This article is from
BasketballNews.com’s Q&A session relayed by NBA PR Kevin
Alonzo, with Leah MacNab, NBA Senior Vice President, Head of
International Strategy. In this conversation, she shares insights
into the NBA’s globalization efforts, the significance of the NBA
Paris Games, and the league’s long-term international
ambitions.

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Q: How would you describe the role of international
games, like the NBA Paris Games, in driving the league’s
globalization efforts?

Leah MacNab:“International games like The NBA Paris Games
are a key component of our year-round efforts to grow the game
globally and engage fans around the world. We have a large and
passionate global fanbase, including in France and throughout
Europe, and this is a rare opportunity for them to experience the
excitement of an NBA game up close and in-person. In addition to
the games in Paris this week, the league, both teams and our nine
marketing partners are engaging tens of thousands of fans and youth
from France, across Europe and beyond through exciting activations,
events and programming that will serve as a catalyst for the
continued growth of the game here.”

Q: What strategies have been most effective in
establishing the NBA’s footprint across more than 200 countries and
territories?

Leah MacNab:“We have a three-pronged strategy to grow
basketball and engage our fans around the world throughout the
year. This includes creating opportunities for young people to
learn, play and develop on the court through programs like the Jr.
NBA and Jr. WNBA, bringing the NBA experience to fans through
events like the games this week in Paris, and making live games,
programming and localized content as widely accessible as possible
to fans no matter where they are in the world.”

Q: What role do international players, such as Nikola
Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, play in
driving interest and engagement in their home
countries?

Leah MacNab:“Basketball is a truly global sport, and the
international makeup of the NBA is a key differentiator for the
league. The record-tying 125 international players on rosters at
the start of this season, including the last six MVP Award winners,
drive incredible interest in their home countries and regions and
serve as global ambassadors for our game. For example, Victor
Wembanyama not only drives interest in his native France and across
Europe, but globally. As a rookie, Victor generated 1.3 billion
views on NBA social media channels, becoming the fastest player
ever to 1 billion views and the most-viewed rookie of all
time.”

Q: Could you share insights on how the NBA selects
international venues and how those decisions align with the
league’s global growth goals?

Leah MacNab:“Staging international games involves a long
planning process and we look at several factors, including the
availability of arenas with the capacity to host these games,
markets that have an affinity for basketball, cities and countries
where we can grow the game, and destinations that our teams and
players want to go to. There’s tremendous demand to host Global
Games from fans, cities and partners around the world, but
ultimately due to the density of our schedule we can only play a
limited number of these games each year.”

Q: With record-breaking global viewership in recent
years, what are the NBA’s long-term goals for international
expansion?

Leah MacNab:“In addition to finding new and creative ways
to engage fans in markets where there is already a strong affinity
for basketball and the NBA, we’re also focused on regions of the
world where we think there is tremendous growth potential for the
league and the game. Africa, for instance, is home to one of the
world’s youngest and fastest-growing populations with a strong
sporting culture and incredible basketball talent. That’s one of
the reasons we launched the Basketball Africa League. Having a
professional basketball league in Africa supported by the NBA and
FIBA expands and strengthens the basketball ecosystem, drives
socioeconomic development, and inspires more African youth to play
the game.”

Q: Do you foresee the establishment of permanent
international NBA franchises or an increased number of games played
abroad in the future?

Leah MacNab:“Right now, we’re in the very early stages at
the league office of evaluating the potential of expansion and what
that process could look like. There are many cities and many
ownership groups – both inside and outside the U.S. – who have
expressed interest in an expansion franchise. As far as NBA
franchises in Europe, the density of our schedule and the time it
takes to travel here would make that challenging. But we continue
to study the prospect of being more involved on the ground here on
a year-round basis, which we’re having conversations about this
week with a variety of stakeholders who are in town for these
games.”

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