Can They Compete Here? The Story of NBA Foreign Basketball Players
Globalization has grown and new ideas, inventions and people are being shared between countries and new relations have emerged spreading new things to new places. Globalization could be defined as “the interaction of people, states, or countries through the growth of the international flow of money, ideas, and culture.” The effect globalization has on history is enormous, and can be seen in such varying areas as business, science and entertainment. However, today I will be providing some background and details about globalization’s effect on professional basketball in the United States. The start of basketball globalization goes back to the 1992 Olympics with the original “Dream Team” when an American sport was dominated by an American team. This Olympics took the game still dominated by Americans to the global stage which inspired kids from around the world now wanting to be a part of it. The National Basketball Association, also known as the NBA, is going through a huge wave of international ball players from around the globe coming and being successful in the NBA. Today I will be breaking down some of the individuals who have come from foreign countries and found a home in the NBA and how it affects both their homeland and the United States.
Two foreign athletes Yao Ming and Giannis Antetokounmpo are two of the most well known athletes to come to fame in the NBA and make a name for themselves because of their athletic ability and basketball skills. These two players have represented their country throughout their careers and grew to become some of the most dominant players in the league.
Yao Ming was not just a giant in size on the basketball court, he also left a global footprint on the NBA that left a path for other international players to follow. In the early 2000’s, the NBA had global popularity created from high profile celebrity athletes like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. However, the over 1 billion people of China did not have someone they could call their own in the league. Yao Ming was the product of an arranged marriage in China between two high level basketball players that stood 6’7” and 6’3”, much taller than your average Chinese citizen. The government was essentially looking to create a skilled basketball player that China could export to the United States and open the world of professional athletics to its people and reap the financial benefits that came with it. In Yao Ming, they ended up with a 7’5” skilled center that not only became the first ever international player to be selected #1 overall pick in 2002, but went on to be an 8 time NBA All-Star and eventually inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. Yao wasn’t just a huge icon for China in the NBA, he was actually a baller. HE was a 7’5” center who could back down any defender, rebound any board off the rim, pass the ball pretty good, and finish at the rim. Yao is known for having one of the smoothest shots for a center during his time and could knock down free throws and mid rangers with grace. He was also a menace on defense giving problems to some of the best in the game including Shaq. He had blown the doors of a communist country wide-open, allowing future young players in China to follow in his footsteps. China was eager to show the world it could produce top level athletes, and the NBA was more than willing to expose the game, its players and potential for billions of additional dollars in revenue from merchandise to the Chinese fans.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a twenty-six year old current player in the NBA and is globally known as one of the best players in the league. Giannis is also globally known as “The Greek Freak” because of his athleticism, size, skills, and place of origin. Giannis Antetokounmpo was born in Athens, Greece by his two Nigerian immigrant parents who previously lived in Lagos. One thing that most NBA fans may have realized is that not many NBA prospects come out of Greece. Standing at 6’11 and now 240 pounds, Giannis was born with the potential to play basketball at a high level. He started off playing in the Greek semi-pro league for some years before finally becoming eligible to enter the NBA draft. Before all this was possible, few know that Giannis and his brother had to serve their mandatory Greek military service. The crazy part of Giannis’ personal career is that he wasn’t alone, but rather one of three brothers in the NBA right now.
The success of both these players has a major impact on not only their lives but of the lives of those who are back home. Yao Ming was basically an eye opening gateway for the people of China. Because Yao comes from a Communist country, people never even had the thought that China would have a face in the NBA. Because of China’s competitive nature, the introduction of a basically lab rat Yao Ming to the NBA started a major movement of basketball in China. Yao Ming quickly became the face of China and NBA game viewers skyrocketed in China because of this. Yao Ming opened the doors for kids throughout China to have the dream and opportunity to play basketball. China quickly fell in love with the game and has grown to become a major sport in China and has a major following of the NBA. On the other hand, Giannis Antetokounmpo has become an icon for both Europe and Africa. Because he was born of African descent and was raised in Greece, he represents and honors both of these countries when he plays. Similar to Yao with China, Antetokounmpo increased NBA fans and supporters throughout both countries and has increased the growth of basketball in these areas. Antetokounmpo is a major ambassador for the sport and understands that giving back and charity work can help others achieve their dreams. Because of Yao Ming, there are now professional basketball leagues in China as well that players from around the world join to continue their basketball career if they are not skilled enough for the NBA.
The success and continued emergence of players like Yao and Giannis have also had a significant impact on the popularity of the game within our own borders. We are a country of immigrants, and while millions have come here for the American dream, they also have a tremendous love for their home countries. The globalization of the NBA has enabled many to become new fans, taking great national pride in players that now come from 41 different countries. The ability for them to see and cheer for someone from their homeland now playing a sport that many felt would forever be dominated by American athletes is inspiring. It helps promote the purchase of game tickets, merchandise sales and TV ratings. You have an American company leveraging the assets from foreign countries to increase revenues and grow the NBA into a $9 billion a year enterprise. The American view on what an NBA player might look like has been influenced by the emergence of foreign basketball players. Fans and fellow players of all ages and races now have great appreciation for the skills that these players bring, not just the pure athleticism that we were accustomed to.
The globalization of basketball into the NBA is very important now and the future because it adds new athletes and competition that would not be there if foreign basketball players couldn’t join the league. It adds a sense of excitement for all NBA fans to see a new unknown face in the league with different and unique skill sets in their game. This is also important because it gives the younger crowd hope and icons to look up to and be inspired to strive for their goals. This has also aided the expansion and globalization of all sports turning them into global sports that everyone and all can play.
