The NBA’s Full-Court Press on Soccer
The Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers during the NBA Global Games Series in Manila, Philippines, on Oct. 10, 2013.
Photographer: Mike Young/Getty Images
The National Basketball Association All-Star Game in New York on Feb. 15 began with a jump ball between Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls and Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies. More than 7 million TV viewers in the U.S. watched el salto between the two brothers from Barcelona. It was the first time that two Europeans made the starting lineups for the NBA’s midseason exhibition. If league officials have their way it won’t be the last, as the NBA pursues a global campaign to overtake soccer as the world’s most popular sport. “Our goal is to be the No. 1 sport in the world,” says Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum. “It’s not in the immediate future, but it’s attainable.”
That’s why the NBA put on a full-court press in New York to wow the foreign media and fans during All-Star weekend. On the Friday before the big game, the league hosted a “Rising Stars Challenge” game with the best young NBA players from around the world pitted against the best from the U.S. Off the court, the NBA handed out credentials to a record 534 members of the international media, more than double last year’s All-Star total in New Orleans.