Which European city's deserve NBA team?

[Don Draper]

Flight from NY to London is around the same length as NY to PDX. Also way to be xenophobic. Yeah it'd be nice to have the Sonics back, but you guys are being way too negative about a hypothetical scenario.

This.

I'd say Newcastle upon Tyne. They would have the best fans.

[Narcist]

Deserve? Teams?

Honestly, I don't think anyone sane in Europe wants much less needs anything American these days, including the NBA.

But if you feel the need to send something, just send our players back. It is not that I care for them soldiers of fortune, but they are among the main reasons the league, save for a few teams, is crap.

Unless, of course, you think America with a population of 300,000,000 is no longer capable of developing 300 good basketball players, and must rely on imports.

Rather find the way to keep the kids in college for 4 years. Restore the teams in your own country. Heck, maybe even make someone like Gregg Popovich the new commissioner. But please, stop sending your junk.

But if you really really must, make it London. They are totally clueless when it comes to basketball. They might not think Dwight is funny, but they will believe you even if you tell them he is better than Olajuwon.

someone has a inferiority complex. Poor guy getting all worked up.

[PerkinsFor3]

Most countries mentioned would be able to fill half a stadium over the course of a season. Wouldn't work. The countries which have a basketball culture dont need an nba team and arent waiting for one.

[captoon]

if u mean make a sperate league there then maybe.

but if u mean as part of nba, the timezone difference makes it impossible.

Says the canadian

haha this cannot be quoted enough

Biggest Fail I've ever read anywhere.

[9abovetherim]

Barcelona
London
Rome
Berlin
Moscow
Paris

[Scouta]

if u mean make a sperate league there then maybe.

but if u mean as part of nba, the timezone difference makes it impossible.

Says the canadian

[peno360]

Deserve? Teams?

Honestly, I don't think anyone sane in Europe wants much less needs anything American these days, including the NBA.

But if you feel the need to send something, just send our players back. It is not that I care for them soldiers of fortune, but they are among the main reasons the league, save for a few teams, is crap.

Unless, of course, you think America with a population of 300,000,000 is no longer capable of developing 300 good basketball players, and must rely on imports.

Rather find the way to keep the kids in college for 4 years. Restore the teams in your own country. Heck, maybe even make someone like Gregg Popovich the new commissioner. But please, stop sending your junk.

But if you really really must, make it London. They are totally clueless when it comes to basketball. They might not think Dwight is funny, but they will believe you even if you tell them he is better than Olajuwon.

[kenyu_weed]

still one of the biggest fails ever

[el loco]

Does Stern want contraction or expansion, he can't have it both ways.

[ImOnFire15]

MADRID LOVE THERE BASKETBALL!

[Cavemold]

None . Who wants to hear British accents talk basketball ... No tks.

[CjayC]

Barcelona and Athens maybe?

Honestly there are tons of American and Canadian cities that should be considered or reconsidered before going that route.

[Cavemold]

London sillynannys???

[Village Idiot]

The logistics issue is the most obvious hindrance to league expansion. The cities most desirable to the NBA are not often the those with the best fan base or arenas.

London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona and Milan are the most obvious candidates.

The Baltics, Greece and Turkey all have wild, immature fan-bases that are not condusive to the NBA family entertainment ideal.

Germany should probably have a team due to the massive size of the market. Cologne is the best choice there due to their excellent arena and location the densly populated Rhein-Ruhr area.

Moscow would be a good choice as well due to their interest in basketball, wealth and population.

[sisibilio]

For this to happen it would have to be 4 new teams, not just 2. Sadly, it limits the crop to the very far west of Europe.

Pretty much forced to make it London, Paris, and Barcelona. The 4th one would be tough (Lisbon?).
And only Spain out of all those countries really gives a damn about basketball and could bring the support.

Greece has some great teams, but the league as a whole is flawed and the country is obviously having its monetary issues.

Italy, maybe.

Russia would have Moscow waiting (But that's like a 12-hour flight from New York).

Germany is ok, Berlin could work.


European expansion really shouldn't be on Stern's agenda.

Lisbon?

London, Paris and Madrid would be the first choices, then at least 1 in Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt or somewhere in the Ruhr area) and maybe 1 in Italy (Rome or more likely Milano), also Barcelona could be an option.
Outside of those i don't think it's viable anywhere either for lack of economic base to support a franchise or for the difficulty to accomodate the schedule due the distance in the case of Moscow.

Anyway this is far from being even a possibility, maybe in 15 or 20 years.

[LeBronte Jest]

Great thread, would read again.

[Gongxi]

Between time zone guy and the insecure European, I'm very happy I clicked this.

[Three34]

Amusing thread fails aside, I wrote at length about this a while ago.

http://blog.shamsports.com/2011/03/new- ... ondon.html

(near the end)

It's not going to happen. It just can't.

[Spanish_Laker]

Barcelona, Spain.

There's a great basketball tradition in the Catalonian capital and FC Barcelona has always been a great team all over the years. I think it is a better "basketball" city than Madrid, for instance.

I rule out cities such as Athens or Belgrade due to security reasons.

[Three34]

But Barcelona already has......well, Barcelona.