the NBA, besides talent, better than the Euroleague?

Turkish Bulls Center, Omer Asik

A Little Bit About the Euroleague... and the NBA (in case you don't already know)

So what is Euroleague?

Turkish Airlines Euroleague, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is named Turkish AirlinesEuroleague. The competition is operated by ULEB, a Europe-wide consortium of leading professional basketball leagues. During the season, the Euroleague is broadcast on television in 191 countries and can be seen by up to 245 million (800 million via satellite) households weekly in China. It is also televised in the United States and Canada on NBA TV and available online through ESPN3. The Euroleague Final Four is broadcast on television in 197 countries.

Thanks Wikipedia!

For here for more:

And what about the NBA?

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada. It is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body (NGB) for basketball in the United States. The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues. NBA players are the world's best paid sportsmen, by average annual salary per player.

The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). The league's several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Thanks again Wikipedia!

Click here for more

Hey world. You've come to the internet's best resource for an enlightening view on the differences between the NBA and Euroleague. Here, we'll provide updates on current events from the basketball worlds of Europe and the US, give history of each organization, analyze and compare the regulations, governance, and financial model of each system, and finally debate the overarching issues and controversies from each league. Check back with us frequently for an enticing blend of opinion and fact, and don't be shy to share your opinion with us!

Love,

Our authors:  Michael, Mikey, and Noah