The Globalization of Basketball: From Its Beginnings to the Influence of Nike Air
Basketball is the most popular sport in the world today, but it didn’t start out that way. It was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith he was a Canadian teacher in Springfield Massachusetts. First it was just a game to keep his students active during the winter. He didn´t know basketball would soon become a global phenomenon.
In the beginning basketball was mostly played in the United States. But over the years it spread around the world. One of the key events that helped spread basketball was its inclusion in the 1936 Olympics. This marked the first time that basketball was played on an international stage. FIBA said, ¨Basketball was introduced at the 1936 Olympics and has since become one of the most played sports globally.¨ In 1936 James Naismith gave them the medals and America got gold and Canada got silver and Mexico got bronze medals. As more countries started to play, the sport grew rapidly. The American military also played a role in spreading the game to countries like Japan and Germany where they taught locals how to play basketball. By the 1990s, basketball had become a major sport in countries like Europe, Asia, and America.
One of the main reasons basketball became so popular around the world was because of the powerful marketing campaigns of companies like Nike. In the 1980s, Nike made a huge decision to sign Michael Jordan, a young player who would go on to become the greatest basketball player of all time. According to ESPN, “Air Jordan became more than a shoe — it became a global symbol of basketball culture.” Nike created the Air Jordan line of shoes, which quickly became more than just sports footwear. The Air Jordans became a symbol of success, style, and culture. People weren’t just buying the shoes to play basketball—they wanted to be like Michael Jordan. This marketing strategy helped Nike turn basketball into a global lifestyle. In countries from the United States to China everyone like kids and adults wanted to wear Air Jordans and be part of the basketball culture.
Nike’s success with the Air Jordan brand showed how sports and marketing could go hand in hand. Michael Jordan’s success on the court made him an international star, and Nike capitalized on that by making basketball fashion a part of everyday life. The rise of the Air Jordans helped bring basketball to new markets and made it one of the most recognizable sports in the world.
Today, basketball is played in almost every country and players like LeBron James and Steph Curry have become international icons and are continuing the legacy that Michael Jordan and Nike started. The combination of international exposure and smart marketing turned basketball into a cultural force that is still growing around the world.
Sources
- Primary Source:
ESPN Staff. “Air Jordan: How Michael Jordan and Nike Changed the World.” ESPN, 2015, https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/14760324/cultural-impact-jordan-sneakers-goes-far-basketball (accessed May 13, 2025). - Secondary Source:
FIBA. “The History and Spread of Basketball Around the World.” FIBA.basketball, 2020, https://www.fiba.basketball/history (accessed May 13, 2025).
