NBA All-Star tour is great for basketball
Columnist By Michael DiFabrizio, 27 Oct 2011 Michael DiFabrizio is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Basketball, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, NBA, NBA world tour, NBL
Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Dwayne Wade and Kevin Durant are all coming to Australia. LeBron James might be, too. The six-game world tour of NBA stars that was a mere rumour last week appears to be going ahead – which means two superstar-filled games in Melbourne on November 8 and 9.
ESPN reported yesterday afternoon that terms and logistics for the tour, dubbed the World All-Star Classic, were finalised and an announcement was imminent. Rod Laver Arena has also apparently confirmed the event.
It’s unknown what the ticket prices will be or what the entire rosters will look like, but one thing is for certain: this is huge news.
If you thought a David Beckham exhibition game was cool, try nearly two dozen of the NBA’s biggest stars coming here in the middle of their careers.
Wowee.
For fans of the game locally, this means basketball will be thrown into the media spotlight in a manner it hasn’t been for some time. The game looks set for some genuine exposure, which you could probably say it’s in desperate need of at the moment.
The exhibition games also mean young basketballers will get the chance to see, and be inspired by, the best players in the world. Hopefully a few young non-basketballers will see these guys up close and get inspired, too.
Primarily, though, none would be more happy with this news than the Australian NBA fan, who usually must travel half-way around the world to see their heroes live.
What a treat it will be for anyone who’s ever spent a ridiculous amount on shipping fees to get their favourite player’s jersey, or woken up early to catch their team in an afternoon game, or – and these guys get extra points for dedication – actually gone and travelled half-way around the world to see their heroes live.
For once, the All-Stars will be coming to them, and not vice versa.
The cynics out there will say that the exposure stuff will only provide a short-term hit – that, once the carnival has packed up and left, there won’t be a lasting benefit from the games.
There may be an element of truth in that argument. But how can you look at this in such a pessimistic manner when it isn’t actually costing the local game (specifically, Basketball Australia) anything?
For nothing, the local basketball community has a chance to show that the sport can indeed still fill Rod Laver Arena. Given there’s a perception with some people that basketball just isn’t popular anymore, that’s a pretty valuable opportunity.
A total of 18 players will take part in the two games, with Bryant, Howard, Wade and Durant to be joined by 14 of the following: James, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Carlos Boozer, Tyson Chandler, Steve Nash, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo and Chris Kaman.
For those of you who may not recognise some of those names, or question their standing globally, each of the players will receive a salary ranging from six figures to $1 million. For playing six games. Six.
I’ve said it once, now I’ll say it again. Wowee.
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The Crowd Says (16) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
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- Basketball, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, NBA, NBA world tour, NBL
October 27th 2011 @ 6:53am
Ian Whitchurch said | October 27th 2011 @ 6:53am | Report comment
Its pretty amazing that this article can be written without mentioning the fact that these players, along with the entire playing staff of the NBA, have been locked out by their team owners, and that this tour is being organised, very specifically, without the involvement of the NBA.
October 27th 2011 @ 9:23am
st penguin said | October 27th 2011 @ 9:23am | Report comment
Um, I think it’s common knowledge that there is an NBA lockout. Does it even need to be mentioned??
October 27th 2011 @ 10:03am
Ryan O'Connell said | October 27th 2011 @ 10:03am | Report comment
Why is that amazing?
October 27th 2011 @ 5:00pm
Tristan Rayner said | October 27th 2011 @ 5:00pm | Report comment
Ian, do you ever give positive feedback? Why do you only comment with criticism?
Tristan (Ed.)
October 27th 2011 @ 5:40pm
Ian Whitchurch said | October 27th 2011 @ 5:40pm | Report comment
Because the sub-editors have done a misleading headline again.
This *very specifically* is not an NBA tour. It is not affilitiated with the NBA. It will not use any of their intellectual property.
A headline like “Basketball All Stars tour great for the game” would have been true, and accurate.
