Europe isn’t just watching the NBA — it’s shaping it.
From sold-out jerseys across the continent to travel agencies offering basketball-themed vacations, Europe’s obsession with the game is driving fans across the Atlantic to see their heroes up close.
This season, a record 71 NBA players hail from Europe, fueling global storylines and filling arenas from Los Angeles to Paris. According to the U.S. Travel Association, 37% of European visitors now say that attending an NBA or NFL game is part of their U.S. itinerary.
And Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena showed why — Slovenia’s Luka Doncic faced off against France’s Victor Wembanyama under the lights of Hollywood, where the Lakers edged the Spurs 118–116 in a global showcase of the sport’s future.