| With a hip slogan that passionately states, | | | | the last 20 years. The league now has 11 |
| "I Love This Game!" the National Basketball | | | | offices in locations outside the United |
| Association (NBA) has a very high standard to | | | | States, and during the 2005-06 season |
| meet. While the league apparently presumes | | | | distributed programming to 215 countries and |
| its fans' eternal affection for the game, a | | | | territories in 43 languages, according to |
| valid question remains is the league as | | | | their official Web site. League games |
| well-liked as in previous years? | | | | presently reach 3.1 billion viewers |
| | | | worldwide, and merchandise is sold in more |
| The league attendance statistics answer | | | | than 100 countries on six continents. China |
| positively. By most measures, the 2005-06 | | | | is the NBA's second-largest market after the |
| season was a huge success. The league ended | | | | U.S. |
| the season with the loftiest average | | | | |
| attendance in history and the best total | | | | Reflecting the global aspect of the sport, |
| attendance, surpassing the previous records | | | | opening night team rosters for the 2006-07 |
| from 2004-05. The average attendance of | | | | season featured a league history best 83 |
| 17,558 fans per game surpassed the 2004-05 | | | | international players from 37 countries and |
| record of 17,314 fans per game, and the | | | | territories, marginally surpassing last |
| 1995-96 average of 17,252. The new total | | | | season's 82. Twenty-eight of the 30 teams |
| attendance record of 21,595,804 eclipsed the | | | | feature at least one international player. |
| previous record of 21,296,497 established in | | | | With a total league roster of 440, |
| 2004-05, and the 1995-96 total of 20,513,218 | | | | international players account for a full 19 |
| fans going to regular season games. Overall, | | | | percent. |
| NBA stadiums were filled to 91.4 percent | | | | |
| capacity. | | | | So, it looks like that the NBA is headed in |
| | | | the right direction as the league continues |
| NBA Commissioner David Stern, when asked | | | | to gain more fans around the world, drawing |
| about the league's accretion in popularity | | | | young would-be ballplayers from all corners |
| said: "Our attendance record demonstrates the | | | | of the planet. One would hardly be faulted |
| extraordinary connection that exists between | | | | for predicting that the number of |
| players and fans, and we are thankful for our | | | | foreign-born players will continue to grow |
| fans continued support and passion for the | | | | for the foreseeable future. Along with more |
| game." | | | | players from different locales will naturally |
| | | | come more national interest from the people |
| Rated as the most authoritative commissioner | | | | in those places. |
| of any major American sport, Stern garnered | | | | |
| the #1 spot on the 2006 Sporting News "The | | | | In answer to the question posed in the title, |
| Power 100" survey. | | | | as it turns out a large number of fans all |
| | | | around the world would indeed say, "I love |
| The game of basketball has tremendously | | | | this game! |
| increased in popularity around the globe in | | | | |