NBA commissioner talks global All-Star game, Kobe and Yao

NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media during the NBA All Star Saturday Night at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada, Feb 13, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

TORONTO -- As part of the All-Star Weekend festivities in Toronto, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the media on various topics prior to Saturday evening events held for the first time outside of the United States in 65 years.

The most discussed topic was NBA's global growth and the possibility of hosting a future All-Star game outside of North America.

"This is our first All-Star Game outside of the United States, and I think it's an important moment for this league," said Silver to hundreds of media members.

"We haven't crossed an ocean yet to play an All-Star Game, but who knows what the future holds for the NBA."

When asked by Xinhua to elaborate on his comment, Silver believes that if it were to happen, the most likely destination would be in Europe due to the proximity from North America.

"I think getting to Asia during an All-Star break would be that much more difficult than traveling to Europe in an All-Star break," Silver explained.

"If we do get to the point where we believe we can experiment with playing an All-Star game outside of the US and Canada, I think in the first instance we probably would not be looking to go to Asia."

Having played a total of 158 international games, including 20 regular season games, hosting an All-Star game outside of North America would be the next step for the league to continue growing their brand internationally.

Without providing an exact timeframe, Silver said that "it's not going to happen in the next two, three, four years, but I think down the road it could be a really exciting element for the NBA."