Commissioner Adam Silver thrilled about impact of 1st global NBA Finals
For the first time in NBA history, the Finals will be a truly international event and commissioner Adam Silver seems ecstatic about this development.
The Toronto Raptors will host the Golden State Warriors for the first two games of the NBA Finals and with a horde of media across the globe in town ahead of Thursday’s Game 1, Silver couldn’t help but remark about the larger impact of the Raptors’ inaugural Finals appearance.
“Well, to your point, it clearly demonstrates what an international sport we are. I look at what progress we've made in Canada since we expanded in '94. We have more players from Canada — other than the United States — than any other country right now. We have 13 players from Canada right now. The sport has become enormously popular with young people there,” Silver said, during an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up.
“And also Toronto, particularly, is an incredibly diverse city. I think it's very representative of the modern NBA where 25 percent of our league is composed of players that were born outside of the United States. So it's a signal of sorts to a global market. Of course we've talked about expanding potentially to other countries as well.”
The city of Toronto lost its collective mind after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks to advance to the Finals, scenes which were shared and certainly resonated with all basketball fans.
It’s undeniable that the Raptors making it to the Finals could have a seismic shift on the city and country’s sporting landscape and Silver is happy to celebrate this development as the NBA continues to be a global leader on many fronts.
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