Turkish Airlines was officially named the official bj-league title sponsor last Thursday. (http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/09/25/basketball/bj-league/turkish-airlines-becomes-top-sponsor/)
And it's too early to know if that two-year commitment will become permanent investment in the sport here.
So how will that affect the current 22-team league's reputation and standing within international basketball circles? And how does it stand now against its rival, the 13-team National Basketball League, aka NBL, which was formerly called the JBL (Japan Basketball League)?
Does Turkish Airlines' clout mean that the NBL is suddenly in a real dogfight for big sponsorship bragging rights?
Or, as a longtime Japan hoops observer put it in an email this week, "Does the Turkish Airlines deal mean that foreign companies see the bj-league as a better investment?"
Furthermore, will any of the just-cited points mean anything in six months, five years or 10 years based on FIBA's demands for a merger?
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/09/16/basketball/fiba-spells-out-demands-to-jba-as-deadline-approaches/
And will the expected FIBA suspension of the Japan Basketball Association, which has proven to be a highly dysfunctional leadership outfit for years, cause any of the current plans to be scrapped within a year or two, especially if public pressure grows for a merger if the deadline is missed and it proves to be a thorn in the side of Japan national teams?
The current landscape of the sport may be completely unrecognizable within a couple years here.
And it's too early to know if that two-year commitment will become permanent investment in the sport here.
So how will that affect the current 22-team league's reputation and standing within international basketball circles? And how does it stand now against its rival, the 13-team National Basketball League, aka NBL, which was formerly called the JBL (Japan Basketball League)?
Does Turkish Airlines' clout mean that the NBL is suddenly in a real dogfight for big sponsorship bragging rights?
Or, as a longtime Japan hoops observer put it in an email this week, "Does the Turkish Airlines deal mean that foreign companies see the bj-league as a better investment?"
Furthermore, will any of the just-cited points mean anything in six months, five years or 10 years based on FIBA's demands for a merger?
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/09/16/basketball/fiba-spells-out-demands-to-jba-as-deadline-approaches/
And will the expected FIBA suspension of the Japan Basketball Association, which has proven to be a highly dysfunctional leadership outfit for years, cause any of the current plans to be scrapped within a year or two, especially if public pressure grows for a merger if the deadline is missed and it proves to be a thorn in the side of Japan national teams?
The current landscape of the sport may be completely unrecognizable within a couple years here.
RSS Feed
