Somewhere, David Stern must be smiling.
The NBA has had a significant presence at the Beijing Olympics. The games are being held in China, a nation with more basketball fans than the entire population of the United States. Fans have mobbed NBA players in Beijing, and the team’s arrival “at the Main Press Center just hours before the opening ceremony … triggered the largest media pack at a news conference [last week].” On more than one occasion, the players have been referred to as rock stars, with the frenzy surrounding Kobe Bryant in particular being likened loosely to Beatlemania.
The face of these games is arguably Houston Rockets star Yao Ming, who carried the flag for China — one of five current or former NBA players to do so. Other NBA stars carrying their nation’s flag included Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginobili and Andrei Kirilenko, two of whom are among the brightest stars in the league.
One of the biggest stories in these games is that of the Redeem Team, a collection of NBA stars out to reclaim the gold medal after a disappointing bronze finish at the Athens Olympics. That bronze may end up being a blessing in disguise for the team and the NBA — if Team USA wins the gold, the theme of redemption will give the feat far more attention and significance than if this was merely yet another consecutive victory.
The Redeem Team’s first game at these Olympics could end up being one of the most watched sporting events ever. Over one billion worldwide were projected to tune in to Sunday morning’s Team USA/China game, which the former won convincingly 101-70. The game drew a 9.5/24 overnight on NBC, with the network giving the game some added marquee value by dusting off John Tesh‘s Roundball Rock — which they plan on using for the rest of the basketball tournament.
The platform of the Olympics could give many NBA stars their most exposure — not just worldwide, but in the United States. The most viewers to ever watch LeBron James play in an NBA game is 9.9 million, for Game 4 of the 2007 NBA Finals. It is more than likely that Sunday morning’s USA/China game will surpass that number, and a potential gold medal game should do even better. The Olympics could possibly give people who would otherwise not watch the NBA a good look at James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and other young NBA stars.
On many levels, these Olympics have the potential to significantly benefit the NBA on the world and national stage, and not just by furthering the popularity of the league in China or showcasing star players from around the globe. If Team USA wins, it would go a long way to silencing one of the biggest criticisms of the NBA game — that the players lack the ability to play the type of team game that is required on the international level.
Of course, any positive effects on the NBA are fully dependent on Team USA winning the gold. Considering the wealth of talent on other teams, the success of the Redeem Team is still very much in question. But even if Team USA were to go down in defeat, the resulting public scorn will likely be less than in 2004 and even in 2000 — when the gold medal winning team was roundly reviled. Overall, these Olympic games appear to be a win-win opportunity for the NBA and basketball in general.
