NBA Coming to Africa creating 12 team league - Basketball Africa League

[Moranis]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/17/africa/nba-africa-basketball-league/index.html

Seems like a good way to create a pipeline to an underdeveloped basketball region.  Hopefully it works out.

[Roy H.]

I think it’s a great thing, and not because it will eventually lead to more NBA players. Any investment and opportunity for these kids could really change their lives. I hope that it expands to include even younger kids, bringing them education and better alternatives than they have already.

[CelticsElite]

Can't see it working out. No one in America watches euro ball and that is where talent is

So we can count America out as viewers. Who is left? Most Africans have  a Tv excluding places like south Africa or morocco

[Ogaju]

lol .... the travel will be horrendous.

[Kuberski33]

Can't see it working out. No one in America watches euro ball and that is where talent is

So we can count America out as viewers. Who is left? Most Africans have  a Tv excluding places like south Africa or morocco

Well the NBA basically subsidizes the WNBA and that league has been around for a long time.  They'll probably subsidize this as well but this league will provide a pipeline for future talent so it's going to be money well spent.  I'm guessing it may provide some off season programming as well for the NBA channel or possibly ESPN+.

[CelticsElite]

Can't see it working out. No one in America watches euro ball and that is where talent is

So we can count America out as viewers. Who is left? Most Africans have  a Tv excluding places like south Africa or morocco

Well the NBA basically subsidizes the WNBA and that league has been around for a long time.  They'll probably subsidize this as well but this league will provide a pipeline for future talent so it's going to be money well spent.  I'm guessing it may provide some off season programming as well for the NBA channel or possibly ESPN+.

I get where you're coming from

If you can get 1 embiid type player every 8 or so years then the league will pay for itself. That's not a bad test. I'm not sure how many embiids there are left in Africa but we will see. I think there may be a few ibakas

[fairweatherfan]

Can't see it working out. No one in America watches euro ball and that is where talent is

So we can count America out as viewers. Who is left? Most Africans have  a Tv excluding places like south Africa or morocco

Well the NBA basically subsidizes the WNBA and that league has been around for a long time.  They'll probably subsidize this as well but this league will provide a pipeline for future talent so it's going to be money well spent.  I'm guessing it may provide some off season programming as well for the NBA channel or possibly ESPN+.

I get where you're coming from

If you can get 1 embiid type player every 8 or so years then the league will pay for itself. That's not a bad test. I'm not sure how many embiids there are left in Africa but we will see. I think there may be a few ibakas

Left? You know people tend to make new people pretty often, right?

The value is less about discovery, though that's part of it, and more about development so the talented guys aren't as raw and can stay closer to home instead of having to adjust to American colleges or European pro teams or wherever. And on the league end of course trying to get more fans in Africa. They'd be happy to take a loss on the African league if it sells more merchandise/ups international ratings for the NBA itself.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

Can't see it working out. No one in America watches euro ball and that is where talent is

So we can count America out as viewers. Who is left? Most Africans have  a Tv excluding places like south Africa or morocco

Quite a few actually, Enough that South African Pay TV service Multichoice has been able to develop legit one of the biggest network of sports channels in the world in Supersport, entirely on African viewership. I would imagine they would have the financial muscle and reach to make the concept work.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

And the start of the league has been put off by Corona virus.