Has International Basketball Gotten Worse?

[Steadysoul]

I agree and that will pump it up to a point, but like I said look at all the other 4 leagues. Their champion in this country is the defacto world champion because it is understood that they are the best team from the best league. This country is all about winners and are a bunch of front runners. The Mls cup winner is meaningless until the quality and level can challenge the top leagues of Europe. I don't see that happening even in 20 years.

Soccer is more likely than not going to skip ahead of NHL just as a result of demographics. Hockey teams don't have the means to prosper everywhere in the US like Soccer can. NFL, MLB, and NBA are definitely the big three american sports. NHL is a distant 4.

[reamily]

People around the world live soccer. Why? Because it is the most popular sport that the americans doesnt dominate..

[locdogjr]

You guys are being a bit ridiculous! Soccer is not threatening basketball in America, it is threatening AMerican Football if anything. Parents do not want their kids play that sport anymore. I have many friends who played US Football and they will not allow their kids to play it, too dangerous, too much money, too much time, it has a definite negative side. Soccer though is much cheaper, safer and laid back. It is growing SUPER fast. NBC has lots of coverage, people under 25 are embracing it in a big way! FIFA played no small part in this, the US mens team and MLS as well. Soccer is coming and it is going to threaten all the major 4 sports. That isn't a bad thing though!!!

Basketball and soccer are growing and still on the upswing. One is a winter sport and one is a summer sport. Baseball and AMerican football should be a little worried. Do young kids even love or want to play baseball in America? I bet soccer already rivals baseball in the under 25 market. American football is king of the hill in the USA, but that could change. It'll be interesting to follow. The NBA and basketball are doing just fine, I wouldn't worry. The influx of international players and coaches has certainly helped that as well!

[Mindozas]

People around the world live soccer. Why? Because it is the most popular sport that the americans doesnt dominate..

Sure people love football for almost 2 centuries, cause there are no dominance of Americans, the same like in all other team sports, I love them all. But really hate basketball cause of that, those bloody Americans...

[reamily]

Sure people love football for almost 2 centuries, cause there are no dominance of Americans, the same like in all other team sports, I love them all. But really hate basketball cause of that, those bloody Americans...

When someone beats america in basketball, change of worlds power..Basketball is more tahn just a sport to the Americans..Thats why Russians love to build strong basketball teams during cold war, Iranians started building a strong basketball program, the Chinese, Kim Jong Un loves basketball..

[Steadysoul]

You guys are being a bit ridiculous! Soccer is not threatening basketball in America, it is threatening AMerican Football if anything. Parents do not want their kids play that sport anymore. I have many friends who played US Football and they will not allow their kids to play it, too dangerous, too much money, too much time, it has a definite negative side. Soccer though is much cheaper, safer and laid back. It is growing SUPER fast. NBC has lots of coverage, people under 25 are embracing it in a big way! FIFA played no small part in this, the US mens team and MLS as well. Soccer is coming and it is going to threaten all the major 4 sports. That isn't a bad thing though!!!

Basketball and soccer are growing and still on the upswing. One is a winter sport and one is a summer sport. Baseball and AMerican football should be a little worried. Do young kids even love or want to play baseball in America? I bet soccer already rivals baseball in the under 25 market. American football is king of the hill in the USA, but that could change. It'll be interesting to follow. The NBA and basketball are doing just fine, I wouldn't worry. The influx of international players and coaches has certainly helped that as well!

Football is too popular to go any where any time soon. They'll attempt to make it safer the moment it threatens the bottom line.

[Mindozas]

When someone beats america in basketball, change of worlds power..Basketball is more tahn just a sport to the Americans..Thats why Russians love to build strong basketball teams during cold war, Iranians started building a strong basketball program, the Chinese, Kim Jong Un loves basketball..

I heard Space Jam monsters also building new squad to beat Americans, this time led by Lebron. Can't wait for this game, it might change the world powers, even galaxy

[MZT Skopje]

Not even dream team seems to attract anyone now days. I Guess It become to broing with the domination. 1992 and 1996 very good but after that.

RIO 2016: Handball was the most popular after football!

The handball tournaments at “Future Arena” in Rio were the most popular at the Olympic Games 2016! The Brazilian Globo Esporte presented publication with the number of fans who were watching the sports competition during 17 days of the Olympics 2016. Handball is on the second place in the number of sold tickets only behind football!

In total, over 6.15 million of fans attended all the Olympic events in Rio.

