The game of basketball is second in world wide popularity and the National Basketball Association (NBA) continues to play a major role in making its global growth a reality. The NBA started to expand globally during the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992 when the United States dominated by winning every game by at least 44 points.They started an internationalization project with the intent to connect non american sports markets. The team was comprised of some of the best basketball players in the world all of whom played in the NBA. This gave the NBA some international recognition.The NBA now has 14 international offices and broadcasts to over 118 countries. The NBA has also helped China design, market, and operate basketball arenas. There are also over 100 foreign born players from 40 different countries playing in the NBA currently. About 25 percent of the players in the NBA are foreign. Not only are the players of the teams foreign, but some of their owners are too. The Sacramento Kings,Brooklyn Nets, and the Miami Heat are all owned by people outside of the United States. These leaders get their countries more involved and influence them. The NBA has proven that it is the worlds fastest diversifying professional league.
The NBA has simplified their branding so that anyone can identify with it. They do an outstanding job with exporting fan excitement and energy for the sport abroad through technology. They say that only one percent of their fans actually see the games in person. The NBA is also working to put teams in Europe and are having pre season games in Manila and Istanbul. Their preseason games are often in countries that are not exposed to the NBA so that they can expand their market and fan base in new areas.
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