A Conversation with David Stern on the NBA's Globalization
I spoke with former NBA Commissioner David Stern about the NBA’s early global outreach for my in-process book, Basketball Empire, on the hidden story of how and why France has become a major pipeline for international players. His first question was, “why are you doing fringe basketball?”
The Top Stories for 2020
There’s a lot to be excited for as we kickoff the new decade. I’m looking to 2020 as I continue to build out two key basketball stories of my own, but I also see 2020 as a break out year where many of the trends and movements in the global sports sphere finally bear fruit. Primarily, these are stories where cross-sport and cross-cultural influences—often influenced by different types of sports diplomacy—make all the difference.
Heroes of (Sport) Diplomacy
Here is why U.S. Consul at St. Étienne William H. Hunt is my nominee for #sportsdiplomacy hero extraordinaire
#WorldGotGame
If you haven’t followed the FIBA World Cup in China this month, you’ve missed out on some great games. That’s because competition has tightened significantly, somethingI France captain Nicolas Batum articulated to me at the start of Les Bleus’ training camp.
Marine Johannès' Rêve Américain
“If you talk to Marine, you have to get close to her because when she speaks she’s very quiet,” Batum told me of his hometown basketball “sister” Marine Johannès, the WNBA’s 13th French player who is living her American dream this summer.
Why France Still "Won" World Cup 2019
The aftermath was bitter. While only one team won yesterday’s quarter-final showdown on the field (that would be the USWNT), France and Les Bleues won this tournament in another way.
How Do They Make Les Bleues?
A lot has changed since the early 2000s when the first wave of female footballers emerged from Clairefontaine, among them legendary icons Laura Georges, Louisa Nécib (Cadamuro), Camille Abily, and Amandine Henry. So: what does the Pôle France Féminin du football look like today?