ESPN: Nets Going For Global Markets

LONDON — Owned by a Russian, awaiting two games in London and preparing for a move to New York, the New Jersey Nets have the look of globe-trotters.

The NBA team is on a mission to become the face of the league outside the United States, cheered by fans across Europe, Asia and Africa.

“Our goal truly is to globalize our business, to project ourselves in a global fashion,” Nets CEO Brett Yormark told The Associated Press. “We’re very excited about what’s in store for this team, and I think over the course of the next 18 months, 24 months, you’ll see us more active globally.”

The Nets were bought by Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov last year. They get another chance to raise their international profile they play the Toronto Raptors on Friday and Saturday in London in the first regular-season NBA games in Europe.

That follows a preseason trip to China last year and a basketball clinic in Russia before that, and precedes the move to the New York borough of Brooklyn in 2012.

“It truly becomes a business strategy and it’s something that we’ve embraced and something that ownership and Mr. Prokhorov would like to see,” Yormark said.

That works for both the Nets and the NBA, which would like to see more teams emulate New Jersey’s international drive.

“Building the sport of basketball and the NBA internationally is a priority for the league as a whole, but we’re thrilled that the Nets are so supportive of this,” NBA Europe senior vice president Sophie Goldschmidt said Tuesday. Click here to read more…

Courtesy of ESPN.com

With Foreign investors already locked into the city of Louisville and looking for an NBA team, this is exactly what they are looking to do. They are looking to put their team on the global landscape. When the team becomes global, guess what else becomes global? The city of Louisville and the state of Kentucky.

There is absolutley nothing negative about our city, and our state, navigating our way to the global economy through the NBA. Even if you aren’t a fan of professional basketball, you have to realize what a huge opportunity this is.

Category: Uncategorized