What to Expect from The (Inter)National Basketball Association Blog
It’s November 1st, 2019. Staples Center. The final buzzer sounds. Wow.
The Lakers beat the Mavericks in overtime, but that’s far from the point. LeBron James doesn’t celebrate the victory. Instead he beelines to Luka Doncic. The two have just become the oldest and youngest players ever to log a 30 point, 15 assist triple double, and they did it in the same game.
The public will never know the words that were said. Both players are seasoned veterans despite the 14 year age gap, and make sure their mouths are covered from the lip-reading experts of Twitter and YouTube. I can’t help but think Luka is in contention to receive the torch from LeBron whenever the times comes.
It’s March 2nd, 2020. Smoothie King Center. The final buzzer sounds. Wow.
The Lakers beat the Pelicans in regulation, but that’s far from the point. LeBron James doesn’t celebrate the victory. Instead he beelines to Zion Williamson. The two have just logged monster games — a 34 point triple double for Lebron, a 35 point game for Zion.
The public will never know the words that were said. Both players are seasoned veterans despite the 16 year age gap, and make sure their mouths are covered from the lip-reading experts of Reddit and Instagram. I can’t help but think Zion is in contention to receive the torch from LeBron when the time comes.
Luka and Zion both suffered tough losses at the hands of The King. Maybe next year it will be different, or maybe it will be two to three years down the road. For Giannis Antetokounmpo, down the road is now. The Greek Freak and his Bucks are ready to contend for a title. Next Friday when he plays the Lakers it could finally be the time for Giannis to yank the throne away from LeBron. He is certainly knocking on the door.
Regardless, the future of the league is in good hands — a phrase you would rarely hear only two to three years ago when Luka Doncic was an 18 year old playing in Europe. When Zion Williamson was playing high school basketball. When Giannis Antetokoumpo was entering his prime with a lot of promise, but not LeBron-like production.
Now the league has a clear future, and that future is surprisingly international. Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, or an unknown teenager playing pickup in Paris all surely believe they are the rightful heir to King James’ throne. As do Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and Jason Tatum, who headline the always stellar stable of stateside ballers.
Either way, the NBA is entering an unprecedented era. The future faces of the league may very well be foreign — or at least a lot of them. This blog will cover what this development means for everyone involved — fans, future fans, casual viewers, the league itself, prospects, prodigies, college programs and more. Also, our Twitter account (@NBAForeignFaces) will keep you up to date on the development and play of all 108 international players on NBA rosters.
Over the next few months, I will set out to answer the following topics with the help of various experts in the field.
David Denenberg, SVP of Global Media Distribution & Business Affairs for the NBA, will help us understand what allowed the NBA to become the first truly international American sports league. He will help frame how the emergence of international superstars affects the NBA’s plans to expand internationally, market internationally, and create a pathway for more international players.
Tim Cato, Dallas Mavericks beat writer for The Athletic, will discuss the insatiable appetite for NBA basketball overseas through the lens of Luka Doncic and his home country of Slovenia. He will help examine how the influx of foreign superstars affects the domestic fan.
Fran Fraschilla, former coach for Manhattan University and St. John’s University before working as a college basketball commenter, will canvass the implications these developments have on recruiting at the high school, college and professional levels. He will provide insight on new paths young prospects can take to reach the professional level.
I hope to work with even more experts as this project gains steam through the blog and through Twitter. I hope to speak with international NBA players about their personal experiences. I hope to interact with foreign NBA fans about their life as international NBA enthusiasts.
I am setting out to provide a one-stop shop for all things NBA international, and I hope you will join me for the ride.
Let’s get after it,
Ethan
