After converting the Chinese to basketball, NBA has set sights on India

Heidi Ueberroth, President of NBA International says she has the 'world's best job'. But it's not the fame that she enjoys - though she's got oodles of it, including epithets like 'The Goddess of Wealth' from the Chinese media. The Vanderbilt University Arts graduate, who is tasked with building NBA's presence outside the States through media and marketing efforts, loves the opportunity to travel and interact with young fans across the world.

And after a successful innings in China, where she played a key role in the formation of NBA's local operations, secured many critical partnerships and helped developed three NBAstyle arenas, she's now hoping to keep that victory streak going in India.

Excerpts from Ueberroth's interview to CD:

What is the NBA's vision for the global future of basketball?

Our overall goal is to increase participation in the game, grow the number of NBA fans and engage our current fans. Our potential possible fan base in the US is just 300 million, but worldwide, it is 7 billion. To reach out to as many people as we can, we have 16 offices worldwide and NBA action is being broadcast in 215 countries in 47 languages. The NBA itself has changed over the past few years. About 80 players, or around 20% of the league, come from approximately 35 countries outside the US. And what's unique about the NBA is that unlike, say soccer, it has the best players in the world in a single league. So people everywhere aspire to play in it and that's enriched the game globally.

How did you crack the code for succeeding in China?

The NBA has been holding exhibition games in China for around three decades, but my first trip there was in 1995 to work with our media partners. And the number of visits kept growing. The size and scope of the country and having to keep up with the demand, was a real challenge. So we invested a lot in areas like recruiting and training people, infrastructure and operations expansion. We're fortunate that Chinese fans are really tech savvy. For example, we already have 52 million followers on the microblogging service Weibo. Today, China is our second largest market outside of the States. So we're doing some pretty unique stuff there, like getting into arena design and 3D telecasts. We're even releasing a feature film there later in the fall.

Popularising basketball in India is no walk in the park. How do you plan to do it?

We're aware we need a long-term perspective and honestly, we're excited about the untapped potential India offers. There's this increasing middle class here that's looking for entertainment and leisure options. In cities, people want more options for fitness and sport that require very little space. And basketball is ideal, because it is played by both boys and girls. The response is encouraging already. Our customised India pages on nba.com and dedicated India Facebook pages are seeing double and triple percent growth in traffic. On the ground, fans and corporates have been supportive as well. When we launched our recreational league with the Mahindra Group in 5 cities, fans travelled 10 hours to participate in it. So we see amazing potential, which is why we opened an office at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai last October.

Has the Indian Premier League (IPL) left room for other high-profile sporting leagues in India?

Oh yes. We watched the successful launch of the IPL closely and it encouraged us, because we saw a real interest not just in cricket, which already is so popular, but also in the kind of sports-cum-entertainment that the IPL represents. It's creating a great demand for more such entertainment events. And there is no doubt India has the capacity to produce great athletes in multiple sports going ahead.

How will the NBA help in building sporting infrastructure here?

One of the areas we're focused on is making the game more accessible through refurbishment of playing courts. For example, we recently refurbished two courts at St Dominic Savio school in Andheri. But more than that, it's about providing relationships to keep the aspirations. I was moved when I saw children interacting with star player and global NBA ambassador Dikembe Mutombo. From just a handful of kids using the courts earlier, 150 schoolchildren are playing today. Also we're helping on the instructional side - working with recreational leagues to organised competitive formats and coaching the coaches. We're also using events as a way to introduce the game to possible non-participants. Our largest NBA Jam (online and video game) fan event to date happened at one of the big malls here. So there's a big effort at the grassroots, combined with introducing fans to all the action. There are six live games a week shown being shown on Indian television and there will much more in the social and digital media space.

Last year, the NBA went into lockdown mode and the season was curtailed because of conflicts over player payments. Did that affect your international agenda?

We have a long term view, so no, our plans have not changed. Our fans, too, have responded very well to the start of the new basketball season. Our popularity is an all-time high. And we are still very much committed to our international growth plans.

For an arts graduate, your choice of career is quite unusual. Were you inspired by your father ( Peter Ueberroth, who served as commissioner of US major league baseball in the eighties)?

Even before my father took up baseball, I was fortunate to travel around the world because our family owns a travel business. I first went to Hong Kong at age 11 and that created a lifelong interest in Asia. Those experiences were a big influence when it came to my career as well, because I wanted to work in different cultures.

How did you first react to being called 'The Goddess of Wealth'? (Laughs)

That happened a long time ago in China when we attended a game and people thought we were talent scouts (though we weren't). And the nickname spread thanks to the power of the Internet. If you look at China, sports as entertainment is a recent phenomena and NBA players are iconic, pop culture figures and that's probably why I earned that nickname. But I try to avoid it.

There are few women heading international sports leagues today. Do you aspire to be NBA commissioner some day?

I've got the best job in the NBA right now. I sell a product that really connects with the youth and I've travelled the world and experienced many cultures over the last 17 years. And yeah, I think we're seeing an incredible time for women in all sports and there are terrific opportunities out there for them to get the top job.

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