Download our Free Mobile App!
Faster with Fewer Ads

Get App
Lakers Nation
  • Rumors
  • Schedule
    • Lakers 2025 Preseason Schedule
  • Videos
    • YouTube
    • Podcast
  • FAQ
  • About
    • About Lakers Nation
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
  • Download Our App

Download our Free Mobile App!
Faster with Fewer Ads

Get App
Lakers Nation
  • Rumors
  • Schedule
    • Lakers 2025 Preseason Schedule
  • Videos
    • YouTube
    • Podcast
  • FAQ
  • About
    • About Lakers Nation
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
  • Download Our App
Search
  • Rumors
  • Schedule
    • 2024 preseason
    • 2024-2025 regular season
  • Videos
    • YouTube
    • Podcast
  • FAQ
  • About
    • About Lakers Nation
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
  • Download Our App
Follow US
© 2024 Medium Large Sports Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Lakers Nation > Blog > NBA News > NBA News: The League’s World Wide Popularity Rise
NBA News

NBA News: The League’s World Wide Popularity Rise

Staff Writer
Published: 06/21/2021
3 Min Read
NBA: Summer League-China National Team at Phoenix Suns
Jul 12, 2019; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Xavier Cooks (18) and forward Dakarai Tucker (4) block out Chinese National Team forward Hu Jinqiu (21) during the second half of an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. © Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
SHARE

For almost four decades, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has worked to expand the popularity of professional basketball beyond North America.

Unlike other sports leagues, the NBA has sought a more cultural global expansion to much success, developing strong and engaged fanbases around the globe, and making stars like LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant household names thousands of miles away from where they have played.

Global Growth

In 1978 the league played its first international exhibition game when the then world champion Washington Bullets played against the Maccabi Tel Aviv of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). In a huge upset, Maccabi beat the Bullets 98-87 turning heads and increasing interest in the process. The Bullets would play three more exhibition games, two in China and one in the Philippines to large crowds.

During the mid-1980s, the NBA’s presence on an international stage grew. The NBA played games in Germany, Israel, China, Russia, and Italy. Foreign players like Hakeem Olajuwon and Detlef Schrempf started making an impact. This all led to the single most important moment in the NBA’s global appeal, the original Olympic Dream Team.

Headlines by Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson, the USA Men’s Olympic Basketball team would win 8-straight games and the Gold Medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona Spain. And with that, the NBA had ascended to a level of global interest unmatched by any North American sports league.

The Modern NBA

Today the NBA has doubled down on its global strategy. The league has moved beyond exhibition games and has scheduled regular-season games abroad in Europe and Mexico. Like much of the world, the league has also embraced sports wagering and online betting as legalized sports gambling becomes more popular and is legalized in many states.

Currently, the NBA season features the second-most number of international players in a professional American sports league with 115, trailing only Major League Baseball. Foreign ownership investment has also risen. Israeli-American billionaire Micky Arison, has owned the Miami Heat since 1995, Russian industrialist Mikhail Prokhorov owned the Brooklyn Nets 2011-2019, and in 2013 Vivek Ranadivé became the first Indian majority owner of an NBA team, The Sacramento Kings, and invested $1 billion into their downtown arena.

Social Media and Basketball Culture

Basketball culture has become a global phenomenon, with fans around the world watching, consuming, and engaging with the sport. The NBA’s social media strategy has opened up access to fans in new and interesting ways. Teams, players, coaches, and analysists power this growth leveraging Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This cultural expansion has cemented the NBA’s reputation as a model example of globalization in sports.

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Sign Up for Our Newsletter
Get breaking Lakers News direct to your inbox.

Categories

  • News
  • Rumors
  • Games
  • History

Information

  • Advertise
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Get breaking Lakers News direct to your inbox.

© 2025 Medium Large Sports Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?