Well, that was fun!

Thanks to those who joined me in celebration of World Basketball Day by sharing their bon mots, questions, thoughts on the game’s global imprint, Basketball Empire, and so much more. 

Stepping back to look at the big picture, here are three key takeaways from the exercise: 

1️⃣ Basketball is a universal connector 🤲 and while much is known about the global game, there’s a thirst for more. This ties into a discussion I had recently: in our digital-native, siloed sports and media environment, who is creating and preserving 21st century narratives and sporting myths that will shape the culture and lore for decades to come? 

2️⃣ Storytelling the athlete experience ⛹️ including that of pioneers, unsung heroes, and culturally fascinating players, remains a pivotal portal into examining larger issues pertaining to the game, from globalization and tech to health, gastronomy and more. This includes business and the issue of competition in professional leagues 😉

3️⃣ Basketball serves as a passport to the world 🌍🌎🌏 for sportspeople and coaches to the media, fans, and others. That’s part of its universal appeal, beyond the game’s rhythms and use as an educative and lifeskills tool. As such, it naturally facilitates better understandings of each other–and, with some self-reflection–about ourselves. 

Now, “getting into the weeds,” here’s the roundup. I may not have all of the answers to the (very good) questions posed, but accept those as one of my 2024 challenges—so stay tuned!

I’ve unlocked the comments, so feel free to respond or add to the discussion – but please play nice!

Top of Mind

Sébastien Audoux, who lived the French incursion into the NBA as part of his sports broadcast career, picked up on the mother-son connection highlighted in Basketball Empire of Élisabeth Riffiod and Boris Diaw, adding his own Diawesque anecdote. It is just one illustration of how this “Frenchiest of dudes in the NBA” was a living legend among the U.S. and international press corps far beyond the basketball realm. 

Paoline Ekabmi, whose story as the first Frenchwoman to play NCAA Division One basketball forms the foundation of that basketball migration trajectory, shared one of her favorite parts of Basketball Empire – its spotlight on French pioneers in the NCAA and WNBA.

For writer Greg Jacobi, who represents my hometown Carlisle, MA connection and is a lifelong player and connoisseur, “Among many, MANY things, I was intrigued to learn how the founding of Canal+ in the mid-80s and in particular the game announcing of excitable, court/street savvy George Eddy played a crucial role in moving the game forward among the French public.”

For sports industry professional (and former SOAS colleague) Jose Gigante, “in England” with a spotlight on some of the breakthrough teams there.

Friends at All Parisian Games, who prepare for their Winter League Dec. 28-29th, had the best “bon dites” sentiments as they urged people to “Unite, Celebrate, Inspire” in celebration of World Basketball Day. “Let's use our culture to make the world a better place.” I couldn’t agree more!

Tell Me More!

• Can you share any funny/intriguing stories about the ‘McGregor tours’ of the 1960s, when sports agent Jim McGregor took motley groups of post-college American players around the globe to market them to foreign teams? That whole situation sounds like a hoot, especially in the 60’s! 

  • There are surely enough of these stories to form a collection unto their own. Some appear in Basketball Empire, as well as in the “Basketball Diplomacy Africa Oral History Transcript of Carmine Calzonetti and Kenny Grant,” but perhaps we should ask Kenny, himself 😜

• How many European players in the 1990s and early aughts had Vlade-level smoking habits, and were those that made the NBA put into detox programs? (Or was Vlade the only one?) 

• To what extent is 🇺🇸 basketball willing to take on board other international leagues / unions in the development of the game worldwide ? And what for ? 🙌🙌 merci

• In what ways has the globalization of basketball influenced the perception of athletes and their roles as cultural ambassadors? #BasketballEmpire #UnitedWeHoop

• Did you know the oldest basketball court in the world is at a YMCA in Paris? The mats they use for warm-ups? Fiesta colors. Just sayin'.

Chapeau

Thank you to Digital Sports Desk’s Terry Lyons, whose role building NBA International’s communications and PR shop provided unique insights to the game’s globalization. Terry has been part of the larger basketball diplomacy ride since I first began working on the concept; you can catch my preview of the ways that Massachusetts and the Boston Celtics play a role in basketball’s global rollout, including its French chapter at Digital Sports Desk. 

A standing ovation to Roger Jackson, who I worked for years ago at ESPN Magazine’s research department and who always challenges me to think about basketball more broadly, including the connections from the American NBA nexus to the larger “so what” globally. 

Hats off also to Jonathan Haddad, Amb. Samuel Ducroquet, Chris Dial, The Basketball Embassy, Rebecca Ross, Michael Turner, Jonathan Johnson, Kenny Grant, Annie Feinberg, Mirin Fader, Fabrice Gautier, Michel Rat, Trina Bolton, Sally Roberts, Kely Nascimento, and Sarah Hillyer for their efforts.

My deep thanks to those who send or post photos of Basketball Empire as it journeys around the world. Here are a few I’ve managed to capture; if I’ve missed any, please retag me or send them in!

And please continue help us document Basketball Empire’s global journey towards the 2024 Paris Games, let’s add to the map!