Globalization

Okay, I know I said that I would be in the middle of a series on an AAU basketball program I would build in Vermont. However, if a piece of news comes along that I can't resist, I will change my plans. This is one of those times.

A while ago, I wrote about the expansion of the NBA into Africa. I commented that "Bringing an NBA office to an area will only improve the exposure to the sport and will hopefully encourage athletes in that area to become more involved in the sport and develop into even better players which will therefore increase the quality of worldwide NBA talent." Well, it seems like this strategy is playing out in more areas. Check out this blog post on NBC Sports that reports that the NBA intends to set up a branch office in Moscow due to the fact that billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is hoping to buy the New Jersey Nets. It seems that this shows an especially strong desire to further globalize the NBA. This might open the door for more foreign ownership. The global economy is huge; it is much larger than just the American economy. Therefore, it seems like common business sense that the way to maximize profit is to invite investments from all sectors of the global economy. The only potential problem might be a cross-cultural since business is done differently in different countries. The NBA is a largely American business model, so as much as American business owners sometimes have problems adjusting to a global marketplace, foreign owners might also have problems adjusting to the American market.

However, I think this opens a brand-new door for foreign ballplayers. While there are many European players in the NBA, there are plenty more talented Europeans who are not being noticed. My theory is that if ownership can see these players right in their backyard, they will be able to more successfully integrate this talent. Diversity is a buzzword nowadays, so I believe that if the NBA wants to follow the lead of much of the rest of society, this is a great move that will develop their fan base around the world.