October 27th 2011 @ 5:59pm
Tristan Rayner said | October 27th 2011 @ 5:59pm | Report comment
They’re NBA All-Stars, Ian.
October 27th 2011 @ 6:03pm
Michael DiFabrizio said | October 27th 2011 @ 6:03pm | Report comment
Ian, to be clear: the tour is (was?) headlined by NBA All-Stars, hence the use of that term in the headline. Surely you can understand a tour of NBA All-Stars being described as an ‘NBA All-Stars tour’?
It would be misleading if there were, say, a capital ‘T’ in Tour (indicating that was the actual name of the event), or if it was claimed within the article that this was an NBA-sanctioned event, but neither is the case here.
October 27th 2011 @ 9:31pm
Ryan O'Connell said | October 27th 2011 @ 9:31pm | Report comment
Ian, the headline is not misleading. It’s not inaccurate. It’s not un-true.
The players that were mentioned as potentially heading to Australia are, or have been, NBA All Stars. Fact.
October 27th 2011 @ 9:04am
Michael DiFabrizio said | October 27th 2011 @ 9:04am | Report comment
UPDATE: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul will not be taking part in the tour. This, along with talk of progress in lockout negotiations, has led to speculation the tour may be on shaky ground. The latest news is ticket sales in Puerto Rico have been suspended, according to Ira Winderman. Looks like the tour might be headed back into the “too good to be true” basket it came from. We shall see.
October 28th 2011 @ 8:56am
Pauly Pops said | October 28th 2011 @ 8:56am | Report comment
This tour is big bulls bollox!
No.1 — most of the players are pulling out to spend time with their families
No.2 — there isn’t much time left if it were announced to plan tickets/accommodation and transport to this event, to see this once in a decade or half century tour. So every minute that passes it becomes less likely to be going ahead.
I guess the thought never crossed them with their mulit-million dollar salaries that they can organise their most important family members to come with them or stay abroad for a week or two and see some real beaches.
October 27th 2011 @ 9:44am
thesportsguy said | October 27th 2011 @ 9:44am | Report comment
the trio mentioned that there is a possiblity the season might be saved……………so if 3 of the biggest brightest stars in the league believe there may be a season, maybe there just might be!!
October 27th 2011 @ 1:57pm
Michael DiFabrizio said | October 27th 2011 @ 1:57pm | Report comment
UPDATE 2: There’s good news and bad news. The good, according to Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter: “World tour list of confirmed players includes: Kobe, Wade, Amare, Griffin, Boozer, Durant, Bosh, DHoward, Garnett, Pierce, Rondo, Chandler.”
And the bad, according to Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter: “Appears only Sunday game in Puerto Rico is set on what was supposed to be a ‘global’ tour. Organizers need to prove they can pull that off.”
So, for now, Aussies are back in limbo. The games aren’t cancelled, but the promoters need to “pull it off” in Puerto Rico. Talk on Twitter is that Rod Laver has been booked and paid for, so don’t rule anything out.
October 27th 2011 @ 5:14pm
JVGO said | October 27th 2011 @ 5:14pm | Report comment
Would be great for basketball in Oz. Lebron in particular has to be seen in person to appreciate what a freak of an athlete he is. But very unlikely to happen I’d suggest. Europe and Asia would offer much bigger paydays and promotion payoffs than OZ.
October 27th 2011 @ 7:41pm
Chaos said | October 27th 2011 @ 7:41pm | Report comment
LeBron pulled out because he would have to play the last quarter….
(Drumroll cymbol)
November 3rd 2011 @ 4:04pm
the chief said | November 3rd 2011 @ 4:04pm | Report comment
The game is reported to happening in Aus in Melbourne on 11th Nov. its 4th Nov now and ticketek still can’t say if its happening or not.
November 3rd 2011 @ 4:09pm
the chief said | November 3rd 2011 @ 4:09pm | Report comment
whether these matches are NBA sanctioned or nor does not detract from the fact that these players are without doubt the elite of basketball players anywhere in the world and well worthy of their basketball status