Following Examples: How Asian Basketball Can Learn from American Sports Organizations

Basketball and its popularity in Asia have really grown these last few years. The NBA’s popularity and influence, both through its global academies which have helped young Asian players to develop and through its NBA Global Games in Beijing, Tokyo and Manila, have played a significant part. The organization has also formed strategic partnerships with some Asian basketball leagues, including Asia’s top basketball league, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). This enables knowledge sharing, business deals and player exchanges so that players receive exposure to the highest levels of the game.

The NBA can’t take the credit alone. Local leagues and tournaments have also kept basketball strong in Asia. Tech has played a part, too. But below is a look at what Asian basketball can learn from the NBA, NCAA and other American sports organizations, at the structure and funding of Asian basketball and where it can improve.

Willingness to receive new players

One thing that the NBA does exceptionally well is welcome overseas players to the league. The NBA works hard to expand and promote itself and welcomes players from all over the globe onto teams if they have the skills to play at the highest level. Meanwhile, the CBA, for instance, allows only two foreign players onto its teams, who can play only six quarters combined. Although the CBA league is the premier basketball league in Asia, the restriction lowers the quality.

Lots of European players have entered the NBA, made a real success of themselves and raised the level of the NBA. This is triggering investment in better training, coaching and facilities by clubs and federations in the players’ home countries, and young people are participating more in basketball. Encouraged by this, the NBA is developing programs across Europe.

Expanding into a wider continent

Expansion into other countries and continents is another strategic maneuver that is bringing American sports organizations success. The NFL, through NFL Internationals, hosts games in Europe and further afield and the NBA is currently looking at starting up an NBA Europe league.

The NBA isn’t the only organization entertaining expansion. In the NCAAF, America’s college football organization, expansion is also taking place. The College Football Playoff (CFP) will have a 12- team bracket in the 2025-26 season, and the Big Ten are considering an expansion to between 24 and 27 teams postseason. Now the NCAA’s Southeastern Conference (SEC) has ended a ninth game to its annual schedule. If you’re studying college football betting lines, things could get very interesting.

It appears that Asian basketball has been observing the NCAA and has created a pan-Asian college basketball league styled on the organization’s March Madness tournament. Initially, the league started in the first week with a tournament that features 12 college teams from mainland China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Ultimately, it will transform into a league that has playoffs at the end of it.

The funding of Asian basketball

In 2021, professional basketball in Asia took another step forward in structure and funding, by announcing a change in structure of the East Asian Super League (EASL). Initially, the league had begun by holding tournaments before the domestic season, but then it signed deals with pro leagues in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and a pro team in Hong Kong, and is transitioning into a fully integrated league.

The league is seizing on the basketball’s growing success in Asia and is an Asian basketball version of soccer’s Champions League. At the time of the announcement, the EASL was worth $100 million in value and, in December 2022, secured funding from Crest Entertainment, its lead investor, in the Series C round of raising investment, where the EASL hoped to raise 40 million USD.

The league makes money from sponsorship, tickets and media, and aims to become one of the top three basketball leagues in the world. However, it could face major competition from a Saudi sovereign wealth fund-backed league being planned that would span Europe and Asia.

Improving Asian basketball

Basketball, especially 3x3, is clearly popular in Asia and countries on the continent should look at focusing on this area to develop basketball talent. Tech could also be an immense help. The CBA is already going down the analytics path to gain stats and insight into how players can perform better. Not only these, but they can also use the analytics to understand their opponents better by seeing if they have any specific tendencies or can identify patterns in their play.

Basketball has grown incredibly popular in Asia and there’s plenty the continent’s basketball organizations can learn from American ones. Investment in home country basketball is essential, and expansion is also a good strategy. Both can encourage the nation’s youth and others to get on board with the sport and really enjoy it, whether watching, playing or even pursuing a professional career in basketball.