Global Vision

The Chicago Bulls were one of the biggest catalyst in making the NBA into a global market because of Michael Jordan. Jordan became a worldwide icon in the 90's. His aerobatic playing style on the court and his mass appeal off it made people around the world want to catch a glimpse of his greatness. He became a brand of his own and helped globalize the NBA in places like Europe and Asia.


Today, the NBA is known worldwide and sells team merchandise and televises games throughout the world.  They have five European offices - London, Paris, Milan, Istanbul and Madrid and four offices in China. They even have an NBA GLOBAL website where people can visit the website and get news on the NBA in their own language. The NBA has even staged high-profile sell-out events in London with friendly preseason games being hosted at the 02 arena annually.  David Stern (Commissioner) has even stated that he would like to globalize the league by creating a team outside the America.

 

The NBA also has many stars that were born in foreign countries. They include Steve Nash from Canada, Tony Parker from France, Dirk Nowitzki from Germany, and Chicago Bulls own Luol Deng from Britain. With the inclusion of the Toronto Raptors the league also has a team from Canada. The NBA will continue to globalize throughout the year eyeing markets in India and continuing to have relationships in Europe and Asia.