You can be a star in one sport and still keep an eye on another. In the NBA, for example, many players are warming up to soccer. Although it is not the most popular sport in the country, it is gaining traction among players due to the influx of stars from Europe, as Larry Nance Jr. recently noted, and that’s why he’s decided to do something to capitalize on it.
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Many NBA stars are even getting financially involved with big soccer clubs, and are talking about them on social media and podcasts. For example, LeBron James seldom misses an opportunity to remind the community that he’s a fan and part-owner of Liverpool. Well, thanks to Nance, he may soon have another platform to show that he truly never walks alone.
Cleveland Cavaliers star Larry Nance Jr. is launching a new podcast, where he’ll invite NBA players to talk about soccer. It’s a niche topic, yes, but Nance knows something outsiders often miss: just how passionate these athletes are about the “beautiful game”, even while shooting hoops every day.
“The name of it is ‘Switch the Play’, and what we’ll be doing it’s kinda like what you said. I’m just head over heels crazy for futbol- soccer, if that’s what you want to call it. I’ve been that way over the last 10 or so years in the NBA,” Nance shared with Brian Windhorst and The Hoop Collective.
Nance, like so many others in the U.S., talks about getting hooked on soccer around the time of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, when the United States made it to the Round of 16. The tournament had record-breaking viewership and introduced the game to many, helping normalize a sport that wasn’t very popular before. For Nance, however, the way he and other NBA players got into soccer also involved other external factors.
“Some of the European influence that has really started to infiltrate the locker room in the NBA has like made soccer a massive talking point. And there are so many guys that have picked their clubs and picked their favorite players that we’re constantly having conversations about, laughing, joking, you know, making little side jokes and bets on,” Nance, who owns shares in Premier League club Leeds United, revealed.
Thanks to the Dream Team, the NBA has seen a massive increase in European and international players since the 1990s. So much so that last season tied a record with 125 international players in the league. Additionally, six of the last seven MVP awards have gone to international stars.
Later on in the pod, Windhorst confirmed that soccer has become a massive story in the NBA because of the European spike the league has seen. “There are a number of NBA players who have interests in European clubs, right? I think Kevin Durant recently took a position at PSG in Paris,” Windy stated.
The famous basketball analyst then revealed that he, too, has taken an interest in soccer over the last 10 years. “I’ve gotten into proper futbol over the last decade. Tottenham, or I should say Spurs, are my team. They are one of the famously underachieving teams,” he added.
It was an interesting revelation that goes to show how popular the sport has become in America. Nance and Windy didn’t even touch on the fact that Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, and even Steph Curry follow the sport as well. But Nance did share that Alex Caruso will be his first guest on his new pod. He also shared that he bonded with Luol Deng in the past over the sport, which makes sense given that Deng is part British.
It was a great talk that shined a light on a topic NBA fans don’t often hear about. Usually, fans just want their favorite players to focus on basketball. But it’s cool that Nance, Caruso, and other players we might not know as well get a platform to share their love for the game of soccer.
Source: https://thesportsrush.com/nba-news-larry-nance-jr-sheds-light-on-nba-players-love-for-soccer/
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