With the NBA finals upon us, it is time to revisit the idea of a legitimate world club basketball championship.
Why haven't the powers that be made this idea a priority? The popularity of this event seems so evident given this age of globalisation and the growth of basketball's global fan base.
Both baseball and ice hockey have enjoyed considerable success with their world competitions featuring top professionals representing their countries of birth.
Baseball fans watched games taking place around the world, culminating in a final series in the United States. Ice hockey's world cup followed on the heels of the successful Canada Cup series and is slated to take place again in 2011.
While basketball has similar events, such as the world championships for national teams, the sport also had a club world cup at one point. From 1966 to 1987, top clubs competed for the Intercontinental Cup and then from 1987 to 1999, top clubs, including the NBA's best, competed for the McDonald's Championship in Paris. These events no longer exist.
The winners of the NBA final have long been called the world champions. This misnomer was excusable because the league does have most of the top players in the world and as such it is within reason to make such claims of grandeur.
With the faltering US economy and the devalued US dollar, the time is now to consider the possibility of reviving the event. For the first time in generations, the US-based basketball clubs are facing competition for their talent.
Whereas in the past the NBA could offer top dollar to the world's best players, we may very well be entering an era where clubs in Europe, the Middle East and Asia are far more likely to have the funds to tempt them away. Last summer we had a glimpse of this possible scenario when the Greek club Olympiakos lured the then Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Childress.
The Hawks were not prepared to offer the money the Greeks put forward.
As players travel farther afield to sign with the highest bidder, the NBA as a central hub of talent will cease to be the case. If the riches offered in leagues from Spain to Turkey to China do indeed sway top athletes, the NBA championships will eventually become just another regional league title.
Simply put, the NBA are only a global league because they offer the most money. If this changes, basketball fans around the globe will become more and more inclined to want to see the best compete for a true world title.
The fact that in 2009 there is no cup-winners' series between the NBA and European league champions is a missed business opportunity. For the past few years, the NBA clubs have struggled to beat the European clubs in their friendly matches. While this is not to suggest the NBA and European basketball are now on par, the disparity is becoming less significant.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) have now planned a club world cup in 2010 in China, albeit without the participation of a European, NBA or Chinese league champion. It hardly seems worthwhile to run such an event without the involvement of the three most important basketball regions.
What is needed to pull off an event of this nature is: a big-time sponsor, a broadcasting network, the cooperation of both FIBA and the NBA, and an agreed location. This has all been done before. Given the economic climate, it is unlikely such an event could take place in the western world. Abu Dhabi is already set to host the Fifa Club World Cup.
Why not add a basketball world cup to the list of world-class events in the UAE?
gdole@thenational.ae
The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)
Lazio v Napoli (9pm)
Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)
Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)
Torino v Bologna (6pm)
Verona v Genoa (9pm)
Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)
Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)
The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJames%20Gunn%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chris%20Pratt%2C%20Zoe%20Saldana%2C%20Dave%20Bautista%2C%20Vin%20Diesel%2C%20Bradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500