With the NBA lockout, more players are considering playing overseas in places like Europe, China, and the Middle East. Is this a good thing for the future of basketball? Do you think the NBA will be the dominant basketball league in the world years from now?
I dont think a lockout is good for any major league sport, just as a strike of employees is bad for any company. I see the point you are trying to make with a possible larger fan base worldwide, but basketball has already been growing in popularity on its own. NBA players overseas would raise the level a little bit, but at the expense of a better local fan base in the U.S. I dont see that as a comparable tradeoff. Only one league I have actually seen pull off a lockout and grow as a sport, in my opinion. I think the NHL lockout did wonders for the sport, because the lockout was able to address many major issues with the league relating to fanbase. It did a major overhaul on its rules to increase scoring and make the sport more exciting to a wider audience. I dont see what the NBA lockout could achieve along this level, as it is already a high paced, high scoring game, and I see it as being in a critical stage in its growth. I had started seeing an expanding fan base and growing enthusiasm for the league in recent years, and I think this is going to give the league a big blow if they miss any games.
