NBA Europa :: 5-9 :: Thanks Jing!

[c0nr4d]

i'll post this here too (already did in Global Hoops section)

Hey all,

I don't much find myself at NLSC anymore with my heavy workload, but I figured this would be a great opportunity to reconnect a bit. I am in the process of doing my final Graphic Design thesis at the University of Tennessee, and I have decided upon the idea of creating an affiliate league for the NBA in Europe, which I have coined the NBA Europa. The idea is much like the previous NFL Europe, where I will be creating a near-replica of the system and processes of the NBA with a European flair. I want to break some of the ideas of European club-league basketball and make a more unique league for the great basketball fans in Europe to enjoy. I have created a blog where I will be posting the steps of my process and where I am going with it...I know we've got alot of Europeans in the community (anyone else is a welcome opinion as well), so I ask for constructive criticism on the idea and what I have posted on the blog. You can either post your comments here or on the blog site, just as long as you say something please

CLICK HERE FOR THE BLOG

[Andrew]

One topic is enough for this, otherwise we run the risk of having two conversations about the same topic running independently of one another and in this case especially you'll probably want the feedback to be consolidated.

I'll check it out and post any thoughts that come to mind.

[Joe']

Replace Palermo with Milan, Bologna or Treviso. Palermo has no current basketball team not to mention zero interest in basketball whatsoever, while the three aforementioned cities are host to four of the most historically prestigious European basketball clubs.

[c0nr4d]

Replace Palermo with Milan, Bologna or Treviso. Palermo has no current basketball team not to mention zero interest in basketball whatsoever, while the three aforementioned cities are host to four of the most historically prestigious European basketball clubs.

alright...thanks for the insight.

to everyone:
Ive updated the blog with some initial logotype ideas...please take a look at those and make some comments about where you think I should go with that...as always, thanks for tuning in.

NBAE BLOG

[Andrew]

I like the first and third logos the best, though I think the red from the NBA logo should be retained to preserve consistency in the "brand".

[Null17]

Wish I took a similar major in college so I could partake in something like this. (Though I still ended up with a graphic design job so it's fine.) As for the logos, I agree with Andrew plus I feel the colors remind me of the Nuggets too much.

[diddy]

AWESOME, u name a lot of citys, but NOT the city of Euroleague champion, the most powerfull team in Europe - CSKA MOSCOW!

i have started a thread some mounth ago about nba europe! and first of all, NBA Europe should look at Russia - Moscow, Europe Champion is CSKA, and we have a few other strong team here, like Dynamo Khimki, Dynamo St.Petersburg, Uniks ...

[c0nr4d]

Made a list of the 8 cities I have chosen and some tentative nicknames for each city...please give this a look. I need help nailing these nicknames down!

CLICK HERE FOR THE BLOG

[Joe']

Longobardi di Milano (Milan Lombards) FTW! LOL I feel razorbacks don't really represent us meneghini. Nice work on the city selection, though, much better this time. Keep up the good work

[diddy]

okay, if there'll be such a league, there'll be no need to create new names, cuz, i can tell about Moscow - it would be " Moscow CSKA" - and they won't change name!

and u have some mistakes in "Stolychniy" word - it's not the name of team, metropolitans sounds good, but in Russian - it sucks! Russian language it very complicated, i try to explain in simpliest way to you, what's wrong with your team name of Russian team. Russian language has 6 cases (in Russian Padeges) : subjective case, dative, accusative, partitive ,instrumental , vocative
and almost every word in different padege has different ending like: stolichniy, stolichnogo, stolichnomu, stolichnim ... so in your case in english team name would be metropolitans all the way, but in Russian it should sound like: Stolichnue! but it sucks!

[erik_twism]

I like the the cities you mentioned, I´m pretty sure Berlin has a sportsclub with the name of "berliner bären" and the icehockey team is named Eisbären Berlin, so you it might be better to use a different name. I actually like Alba Berlin, as it is today.

[Joe']

Alba Berlin and CKSA Moscow, just like Virtus Bologna, Olimpia Milano or Maccabi Tel Aviv are way too "European" and don't really mean anything. They're just the names of the clubs, they don't really represent the city they're from. Not to mention if you had read Conrad's first post, you'd know the point of NBA Europa is to eliminate the whole club concept in Europe and create new franchises in the major Euro cities, just like those present in today's NBA. Create a European NBA, or bring a slice of America into Europe's basketball, if you will...

It's a great idea because, let's face it, clubs (like pretty much every other distinctive aspect of European basketball,) suck. The NBA is (by far) the greatest professional basketball league in the world partly because of this, because teams aren't just teams, they're franchises. And franchising, in my humble opinion, is much better than the structure present in all of Europe's top leagues. Let's leave the promotions and relegations, the youth teams, the violent and annoying ultras and hooligans (and tifo in general,) and the so-called "cup games" and "friendly" exhibitions to soccer and rugby leagues. All those aspects are what make basketball here in Europe boring and unappealing, almost un-basketball.

Okay, I'm rambling but my point is, new names ARE required. And not just names, we need completely new teams. A new league, identical to the American National Basketball Association, only in Europe.

[diddy]

Create a European NBA, or bring a slice of America into Europe's basketball, if you will...

i would love to...

