"This is the billion dollar question" - NBA mulling over FIBA-operated league in Europe sparks fan debate

The NBA is undoubtedly the biggest and most popular professional basketball league in the world despite being based exclusively in North America. However, this could change soon as it was recently reported that the league's office is looking to create a new league in Europe.

As per Sportico and Eurohoops.net, the NBA is currently in a stage where they are exploring the options to create a whole new league in a whole new continent in partnership with FIBA.

This comes after the EuroLeague expanded to include a new team from Dubai into its fold.

This could be an exciting venture if executed correctly. However, many fans who read that the NBA wants to expand and set up a brand new league on a whole new continent have met the news skeptically.

One fan pointed out that this might encounter issues because basketball already has a huge presence in Europe, and fans might not find it easy to come by.

On the other hand, some fans seemed more open to the prospect of having a whole new league and what this could mean for the NBA and basketball in general. Others started sharing ideas on how it could work.

The last five NBA MVP awards went to international players

The last time an American player won the NBA MVP award was in 2018 when James Harden won. After that, the "Greek Freak" Giannis Antetokounmpo won two consecutive times.

Afterward, Nikola Jokic from Serbia solidified his rise to superstardom by winning the award in 2021 and 2022. He was also a legitimate contender to win his third last season but Joel Embiid from Cameroon ended up with it.

These five years mark only the second time the MVP award went to an international player several years in a row. The first time it happened was from 2005 to 2007, when Steve Nash won it back-to-back (2005, 2006), followed by Dirk Nowitzki (2007). Before that, only one other international player was named MVP, Nigeria's Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994.

This year, Jokic is again leading the pack and Antetokounmpo is also making another bid for his third. Additionally, Canada's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also putting up an MVP-worthy performance.

About the author

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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