NBA returns to Mexico on Saturday with Wizards-Heat matchup

NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum sat down in the lounge of USA Basketball’s team hotel in Paris. He had just come from a meeting and had two more on his agenda.

The night before, he watched the U.S. beat Serbia in the men’s semifinal, and later in the day he planned to attend the U.S. women’s semifinal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. That was just a snapshot of Tatum’s busy July-August schedule, which included nearly a month in France plus a quick trip back to the United States for a GM meeting where he sits on the board.

It’s the kind of globetrotting Tatum is used to as the person leading the NBA’s international efforts.

The league’s global footprint continues to grow and on Saturday the Washington Wizards will play the Miami Heat in Mexico City, which will be the 33rd game in the country (preseason and regular season). This comes after the preseason game in Abu Dhabi between the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets and ahead of two scheduled games in January in Paris between the San Antonio Spurs (bonjour, Victor Wembanyama) and the Indiana Pacers.

The NBA tied a league record with 125 international players from a league-record 43 countries on opening night. Wembanyama was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, and fellow countrymen Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr were the top two picks in the 2024 draft.

The last six MVPs (Nikola Jokic three times, Giannis Antetokounmpo twice and Joel Embiid once) were born outside of American Grassroots efforts such as Basketball Without Borders (BWB), which helps African countries develop players. South Sudan’s solid performance at the Olympics underlines this point.

The NBA also continues to explore a financial interest in European basketball events, possibly the Euroleague, to help maximize revenue and exposure.

USA TODAY Sports spoke with Tatum about the international growth of basketball and the NBA.

(Questions and answers edited for clarity and brevity):

USA TODAY: What opportunities exist for the NBA regarding the European leagues?

Tatum: We (the NBA and FIBA, basketball’s international governing body) both have an interest in growing the game of basketball and however we can help in that process, whether it’s a new league or a new structure, we will be interested at that. And that’s what we talk about with the different stakeholders: what is the best and right way for us to get involved in that process? What is the best kind of product we can introduce to the market that will engage fans in a meaningful way and continue to grow the sport of basketball?

USA TODAY: We know Sudan and what is there now South Sudan has produced playersbut there seems to be a difference now. What’s happening? What are you starting to see on the continent?

Tatum: We have a three-pronged strategy when it comes to growing the game at the grassroots level. People see that Khaman Maluach was a young boy that we found at the age of 14, brought him to our academy, taught him the game of basketball, gave him the training, coaching and development that he would need to now play at Duke. And everyone says he’s a projected (lottery) pick in next year’s draft. That is now possible because we are investing in the infrastructure there.

The other part of that strategy is making sure our content is available to fans wherever they are. And we ensure that our games are widely distributed across the continent and through the BAL (Basketball Africa League). We see viewership metrics growing and we see social media engagement growing. And then the third part of that strategy is bringing the live game experience there. And that’s why we launched a Basketball Africa League, so that young kids in Africa could see a path from a grassroots program playing basketball in Africa to playing professional basketball on the continent. Sometimes the NBA seems so far away, so now they have an option in their country where they can see that there is a very clear path: ‘how to go from playing grassroots to playing professional basketball for a living.’

USA TODAY: Given the game’s international growth, is there a fine line to ensure American players are still part of the conversation?

Tatum: It speaks to the importance of continuing to invest in basketball development in every country in the world, including the United States. And I think that’s an area that we’re very focused on with our Jr. as well. NBA programs and also working very closely with USA Basketball on their youth programs. So it’s an area that we’re very focused on and how can we continue to make sure that we invest in youth basketball in the United States as well, to make sure that the Anthony Edwards, the Devin Bookers, the Jayson Tatums, that talent continues to permeate in our competition?

But I will say that with these international players, Giannis, Jokic, Luka (Doncic) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they are players who were born outside the United States, but they are global superstars. They are relevant to their fans in the United States and they are relevant to fans around the world. … That’s what we’re looking for: the talent, wherever they come from, from all over the world, to come and play in our league. And I think our fans will appreciate the talent they bring to this league, no matter where they come from.

USA TODAY: What are the plans or thoughts to make the WNBA game a little more international?

Tatum: Huge plans… So what we’re talking about in Africa: the investments we’re making are in both men’s basketball and women’s basketball. The BWB camp is also a women’s camp. We have women’s programs at our academy. … The growth of the women’s game is also global. And of course we announced that we are going to Canada (WNBA expansion team in Toronto). We played games there and sold out. I know (WNBA commissioner) Cathy (Engelbert) and her team are actually looking at other markets. There is a huge demand to bring WNBA games to different parts of Europe. We have a lot of people who have talked to us about bringing a game to Europe, to the Middle East, to Asia. And so I think that’s definitely one of the things that you can expect to see in the near future seeing WNBA games played in international markets as well, leading up to their season and potentially during their season as well.

USA TODAY: We’ve talked about it Wembanyama and the top two choices for 2024 come from France. Is there a reason the market doesn’t stand out as a place where the NBA plays year after year?

Tatum: There is something special going on in this market in France, where the love for basketball is only growing. Of course, football, or international football, remains a global sport, but basketball in France we see that all our statistics are moving in the right direction: the talent, the number of players, the viewership, League Pass subscribers, and the San Antonio Spurs are became the number 1 team to watch and follow in France on League Pass.

This is a place where we will continue to play games and host events because there is such a demand here. I will say this: there is also huge demand in the rest of the continent, and in other parts of the world. And so we haven’t decided yet where we’re going to play in 2026, but we do know that we’re going to play somewhere in Europe because that works. And the game has grown, not just here in France, it’s grown phenomenally in France, but it’s grown phenomenally in Germany. …

“We’re seeing growth in the UK, in Spain, in all these European markets. But there’s no doubt that France will continue to be a presence as we think about the landscape in which we play games internationally.”

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt