Basketball

The NBA started playing in China in 1979 when the Washington Bullets took on China’s national team at the invitation of then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. Few foresaw that one day China would play such a huge role in the NBA’s international growth.

After adidas prised Houston Rockets star, James Harden, away from Nike for $200m last month, we look at whether it was enough to give the German giant the upper hand in its age-old rivalry with the Americans.

Kevin Roberts looked at the NBA (National Basketball Association)’s new and innovative sock partnership, and whether it brings the league one step closer to jersey sponsorship.

SportBusiness International asks Brett Yormark, CEO of NBA (National Basketball Association) franchise the Brooklyn Nets and its Barclays Center home, about criticisms around his marketing strategy for the Nets and new Barclays Center tenant the New York Islanders.

Nike veteran Peter Ruppe is the man behind Brand Jordan, one of sport’s most iconic marketing campaigns. Now he has been charged by Under Armour to take on his former employers in the footwear space. He spoke to Matt Cutler.

The most successful federations have looked to bring in influential executives with experience outside the federation space. Kevin Roberts looked at the approach of FIBA (the International Basketball Federation).

Donna Goldsmith has held senior executive positions at the NBA (National Basketball Association), WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and 2014 Super Bowl Host Committee. She reveals how she became one of the most influential women in the business of sport.

The NBA (National Basketball Association) has the most comprehensive social media following out of any American sports league, its official platform boasting over 26 million Facebook likes and 11.6 million Twitter followers. The NFL (National Football League), by comparison, has four million fewer Twitter followers and over 14 million fewer Facebook likes.

Can last season’s UEFA Champions League winner and giant of European football, Bayern Munich, replicate its success in basketball? Matt Cutler looks at the resurgence of the German team as a force on the court and asks its managing director, Marko Pesic, how he has gone about creating a sustainable financial model for the project.

The exploitation of short-form content across multiple platforms has become a central part of North American basketball league the NBA’s global media rights strategy over the last three years.

When they wouldn’t let Larry Scott unify professional tennis, he turned his attention to college sport in the United States. As Commissioner he has turned the Pacific-10 conference into Pac-12, signed a $3-billion TV deal and set up a wholly owned media network. But, as he told Kevin Roberts, there’s a cloud on the horizon.

Ahead of this month’s Manila Masters, Rob Ridley looks at how 3x3 basketball could be set for a significant growth curve, helped by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA)’s new tie-up with IMG.

New NBA (National Basketball Association) Commissioner Adam Silver spoke exclusively to Matt Cutler about succeeding David Stern, his approach to leadership and international opportunities for the league.

Barry Wilner looks at how MGM Resorts International’s proposed multi-purpose arena in Las Vegas will herald a new area for Sin City’s sports scene.

It was with a deep sense of shock and sadness that we received news from FIBA Europe of the sudden and untimely death of its president Olafur Rafnsson. The loss of his remarkable energy, intellect and vision will be felt very deeply by the organisation and by all those in sport who share a passion for its future.

Rupert Pratt of Agency Generate and Rede Luis Baez, Senior Manager at  Euroleague Basketball give a worked example of the power of owning the social media channel around a sports property. This presentation was first given to the SportBusiness Connected Sport conference hosted by Eurosport in in May 2013

National Basketball Association (NBA) player Jason Collins became the first in major US team sport to come out last month. But what affect it will have on both his on-court and off-court commercial value?