Bryant believes European basketball already has a unique identity built on tradition, rivalries and passionate fan bases. At the same time, he acknowledged that the NBA could help the sport grow as a business, as long as the essence of the European game is preserved. “Europe already did the hard part. The rivalries, the buildings, the meaning. You cannot buy that, and the NBA knows it,” Bryant wrote while discussing the unique atmosphere and traditions that define the continent’s basketball culture. The EuroLeague First Team selection believes the NBA and European basketball bring different strengths to the table. “The NBA brings what European basketball has never had at scale. Capital, a global distribution machine, and decades of turning a sport into a business,” Bryant explained. “The EuroLeague brings the part money cannot buy. A product that is already real. Rivalries that go back generations. Buildings where every game feels like it matters.”

EuroHoops.net

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