NBA could be in Europe by end of decade
(Agencies)
Updated: 2003-10-09 11:08

The NBA could expand overseas, probably to Europe, by the end of the decade and teams might hold pre-season training camps on the continent within two years, NBA commissioner David Stern said on Wednesday.

Stern told a news conference the increasing influx of foreign players into the NBA, wider television coverage of NBA overseas and basketball's introduction to the Olympics had made it a much more international and popular sport.

For the NBA to expand overseas there would need to be an infrastructure of new stadiums large enough to host games and a consistent level of fan support in target countries, he said.

On a scale of one to 10 of whether the conditions existed for NBA expansion, Stern said: "We are now at five and picking up a notch very couple of years. It could happen by the end of the decade."

As an interim step NBA officials are considering giving teams the option of staging their pre-season training camps outside the US.

Up to four could train in Europe and play other NBA and European teams, Stern said before an exhibition game between the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies. He thought this idea might be ready to start in 2005 or 2006.

"It would be short of expansion but give us a@continuous presence for a shorter period of time," he said.

"We are mindful of the fact that in the coming year 20 percent of our players will be international -- it makes the league stronger, raises the level of competition and reaches out to fans in all markets."

Stern said there might be room for an exhibition game on the lines of the NBA's American players versus the Rest of the World or Europe, but not in the context of the All-Star games.

"We are happy with the All-Star structure and don't want to trifle with it at this time," he said.