Here is the TOP 5 sports in Rio in number of sold tickets:

Football
Handball
Beach volley
Basketball
Gymnastic

Nice news for the all handball lovers! The handball Olympic golds went do Denmark and Russia.

[auris1]

RIO 2016: Handball was the most popular after football!

The handball tournaments at “Future Arena” in Rio were the most popular at the Olympic Games 2016! The Brazilian Globo Esporte presented publication with the number of fans who were watching the sports competition during 17 days of the Olympics 2016. Handball is on the second place in the number of sold tickets only behind football!

In total, over 6.15 million of fans attended all the Olympic events in Rio.

Here is the TOP 5 sports in Rio in number of sold tickets:

Football
Handball
Beach volley
Basketball
Gymnastic

Nice news for the all handball lovers! The handball Olympic golds went do Denmark and Russia.

I do agree with you . Handball is a great team sport to watch . Probably best entertainment value than anything if you are neutral.
But...
For me ,personally , taekwondo is the best in Olympics . Effective scoring system , drama till the last second . Just perfect .
Archery and fencing , i like them too for the same reason .

[Dirtyh]

Handball is a great team sport to watch

Man, it think that I have read more about handball in these two weeks than in my previous life...

It's a game with zero attention and popularity in Finland. And it's not a wonder, to me it is one of the most boring ones.

[egisz]

Not even dream team seems to attract anyone now days. I Guess It become to broing with the domination. 1992 and 1996 very good but after that.

RIO 2016: Handball was the most popular after football!

The handball tournaments at “Future Arena” in Rio were the most popular at the Olympic Games 2016! The Brazilian Globo Esporte presented publication with the number of fans who were watching the sports competition during 17 days of the Olympics 2016. Handball is on the second place in the number of sold tickets only behind football!

In total, over 6.15 million of fans attended all the Olympic events in Rio.

Here is the TOP 5 sports in Rio in number of sold tickets:

Football
Handball
Beach volley
Basketball
Gymnastic

Nice news for the all handball lovers! The handball Olympic golds went do Denmark and Russia.

Could you please provide us with some sources? I have problem with trusting you after some misleading info you were providing us with before

[Mindozas]

I don't find handball boring, but for my taste, it definitely needs some rules improvement to be more entertaining, like f.e. volleyball did some time ago with changing scoring system and from my point of view, from really dull sport it became really watchable, intense, entertaining. F.e. one of the main things I dislike now in handball are those cheap fouls near 9m line, especially at the end of the game it just kills the flow, losing side also has close to none chances of winning with minute or couple left on clock, add to it that there's no strickt limit to attack.... Those fouls reminds me of that old, lame basketball rule, when fouled player/team at the end of the game could choose whether to shoot free-throws or to continue attack...
Handball was popular some 30 years ago in LT, when overall team sports was on the rise, we had legendary bball Zalgiris with Sabas, we had decent football Zalgiris team, and in handball we had Granitas, only club besides BC Zalgiris, which won European trophy in any team sports, EHF Cup in 1987.
So overall speaking handball is quite fun, but not the one to compete with basketball in terms of popularity, no matter how some of us would want to believe in it, I mean not only some TV rankings, but people playin' the sport and etc. Personally I even like some ice-hockey much more due to it's intensity. What comes to boring sports, no one can even come close to some cricket. Also I find american football (rugby ftw), baseball quite boring too. Even tho you could meet some guys carryin' baseball bats here in LT streets in some dark corners, but be sure they are not devoted baseball players coming home from late practise

[Beez]

Also I find american football (rugby ftw), baseball quite boring too. Even tho you could meet some guys carryin' baseball bats here in LT streets in some dark corners, but be sure they are not devoted baseball players coming home from late practise

I just read a story the other day about the rise in popularity of baseball bats in Russia. I couldn't tell if the author was joking or not.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/09/russia-baseball-bat-sales-skyrocketing-yikes-road-rage

[GustavoWoltmann]

People around the world live soccer. Why? Because it is the most popular sport that the americans doesnt dominate..

I agree, I love football too and USA really dominate basketball for now and maybe for years to come. But we don't know the ball is round and anything can happen. - Gustavo Woltmann

[Mindozas]

I just read a story the other day about the rise in popularity of baseball bats in Russia. I couldn't tell if the author was joking or not.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/09/russ...ikes-road-rage

I was joking a bit about Lithuania, but this article is not a joke especially since original source is big Russian news agency TASS, some drivers really carries bats, sticks in cars for it's "safety". Crazy things happens on roads there, you could check on youtube "russian road rage" or "russian road conflicts" or search with some similar keywords, some funny stuff