It's a great idea because, let's face it, clubs (like pretty much every other distinctive aspect of European basketball,) suck.

totally agree...

Okay, I'm rambling but my point is, new names ARE required. And not just names, we need completely new teams. A new league, identical to the American National Basketball Association, only in Europe.

yes, we do need a new league, the one and only league in europe! but there is a great problem with names, cuz every country would love to name their team with the original language style name, but i have no problem with names in english!

[c0nr4d]

Joe,

you're right on the money there...im glad you understand where Im coming from here.

For the teams, I've finalized a couple nicknames:
- London Royals
- Beogradski Vitezovi
- Москва столичный
- Vilniaus Baronai (Barons)

Still need some feedback on these though:
- Barcelona (Counts or Dragons?)
- Berlin (something to do with Power, Strength, Force, or Energy)
- Stockholm Crowns? or something along those lines (im throwing out the Milan team)
- Prague (Lions or castle-ish?)

any suggestions are welcome please

[diddy]

how about Berlin Hitler - caputs? i think sounds good

[c0nr4d]

finalized the team names, and now on to mascots and creation of the initial logos...

BLOG IT UP!

thanks for takin' a look...

[diddy]

everything's great, but Moscow! i give you 100% that no one from Russia likes it!

[c0nr4d]

everything's great, but Moscow! i give you 100% that no one from Russia likes it!

what do you think the Moscow team should be called? and what mascot should i use?

also, thank you for responding

[c0nr4d]

well...i guess no one pays attention to this, but nonetheless...i've posted my first 2 primary logos for the teams:

BLOG

[buzzy]

Loving the logos, especially the Royals one.
If you really want to call Berlin's team Force, the call them 'Kraft' or 'Stärke'. 'Gewalt' means 'violence', and is never used as force in that way.
Berliner Gewalt sounds like a kind of raping club. (I'd have sticked with the bears anyway)

[Dan's Brain]

Also loving the logos. Dont know why Oklahoma City didnt just get you involved in the logo creation process.

[Joe']

Digging the logos, but kind of upset over you dumping the Milan team while still keeping London, Stockholm and Prague. I'm kind of upset regarding the location choices in general to be honest.

I think I've already said this but the English, Swedish and Czech aren't particularly keen on basketball. No team from these three countries currently plays in the Euroleague. And only one team from these three countries has EVER qualified to play in the Euroleague, in 1966.

On the other hand, there is not one, not two, but three (Milano, Varese, Cantù) very competitive and prestigious teams in the Milan metro area (a tiny area no more than 30 mi² in size,) that have won a total of 10 Euroleague Championships. Pallacanestro Varese won the Euroleague five times during the 70's, and they reached the finals every other year during that same decade.

Not to mention Italy also has Fortitudo Bologna, Virtus Bologna, Pallacanestro Treviso and Virtus Roma. All these teams have won and/or reached the finals/final four in the Euroleague. It'd be insane to create an NBA-like league in Europe and include no franchises in Italy (or Greece and Israel to be honest,) while including teams in England, Czech Republic and Sweden, countries which have no interest whatsoever in the game of basketball (a part from soccer, the English are only interested in cricket and rugby; the Swedes and Czech, also a part from soccer, only like ice hockey.)

To do such thing would be much more demanding, financially speaking (you'd be practically creating these teams from scratch, this means new venues, players and the cost to actually get the people to go watch some unpopular game they don't even know the rules of...)

If I may, the following is a set of twelve more accurately chosen locations (no offense) for NBA Europa:

- Madrid (Real Madrid, CB Estudiantes, Tau Baskonia)
- Tel Aviv (Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv)
- Moscow (CKSA Moscow)
- Milan (Olimpia Milano, Pallacanestro Varese, Pallacanestro Cantù, Benetton Treviso)
- Athens (AEK Athens BC, Olympiacos BC, Panathinaikos BC)
- Barcelona (Barcelona Basquet, Joventut Badalona, Pamesa Valencia CB, Unicaja Malaga CB)
- Kaunas (Zalgiris Kaunas, Lyetuvos Rytas BC, ASK Riga)
- Belgrade (KK Partizan, KK Crvena zvezda)
- Zagreb (KK Cibona, KK Zadar, KK Union Olimpija)
- Istanbul (Efes Pilsen and Fenerbahce Ulker)
- Berlin (Alba Berlin, SLUC Nancy, Le Mans Sarthe)
- Bologna (Fortitudo Bologna, Virtus Bologna, Scavolini Pesaro, Virtus Roma)

I hope you take my advice and change the locations and that you don't feel offended by my post. As I said earlier, I loved the logos, I just felt London and Stockholm don't really represent European basketball.

[c0nr4d]

damn Joe. i guess i did something right with the choices of moscow, barcy, belgrade, and berlin.

i chose the set of cities based on the idea of spreading the idea of bball in europe, and I don't want my league to compete with other successful club teams in various cities...i feel as if the people there would not change their allegiance to a team to be a fan of an all-new team with its only tie to the NBA and nothing historical within the city and the city's history of basketball.

[Andrew]

I think the choices of cities are fine seeing as such an endeavour wouldn't actually be a replacement for Euroleague and would surely be looking to expand into new markets. There could always be expansion and inter-league play to take advantage of certain established markets.

[diddy]

Royals is good, but you should draw smth on the BG of the shield!