Some basketball facts

[BadMann]

Just think that basketball is the 2nd most popular sport in the world (it has 400 million of fans only in China), it's the 2nd sport in Europe (1st sport in some European countries), Africa, South America, and one of the most popular sport in the US.the NBA Finals can be viewed in 210 countries and can reach 1.5 billion wievers.
Basketball is the second most popular sport in the world - and it is the most popular sport among the 12-19-age category. ·
Basketball in Ireland is the second most popular sport in the 12-19 age category and the third most popular participation sport for all ages. ·
It is estimated that over 150,000 people participate in the sport in Ireland at some level. ·
Basketball is the 2nd most important sport in many European countries, such as Italy, where some cities are even called "basketball city" (for instance: Bologna), Spain, Turkey and many others. Basketball is the #1 sport in Lithuania (where it's considered a religion), Greece, Serbia, Croatia and slovenia and some other countries.

In particular, read this:

Euroleague basketball attendance is up 79% from its inaugural 2001 season, though it's leveled off recently. Television beams the league across both Europe and Africa, as well as some games into the U.S. and Canada via NBA-TV.

A 2000 survey in Germany showed kids in most age groups found basketball as popular as soccer, a spokesman for the Federation of International Basketball says. What's more, a December 2004 study by German sports researcher IFM found that European basketball fans are younger and more affluent, on average, than the general population.

In Brazil and Argentina, meanwhile, 14% of households say they "regularly" watch NBA basketball, according to a Latin American survey group. Young Argentineans now snap up as many replica jerseys of basketball icon Manu Ginobili--who led their country to the 2004 Olympic gold medal and won a 2005 NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs--as any soccer jersey.

In Brazil, a country that has sent several players to the NBA in recent years, basketball is now the most-watched Olympic sport. PriceWaterhouseCoopers forecasts that NBA licensing and sponsorship revenues in Latin America will rise to $1.1 billion in 2009 from $752 million in 2004.

and i think fiba world championship is much better that soccer wc.

[23_for_life]

Yes and still there are a lot of empty seats at the Japan arenas, and it is the World Championships... sad, sad, sad

[Victorious]

The basketball fans have a different culture compared to soccer where the Germans Dutch and the Brits started to travel first and followed their NT team throughout the world.

Besides, the basketall tournament takes two weeks and most teams will be eliminated in a week or so. The risk to travel is not worth the risk for most fans.

In the Olympics the fans are allready on the destination that's why games get packet.

[mpluby]

Plus how many fans go to the FIFA World Cup just for the atmosphere? Do you realize how much drinking and partying there was in Germany this summer? I don't imagine Sapporo looks much like what Berlin or Hamburg did in June.

[BadMann]

Yes and still there are a lot of empty seats at the Japan arenas, and it is the World Championships... sad, sad, sad

the only reason is japanese dont like basketball.if the championship is in serbia or greece or in some other conurty not like japan,then there will be 20000+ persons per game,just like in belgrade 2005.
you know in serbia or greece ervery person likes to play basketball which even have overcome soccer already.in japan,its hard for you to find a court outside.

japanese only like baseball and rugby. there were a lot of empty seats in soccerwc 2002 too.even in final.

[BadMann]

also basketball is the most played sports in serbia, greece and even at school in germany and russia.

i think germany will become a basketball country because germany is one of the tallest nation in the world and they are not suitable for playing soccer any more if they keep on grow taller all the time.just like greece and serbia do.

[bobo81]

I dont think any sporting event in this world, even the Olympics, can cultivate the same atmosphere of the FIFA World Cup. I would love to go there and will try to make SAfrica 2010. But I hope this FIBA World Champz will get bigger and bigger...I think the next one in Turkey will be even bigger and definetly packed seats...Turkish people and Europeans will be there! And since the US Military isnt big there, there probably wont be many US supporters but I like this because its more of a challenge for the team

[Delk]

Turkish people and Europeans will be there!

Turkey is European country.

[bobo81]

Turkey is European country.

I know man I meant Turkish people and (Lits, Greeks, Spanish etc. )

[hagakure]

Basketball is the second most popular sport in the world (and there is no argument about that, basketball is the only sport other than football, that everyone knows something about) but I am very disappointed with the lack of attention basketball gets in general in most countries.

[CG]

also basketball is the most played sports in serbia, greece and even at school in germany and russia.

i think germany will become a basketball country because germany is one of the tallest nation in the world and they are not suitable for playing soccer any more if they keep on grow taller all the time.just like greece and serbia do.

