(Sponsored) The problem we tend to have with our domestic sports is that we overinflate their importance in a way that makes them feel excluded from the rest of the world.
If you wanted to get a good barometer of how the rest of the world views American sports, ask someone not from here what they think about the World Series.
It will most likely set them off on a rant about how much they dislike American sports and hope they don’t take off in their own country.
Fortunately, basketball is perhaps the only American sport that manages to shake off this image effectively, giving it the edge over football and baseball regarding international expansion.
Despite what NFL fans might tell you about the NFL London games and the recent matchup in Germany, there are far more basketball fans than football fans in both countries.
To non-American eyes, basketball is the superior game.
It should come as no surprise then to find out that the NBA is successfully gaining a foothold in several countries across the globe, most notably in Brazil, where viewing numbers have skyrocketed in recent years.
Soccer loving Brazilians, it seems, are just as likely to be found betting on Palmeiras and Corinthians games as they are to be weighing up the pros and cons of an NBA player props wager.
Out of every possible country on the planet, though, why has the NBA gained such a foothold in Brazil, of all places? Well, let’s see…
Game Style
Futbol, as it is known in Brazil, is not just the national sport; it is the de facto religion with kids and adults from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to the jungles of Manaus and everywhere between eating and sleeping football.
In Brazil, the terms futbol and joga bonito (The Beautiful Game) are interchangeable, which gives you an idea of how Brazilians see the game of soccer and how they feel it should be played.
Unlike other countries where winning is everything, in Brazil, fast, attacking, and skillful soccer is cherished.
In fact, one of the most popular variations of the game in Brazil is something called Futsal, which is a 5 v 5 game played on an indoor hardcourt (sound familiar?) that emphasizes ball control, technique, improvisation, and artistry (sounding even more familiar?)
Unlike other countries, the sporting public in Brazil is almost tailor-made to be receptive to basketball as it’s a sport that emphasizes so many of the characteristics that Brazilians cherish about their national sport.
(We can only apologize to Brazilians for showing Argentina in a final, but if you watch these highlights, you’ll notice a striking similarity to basketball.)
The Characters
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, commonly known as just Neymar, is a 31-year-old soccer star who plies his trade for Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal.
To the vast majority of the soccer world outside of Brazil, Neymar is the classic example of missed potential.
With the world at his feet in 2017, playing for one of the best teams in Europe, he took the backward step to join PSG, with many citing money as his main motivation.
Then, earlier this year, he took a similarly backward step to join Al Hilal, with everyone knowing that money was his main motivation.
Yet in Brazil, he is idolized, and that is despite him never winning a major international trophy or particularly shining on the world stage.
He is loved and adored, though, for his maverick personality and style of play, which are qualities that Brazilians adore.
The NBA, again, is a league that seems tailor-made for Brazilian sports fans, many of whom idolize the league’s most skillful and outrageous players.
Head down to Copacabana Beach, and you will see people wearing Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and Steph Curry jerseys.
The players who light up the court with their dazzling skills and feats of individual magnificence are the ones who capture the hearts and minds of the average Brazilian.
Luckily for the NBA, their league is full of such mavericks, allowing them to appeal to a vast demographic of sports fans in the country.
(Brazilians love flair players like Neymar, so it’s no wonder they love the flair on display in the NBA.)
In Summary
Soccer is perhaps a game less suited to the Brazilian way of life than basketball. Yet, Brazilians somehow brought their own unique flair and individuality to the game and became masters at it – winning 5 World Cups along the way.
Basketball seems more spiritually aligned with Brazil, so we are now seeing a massive rise in viewing figures in the country.
Perhaps, though, in a few decades, we will see the principles of Joga Bonito applied to basketball and more Brazilians lighting up the NBA.