The NBA should totally copy Greece's awesome outdoor basketball tournament idea
As we approach the start of the upcoming NBA season, we are starting to see more basketball played around the world and some of it rocks.
While it is not often that exhibition basketball games played in Greece capture such international intrigue, the Pavlos Giannakopoulos tournament was able to do exactly that.
With potentially over 42,000 fans reportedly in attendance at the Panathenaic Stadium (also known as Kallimarmaro Stadium) in Athens, they shattered a EuroLeague attendance record.
It was an iconic, unique atmosphere at the open air stadium that also played host to the first-ever Olympics of the modern era. The tournament featured a few prominent EuroLeague teams including Anadolu Efes, Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv, KK Partizan, and Panathinaikos. The vibes were otherworldly.
THIS IS MADNESS @Paobcgr pic.twitter.com/izqxYnVqfx
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) September 21, 2024
Even before the competition, it looked incredibly fun for fans.
But once the matches began, it was simply unparalleled. Look how cool this looked.
Imagine playing basketball in a historic outdoor stadium in Athens with 35.000 in attendance pic.twitter.com/3YNpDEUmrt
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) September 21, 2024
Several of the teams had memorable former NBA players on its roster.
But imagine how exciting this would feel with the best players in the world competing in this type of environment.
We already have the NHL Winter Classic for hockey and the NBA should try something similar. They can even get a title sponsor and use this as a fun way to make more money for the sport in an exciting fashion like this.
(Photo by Nick Paleologos / SOOC / SOOC via AFP)