NBA’s foreign feel:
The playoffs are developing a new flavor as players like the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic take center stage.
LOS ANGELES – You see a lot of replica jerseys in the stands at NBA games, but more and more these days you also see flags. Big, bold, fluttering ones that regular fans sometimes struggle to identify.
The NBA’s international flavor has never been stronger, as the influx of imports continues to grow, bringing additional fans at a steady rate. The extent of the impact is seen in a number of ways, but it is on stark display during these playoffs, with many of the teams relying on foreign-born stars to great effect.
Nikola Jokic told USA TODAY when the season began that he believed the Denver Nuggets would be one of the best teams in the Western Conference and capable of landing one of the top seeds.
So it is, with Jokic becoming touted as one of the best passing big men in league history (Charles Barkley says he’s No. 1) and Serbian flags on display at arenas across the country when Denver is in town.
The Nuggets, the West’s No. 2 seed, are facing Portland in the Western Conference semifinals.
Jokic is not a rarity. Across these playoffs there were 60 players from 29 countries represented. The top scorer on five of the eight Eastern Conference postseason teams hails from outside America. The top rebounder on 10 of the 16 playoff squads wasn’t born here.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose team lost to Denver in seven games in the first round, was an early proponent of identifying foreign players, journeying to Europe before it became trendy to seek out new potential and then utilizing Tony Parker (Belgium, France) and Manu Ginobili (Argentina) as core tenets of four title-winning teams.
The Spurs-Nuggets series was loaded with overseas players — nine in total. Jokic was a monster in Denver’s Game 6 defeat, racking up 43 points and 12 rebounds. The Spurs had Patty Mills, Jakob Poeltl and Marco Belinelli making key contributions. Jokic had 21 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in Denver’s Game 7 win.
All 16 playoff teams had at least two international players.
The global nature of the NBA is bringing in fresh pairs of eyes. While soccer touches every corner of the planet, the reach of the NBA is also extraordinary yet still has room to grow.
Jokic is seen as the major factor why the NBA’s League Pass service reported a 395% increase in subscriptions in Serbia. The Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic can be thanked for a 186% jump in Slovenia, a country that already had a buoyant NBA fan culture.
Karl Doler, a Slovenian fan visiting Los Angeles, told USA TODAY at a recent game that the NBA has an obsessive following.
“It is still kind of niche, because not everyone is going to get up in the night to watch,” Doler said. “Almost everyone you talk to is quite well-versed in the NBA, not just in Luka.”
The Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the sport’s finest player — a candidate for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. He is an icon in Greece. Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic) and Nikola Mirotic (Bucks) have also generated great buzz in Montenegro. Australia is enjoying a surge spearheaded by Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers), while his teammate and Melbourne-born Kyrie Irving also has a lot of support.
“Most of the foreign players come in with great maturity and a lot of experience,” said nowretired Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, who was born in Germany. “They have been playing at a high level from a young age. The way the game is evolving plays to their strengths. In Europe, being a great shooter is really important.”
Perhaps the biggest development is that having international players, even a lot of them, is no longer seen as a novelty or in any way unusual. When it comes to how their rosters are compiled, NBA fans don’t want American players or foreign players, they just want talented players.
“Players who come from overseas want to win games and perform well,” said Los Angeles Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari, a native of Italy. “Just like everyone else.”