The NBA is contemplating including growth groups exterior the U.S. and Canada, in response to commissioner Adam Silver.
Whereas Silver doesn’t anticipate new abroad groups to hitch the league within the close to future, he says it’s a definite chance down the highway.
“It’s not preordained that we are going to develop presently, however I do know there’s an infinite quantity of curiosity on the market,” Silver stated earlier than Recreation 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.
“… In some unspecified time in the future, we’d prefer to look exterior the US. Along with Canada. This will not be the appropriate second to try this, however I’m considering long-term as properly.”
This isn’t the primary time Silver has floated the thought of increasing overseas. He additionally broached the subject throughout a neighborhood Celtics broadcast in November final 12 months.
“Mexico Metropolis is simple when it comes to, I imply it’s excessive altitude, it’s 2,000 toes increased than Denver, in order that impacts the gamers a bit, nevertheless it’s a shorter flight to Mexico Metropolis from New York than it’s to LA, so … At some point, I believe that might be unimaginable to really develop to a market like Mexico Metropolis,” Siver stated.
“Within the meantime, we’re enjoying in Paris in January once more,” Silver stated. “It is vitally a lot a worldwide league, we obtained gamers from roughly 40 nations, over 1 / 4 of the gamers have been born exterior of the US, and particularly now with digital media, streaming media, you guys know; I’m certain you get fan mail from 200-plus nations, that’s the place our video games are carried.”
Mexico Metropolis can also be an intriguing possibility given the sheer dimension of the town, with the broader space being residence to greater than 22 million individuals.
The town is already residence to a G League group, the Mexico Metropolis Capitanes.
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