With a hip slogan that passionately states, "I Love This Game!" the National Basketball Association (NBA) has a very high standard to meet. While the league obviously presumes its fans' eternal affection for the game of professional basketball, a relevant question remains is the game as fan-friendly as in previous years?



The quoted attendance figures answer in the affirmative. By most standards, the 2005-06 season was a runaway success. The league ended the season with the highest average attendance in history and the top total attendance, surpassing the previous records from 2004-05. The average attendance of 17,558 fans per game bested the 2004-05 record of 17,314 fans per game, and the 1995-96 average of 17,252. The 2005-06 total attendance record of 21,595,804 eclipsed the prior record of 21,296,497 established in 2004-05, and the 1995-96 total of 20,513,218 fans attending regular season games. Overall, NBA coliseums were filled to 91.4 percent capacity.

NBA Commissioner David Stern, when asked about the league's accretion in popularity said: "Our attendance record demonstrates the extraordinary connection that exists between players and fans, and we are thankful for our fans continued support and passion for the game."

Rated as the most powerful commissioner of any major North American sport, Stern garnered the #1 rank on the 2006 Sporting News "The Power 100" survey.

The sport of basketball has exploded in popularity around the globe in the last 20 years. The league now has 11 offices in cities outside the United States, and during the 2005-06 season sent programming to 215 countries and territories in 43 languages, according to NBA.com. League games presently reach 3.1 billion viewers worldwide, and merchandise is sold in more than 100 countries on six continents. The second-largest market after the U.S. China.

Reflecting the internationalization of the sport, opening night team rosters for the 2006-07 season featured a whopping 83 international players from 37 countries and territories, barely surpassing last season's 82. Twenty-eight of the 30 teams employ at least one international player. With a total league roster of 440, non-U.S. players account for a full 19 percent.

So, it appears that the NBA is steering a correct course as the league continues to expand around the world, drawing young future potential players from all corners of the planet. One would hardly be faulted for predicting that the number of international players will continue to expand for the foreseeable future. Along with more participants from different locales will naturally come more national interest from the people in those places.

In answer to the inquiry posed in the article title, as it turns out a multitude of fans all around the world would indeed say, "I love this game!"