FIBA 348
Will Fans Buy in to NBA Europe?
It’s time for the fifth and final part of our series, NBA Europe: The Grand Experiment. This final article on the cultural battle — the emotional, tribal, and unpredictable part of any sports venture. In short, it’s about the fans. The NBA and FIBA may have the branding and the resources, but without fan buy-in, […]
Can NBA Europe Win on TV?
At the end of the day, the NBA Europe project is focused on generating revenue. Part 4 of our series on FIBA and the NBA’s new basketball league focuses on the broadcast and media strategy — arguably the single most important financial pillar for NBA Europe. We break down the potential for success, the very […]
Will Europe’s Top Clubs Join NBA Europe?
Part three of our series addresses the critical question of club participation. No matter how strong the NBA’s branding is, if the continent’s biggest teams don’t join, NBA Europe will struggle to command legitimacy or fan interest. Today we explore who might join, who likely won’t, and the complicated choices those clubs face. Read part […]
Can NBA Europe Take Over?
Part two of our series, NBA Europe: The Grant Experiment, digs into the structural conflict at the heart of the NBA’s ambitions in Europe — namely, the decision to go around EuroLeague rather than partner with it. Emmet Ryan explores who really controls European basketball, what the NBA wants to change, and whether NBA Europe […]
The High Price of NBA Europe
The NBA and FIBA plan to launch a pan-European league in time for the 2026/27 season. The idea is as ambitious as it is unprecedented. Both organisations are betting on a belief in basketball’s untapped commercial potential on the continent. Emmet Ryan on just how expensive it is going to be for NBA Europe to […]
NBA’s Europe Play Must Bridge Euroleague and FIBA
The NBA plan for Europe seems to have hit a wall. Euroleague says it is open to negotiating with the basketball powerhouse. FIBA believes any NBA involvement in Europe must go through it. Emmet Ryan writes that any successful entity really requires the support and collaboration of both. The NBA is back in talks with […]
What Claire Melia and Baxi Ferrol’s run means for Irish basketball
It’s a small, by Spanish standards, town in Galicia yet it has become the focal point for Irish basketball. Claire Melia and her amazing run with Baxi Ferrol in Eurocup Women will have a lengthy impact on the sport here no matter what comes next. It’s a big sign that nobody is sick of talking […]
Europe is missing an obvious opportunity with women’s basketball
The surge in consumer interest and investment in women’s basketball in the US has made it a rising star among sponsors. Yet on this side of the Atlantic, women’s hoops as an entity is a cost sink. Emmet Ryan on the issues, opportunities, and challenges ahead. There’s money in women’s hoops Stateside at a level […]
Euroleague expansion could change everything
While the NBA continues to discuss an entry to Europe, rumours spread of Euroleague expanding. Now, with reports that it will involve a shift to conferences, the very future of European basketball is in play, according to Emmet Ryan It’s one report. There’s no need to go over the top. That being said, if the […]
How FIBA can build 3×3 basketball into a bigger deal
The second appearance of 3×3 basketball at the Olympics was a roaring success. For that to matter, Emmet Ryan says that FIBA must seek to build around narratives The 3×3 basketball tournament at the Olympics couldn’t have ended on a more stunning note. After a thrilling women’s gold medal game, Worthy De Jong hit the […]
The state of the Euroleague (and other basketball things) address
An old tradition of BallinEurope is renewed in Berlin. On the eve of the Euroleague Final Four, Emmet Ryan is back with his annual address covering the league’s growth, the FIBA relationship, expansion, and more basketball things. My fellow sportsball fans. It has been far too long since the annual eve of the Euroleague Final […]
This is what it takes
The tough results for the Irish women’s Under 20 team in Sopron, Hungary, are an inevitable and important part of the nation’s progression in the sport It’s easy to feel sorry for the 12 player roster Ireland sent to Sopron. Ireland won promotion to the A Division at the Under 20 level all the way […]