RetroDetektiv

It is impossible to expect the teams there to grow if they have no chance to go anywhere.In the beginning until the second league catches up they could have a play out ( series to 4 ) for the last 2 teams.If a team could get to the NBA you will see a lot of teams emerging everywhere.If that does not popularize the sport I don't know what will.

You actually add markets ( Seattle and many other cities can make their own teams ) and it increases popularity of the sport .2-4 worst teams go to second league ( D league ) and first 4 teams from second league go into first league.Also have cash prizes dependent on where you are on the final table and not everyone gets equal shares.The draft is also totally unnecessary Of course that would also mean that some teams will have almost no chance of winning a title but at least every game will be interesting.

As I said I have a limited knowledge of american football and baseball for me is not really a sports.Why some sports are more popular than others I really can't answer because there a million reasons and as much factors.There are plenty of interesting sports out there that don't get a fraction of the attention that they deserve. You can blame the NBA for the way that they have organized the league and the game but the teams and the fans are as much at fault.

From my limited knowledge of american football and baseball a single player in those sports can not dominate the game as one can in basketball.As for the fans the NBA is at fault as much as the sports culture.The NBA is just giving people what they want.

Fighting is not everything propaganda and fanaticism is much more effective at garnering fans and on a long term at that ,fighting most of the time gets you less supporters because average people don't want to be involved in fights .You just make everything in Atlanta about Hawks ,have basketball programs in every school and give kids hawk jerseys.Play tough basketball and the rest will take care of it self.There doesn't have to fighting to take care of the bandwagon fans there just needs to be an atmosphere where they would be ashamed to root for another team. A good tradition is for the fans to sing a team song while the teams are being introduced.It is easy to organize,everyone can participate and it pumps up the crowd.

I understand what they are ,we have the same thing in Europe and it is dealt with with extreme prejudice,bandwagon fans are the most hated group of them all .But in the end it is simply a different sport culture.

If you hate being out supported by other teams fans in your hall make a fan group.

If you only reason for not watching is because there is no way then here : http://www.wiziwig.tv/index.php?part=sports

Do you really think that London is a good place to show off a basketball team ? The British are the most unsporting nation in Europe.All they care for is football and then after a long wait there is probably darts/horses or something like that.Basketball is played and watched in Southern and Eastern Europe.If you want exposure in Europe for a basketball team you play in Istanbul,Moscow,Belgrade,Athens,Milan not in London where 90% of the audience will be Americans who work in London or immigrants. I really don't understand what is the deal with London and the o2 arena they have been buying events in every sport .The Euroleague F4 was a farce,they organized it so bad that at one point some players took brooms to wipe the floor them self's because the guys whose job was it were incompetent now the want to have the handballs F4 which will have the same result.If it is not football London and the UK are the places where other sports go to die. Also I think I must add that it takes more to get international support than signing up players.The NBA was HUGE in the Balkans in the 80`s and 90`s .Every night in 2-3`am people would gather outside to watch games and then go to work directly.Every kid knew every team and every player.Today most discussions about the NBA are about players and teams in the 80`s and 90`s.What turned people off was the fact that teams could move which for a European is an unimaginable thing,tanking and than the first 2 brought the notion that it was not a sport but entertainment.Play good basketball and give all you have in every game and international support will come Memphis became really popular because of their defense,Minnesota was popular briefly because they signed a lot of European players but because of they way the play everyone now thinks of them as losers .

I have been reading the post for some time so I decided to join for this thread Jusuf Nurkic is a center and if he applies for the draft he would probably be a 15-20 pick so in theory Atlanta could sing him.Also I think that Atlanta should look at Sergio Rodriguez from Real Madrid he is a 27 year old classical PG.He last played in the NBA 3 years ago so he should be a free agent.