The NBA no longer knows where to turn, as requests are pouring in from all sides. Because after having permanently established its “NBA Paris Game” as well as Abu Dhabi as another preferential destination for developing a juicy market, the league remains the object of all desire. The English capital has notably indicated that it would be delighted to host NBA regular season matches again…
The next wave of lobbying could now come from the players themselves, continuing the globalization of the league. Triple MVP of the regular season, Nikola Jokic would have expressed to Adam Silver his wish to one day see an NBA match organized in Serbia, just as Luka Doncic would like his country, Slovenia, to also be honored in the sort. In any case, this is what the “ commission »on the sidelines of the pre-season match organized in Abu Dhabi between the Celtics and the Nuggets.
“I would like to mention that Nikola and Luka both asked if the NBA could come to Serbia or Slovenia”, said Adam Silverwho did not miss the opportunity to calm the ardor of the two superstars. “It's a difficult mission, because organizing these matches requires a huge amount of resources and, frankly, it doesn't make financial sense as a one-off event. It works in places like Mexico, Paris or here in Abu Dhabi because it’s part of a long-term initiative.”
If it is not to organize an NBA match, Adam Silver still added to think about a way to pay tribute to these players, and to their countries, in a framework that would be less costly for the league.
“I really appreciate the enthusiasm of fans in Serbia, Slovenia and Greece, as well as the efforts of players like Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Doncic to bring NBA games to their home countries. But it's not easy to organize. We will continue to consider this in the future, even if the cost of organizing these events increases every year. I want to find a way to honor these great players.”he concluded.
