Skip Bayless has taken a swipe at LeBron James once again, this time in response to Shohei Ohtani’s signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bayless stated on Instagram, “Move over, LeBron. You’re now the second biggest sports star in Hollywood.” However, fans quickly pointed out that Ohtani had already been playing in LA with the Angels for the past six years, making Bayless’ comment seem uninformed. Fans responded to Bayless’ statement with criticism and insults.
The NBA was established in 1949 and initially existed on the outskirts of the basketball world. Despite having Croatian descent player George Mikan as its first great star, the league was largely dominated by non-professional players who excelled in events such as the Olympics, Pan American and World Games until 1972, when the United States suffered its first official defeat to the Soviet Union at the Munich Olympics. This defeat led to a national debate over who should represent the US team and ultimately resulted in the arrival of David Stern, a new lawyer in the NBA office who would transform the league. The ’92 Dream Team, which was the first step in Stern’s plan to expand the league globally, helped establish the NBA as the governing body of world basketball and break the power of FIBA. As the league expanded, it began to attract foreign players, and today, over a quarter of NBA players are from outside the US. This globalization has led to a ‘Europeanisation’ of the league’s structure, with the NBA Cup being introduced for the new season.
