<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class="bi">Building Relationship</div> <div> <span style="font-style: italic">Oct 10</span> - The 20,000-seat arena will host its first basketball game today when the Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves play an exhibition contest, perhaps paving the way for a regular-season NBA game at the venue. With the state-of-the-art arena recently hosting regular-season NHL games, as well as concerts by Justin Timberlake, Prince, and the Rolling Stones, the grand vision for the O2 also could include a London-based NBA team calling it home. Judging how impressed the Celtics and Timberwolves were upon taking the floor for practice, an NBA franchise could move in and feel completely comfortable.</p> </p> "The O2 center is, I suspect, the best arena in the world at the moment," said London's mayor, Ken Livingstone, who would find little argument from those who have visited the venue, which opened in June on a site that was formerly the failed Millennium Dome. "This has taken a really run-down part of London where nobody ever went and made it a world destination." -- <font color="#000000">Boston Globe</font></p></div></div>
Stern has wanted a franchsise overseas for a while. I am doing a thesis on Stern and the NBA for grad school and he did say that it would be possible for an expansion overseason in 10 years (1998, which means 2008). I dont think it will happen anytime before 2010, but I think it is a possibility, however he needs a lot of support from the owners.</p>
If they get a team overseas there would likely have to be more then one. You're looking at likely 8 to 10 new teams. Likely even current ones that cross over from domestic European leagues.</p>
I just don't see how a team in another continent is realistic or fair. If they're going to do that, the thing to do is have like 15 teams over there and do an AL-NL thing with the NBA, because the jetlag would otherwise be ridiculous.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dre)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I just don't see how a team in another continent is realistic or fair. If they're going to do that, the thing to do is have like 15 teams over there and do an AL-NL thing with the NBA, because the jetlag would otherwise be ridiculous.</p> </div></p> </p> Yeah, the jetlag, and traveling costs would be extremely hard to get by....</p> Plus, what division would they be in..? Would they have their own division?</p>
That's why I wrote that they would have to implement several other foreign teams in order for that to work. It would be impossible to have just a London or England based franchise. Can you imagine the burden on the other Atlantic division teams? lol</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (M Two One)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> That's why I wrote that they would have to implement several other foreign teams in order for that to work. It would be impossible to have just a London or England based franchise. Can you imagine the burden on the other Atlantic division teams? lol</p> </div></p> </p> Yeah, I guess understand what you're saying about how they would have to have other teams overseas....but I'm saying, every team in the NBA would have to go and play against those teams overseas in the regular season...some more than once. That might be a little tough.</p> And just imagine the playoffs, in a 7 game series...having 2 games in Cleveland, then having to fly all the way out to London for 2 games, then back to Cleveland for 1 game, then back to London for 1 game, and then back to Cleveland for the last game. That would be hell for those teams.</p> I'd love to see how Stern is thinking with this one...he'd have to get creative to make this work.</p>
Other sports have been doing that type of traveling for even longer periods of time, butI see your point in a Playoff system. That would be hell. However, I think they'd get used it eventually.</p>
I understand the jetlag worrys but don't the pacific teams (lakers, kings etc) have to travel 6 hrs on plane to get to play knicks, celtics, etc.? And yes I know it would be harder for them, they have to add another 4 or 5 hours to get to europe, but for eastern teams its anywhere from 6 and half to 8 hours.</p> I'm sure they could work something out. And like M Two One said, it would probably mean more than 1 team, anywhere from 4 to 6 probably. I wish they would Crvena Zvezda (red star belgrade) lol, they have fights there almost every game. </p>
I'm sure more then four or six. At the least, eight.They'd probably want to make sure there are enough teams there in order to prevent a massive amount of traveling on both parts of the globe by making two new divisions and splitting the league into smaller divisions. Something where on a schedule LAL is to fly to let's say Berlin or vice versa, there would be a few more days break in between for the traveling team.</p> </p> Each North American based franchise would take two tours in Europe each season. So let's say there are eight teams and the Bulls are to face a London team, they would go from London to facing three others before returning with some extra rest and do that again later in the season against the remaining four they haven't faced. This is the best way for it to work and it would work out the same way for the Euro-based franchises too.</p> </p> The only issue is that the Euro teams would be facing one another a lot more and traveling more. But if they want in on this league, they will have to pay a price until everything can work itself out in the future. If this works, there will be more then 40 teams down the road, believe me. I just don't see how it'd function. Stern would probably try to remove North American based franchises to make room for big cities like Paris, Milan and Barcelona.</p>
I agree with you, the team goes to europe, stays for at least 10 days (or more) plays most the teams and comes back. I can see that working. (same thing for the euro teams coming to the US)</p>
Sure the long tour can work. The Bulls have been doing the west coast circus trip for decades now. To be honest, I don't think Stern will allow current foreign teams into the league. The reason for this are their names ashe doesn't like the traditional team names like Panathinaikos BC. Also the fact that they belong to large clubs like Real Madrid. I'm sure we won't see Real Madrid or Partizan Beograd in the NBA. You'll likely see the Madrid Bombers and the Belgrade Sterns instead.</p>
I would assume that's what the NBA would want. Stern and company do not like the traditional sports names as far as I know. It would be a shame though not to see Real Madrid, Benetton Treviso and countless others not included in this if it happens.</p>
I know man, all the fans they have, and the teams are already set. Starting from scratch is not a good idea.</p>
The travel is easy to figure out in comparison to where are these NBA arenas coming from? Would Euro ball fans pay NBA prices to sit courtside? And if you think the Raps have to pay American players a little more imagine what Istanbul would have to do?</p>
Most European clubs that would even be willing to crossover to the NBA would be prepared to dish out the money. Remember that many European clubs make more money then the majority of all NBA franchises combined. That's another reason why I don't think Stern wants any of them in the league is because of not just the names, but the club status. Money coming in from different organizations. Things are run differently over in European basketball leagues, but currently aren't willing to spend more then 3 or 4 million per year on the best players. This is due to the lack in International interest.</p>
Well I can tell you that if the owners approve of a european franchise, they will not roll out 8 at one time. There will be 1 euro franchise, more than likely packed into the Atlantic divison. If all goes well the possibility for more euro franchises will increase, but not 8 or even 4 new franchises expanding at one time, thatwould be a disaster.</p>