Greeks love basketball but unfortunately football is the 1st sport because of the media that provokes it.There are some channels that never show any new for big teams and only if a team have a success will remember it.The propaganda against basketball is huge.I cant undersand why.
for example.Yesterday i was hearing from a radio (ERA SPORT for the greek friends) about the win against Australia.Ok they begin as first in the news but after ten minutes stopped it to here what the coach of Hearts in football will say (today they play against AEK for the champions league).What else then can i say.They had 1hour and 30minutes news for football in 2 hour news broadcast.Idiots.Some channels dont show basketball news at all.While when you sign a big name nobody in on the airport anymore to take an interview...like some years ago.Idiots

[Victorious]

I dont think any sporting event in this world, even the Olympics, can cultivate the same atmosphere of the FIFA World Cup. I would love to go there and will try to make SAfrica 2010. But I hope this FIBA World Champz will get bigger and bigger...I think the next one in Turkey will be even bigger and definetly packed seats...Turkish people and Europeans will be there! And since the US Military isnt big there, there probably wont be many US supporters but I like this because its more of a challenge for the team

The only place where the gyms will be packed is China. They love basketball and have an immense population. The tournament will be spread in different cities and it will attrackt chinese fans who want to see the international stars.

Serbia and Greece love basketball, but they prefer watching their own team. I don't see them pay a ticket for some other team except if it's a big name(USA, Spain etc.). Besides, during the summertime South-Europeans avoid indoor-places and many people leave the cities in large numbers. That's why Turkey 2010 will not have crowded arenas.

A good solution for now is to organise the tournament in different countries at the same time.

like:
Group A: Paris (group of France)
Group B: Madrid (grooup of Spain)
Group C: Athens (group of Greece)
Group D: Bologna (group of Italy)

seccond round: you name it. Rome, Istanbul, Munich

Thatway you will have a lot of packed games.
All the games of the USA will be sold out. The same goes for the French, Spanisch, Greek and Italian games.
Furthermore, other teams like Argentina, Lithuania, Serbia, Slovenia will be full because many European fans will travel to these destinations due to the proximity and because the fans in these countries are basketball loving. Finally, there are not a lot of games in each country so each game will be something special to watch.

The final round always attrackts fans so you can organize it anywhere you want.

Even Fifa is organizing events in different coutries. S Korea-Japan, Austria-Switzerland. Why shouldn't FIBA?

[CG]

The only place where the gyms will be packed is China. They love basketball and have an immense population. The tournament will be spread in different cities and it will attrackt chinese fans who want to see the international stars.

Serbia and Greece love basketball, but they prefer watching their own team. I don't see them pay a ticket for some other team except if it's a big name(USA, Spain etc.). Besides, during the summertime South-Europeans avoid indoor-places and many people leave the cities in large numbers. That's why Turkey 2010 will not have crowded arenas.

A good solution for now is to organise the tournament in different countries at the same time.

like:
Group A: Paris (group of France)
Group B: Madrid (grooup of Spain)
Group C: Athens (group of Greece)
Group D: Bologna (group of Italy)

seccond round: you name it. Rome, Istanbul, Munich

Thatway you will have a lot of packed games.
All the games of the USA will be sold out. The same goes for the French, Spanisch, Greek and Italian games.
Furthermore, other teams like Argentina, Lithuania, Serbia, Slovenia will be full because many European fans will travel to these destinations due to the proximity and because the fans in these countries are basketball loving. Finally, there are not a lot of games in each country so each game will be something special to watch.

The final round always attrackts fans so you can organize it anywhere you want.

Even Fifa is organizing events in different coutries. S Korea-Japan, Austria-Switzerland. Why shouldn't FIBA?

its good idea but we want FIBA to give us the final

[BadMann]

[QUOTE=Victorious]The only place where the gyms will be packed is China. They love basketball and have an immense population. The tournament will be spread in different cities and it will attrackt chinese fans who want to see the international stars.

QUOTE]

have you watched stankviccup in china?no body watched the cup except china nt.people in the arena is much less than empty seat.i dont konw why,but i do love cctv5........

[Victorious]

Greeks love basketball but unfortunately football is the 1st sport because of the media that provokes it.There are some channels that never show any new for big teams and only if a team have a success will remember it.The propaganda against basketball is huge.I cant undersand why.
for example.Yesterday i was hearing from a radio (ERA SPORT for the greek friends) about the win against Australia.Ok they begin as first in the news but after ten minutes stopped it to here what the coach of Hearts in football will say (today they play against AEK for the champions league).What else then can i say.They had 1hour and 30minutes news for football in 2 hour news broadcast.Idiots.Some channels dont show basketball news at all.While when you sign a big name nobody in on the airport anymore to take an interview...like some years ago.Idiots

The older generations who controle the media in Greece have grown up with football. Basketball is very popular among Greeks untill 30. They will take this love for the game with them and when the time comes they might promote it even more.

But let's face it. Basketball is tremendously popular in Greece.