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Basketball is one of the most popular fast-paced sports across all continents. There is no shortage of fans all over the world but NBA and EuroLeague are the two major events during which the basketball fever gets serious. It is amazing to witness a major sport played differently in two iconic scenarios and fans love both versions.
NBA vs EuroLeague
For those who are new to the sport, it is important to understand the differences between NBA and EuroLeague.
NBA dominates the game
Since sports fans in the United States love basketball more than any other place in the world, the National Basketball Association (NBA) in North America enjoys elevated prestige. Love for NBA legends is right up there with the love that top MLB players receive in the US.
NBA is to basketball what the Ashes is to cricket. The quality of matches, performances of the players, and approach towards the game are all different and much admired as compared to what people see in other leagues.
The ever-increasing dominance of the NBA is such that in itself, the North American league is the face of the sport. In many countries, NBA is primarily the introduction and ambassador of basketball. One of the reasons for its success is that the number of top European players on NBA rosters has been on the rise.
The Americans live and breathe basketball
The grassroots structure is so strong in the US that their players can outplay any top side in any other league. Yes, global broadcasts have taken the game to other continents and Europe has its league but there is still a long journey ahead.
With the US players, it feels like they started shooting hoops as soon as they started to walk. However, in Europe, kids generally learn to walk and run while kicking a football. You are more likely to see the next Bradman from Australia, the next Ronaldo from Europe, and the next LeBron James from the US.
Expecting the quality performance and dominating consistency of players in the EuroLeague is not wise. But things seem to be on the right track to entertain fans.
NBA’s excitement comes from superstars
Like most other sports, the strategies in the EuroLeague dominate the gameplay. It is good to keep the sport above the players but the downside is that it makes the sport less versatile. Fans can hardly expect something out of the box since the rigid emphasis on preplanned strategies keeps players from trying something different.
The EuroLeague cannot match the quality of the NBA superstars who sit at the top of the NBA MVP ladder. This is what makes NBA more exciting because fans can always expect something stunning at any stage of the game. The potential of a surprise is essential for the success of a sports league. The flexibility in the gameplay keeps the NBA superstars above their peers in Europe.
Another big reason for this difference is that Americans tend to follow their favourite superstars. The dominant portion of the European viewership is loyal to the respective favourite clubs.
Different rules
The three-point line is shorter in the EuroLeague compared to the NBA. Other rule differences include the setting of screens and the number of personal fouls allowed per game.
NBA is more freestyle in nature since the rules allow loose travelling. European leagues have tweaked these rules in recent years, however.
The NBA has successfully managed to restrict the frequency of physical contact while EuroLeague still struggles with unwanted physicality.
The money factor
When it comes to money, you cannot undermine EuroLeague basketball. More money is coming in to develop better infrastructure.
It is particularly visible with the clubs that have an association with popular European football clubs including Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona.
Yes, there is no shortage of money when considering the league in isolation but if you compare it with the financial stature of the NBA, the EuroLeague needs much more funding to close the gap.
Will there ever be a comparison?
Realistically, it will take decades for EuroLeague to compete with the NBA or perhaps more than that.
The problem with sports is that bringing in superstars from the established teams does not make a lasting impact instantly. This process takes decades to make a game popular among nations where people already love other sports. But there is no quick solution either.
European players participate in NBA games which is good for them to master the game. But it is more important for the league to try bringing more NBA superstars to Europe to make things exciting for viewers. The EuroLeague at some stage might have to consider compromising on strict strategy-based gameplay.
The good thing for global fans is that they get to see two different styles of the same sport. Variation is good. The downside comes for the EuroLeague – they are always fighting a losing battle against the NBA.
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