PARIS — If you are an American-born NBA fan, you'll be forgiven for thinking it's a waste of time for teams to play games on European soil, while altering the inner body clock of their players. After all, why not stay the course and keep the National Basketball Association, well, national?
However, for European-born fans of the NBA, it's anything but a waste of time. The league's presence on the continent is, in fact, vital to keep interest in the region high and to build the game.
“Playing games outside of the U.S. and Canada is a critical part of the NBA’s year-round efforts to engage our passionate international fans, many of whom may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the excitement of an NBA game in-person," NBA managing director, Europe & Middle East, George Aivazoglou told Yahoo Sports.