In Europe we don't idolize the player as much, we idolize the club because we are a part of it by attending the games and supporting the club. Players come and go, while the club will forever be there.
We don't own the club...we (unfortunately) don't play for the club, for one reason or another.... But we feel like we can promote it, or pressure it to succeed.
I think another factor to consider, like in European soccer, is that basketball teams in the US are merely commercial franchises, while in Europe are the pride of a city, deeply connected as a source of local identity for fans.
Exactly! I remember my boss saying to me "Who roots for Olimpija, they're on a losing streak" and I replied "one does not root for Olimpija because they are good, one roots for Olimpija because they're from Ljubljana"
Balkan guy here. Greek. Panathinaikos fan. I have a couple of notes for you to help you understand the differences. Both on the court and off. I hope it helps. On the Court differences 1. In the NBA there is the 3-second violation rule. In the Euroleague it doesn't exist. Which means guards can't just beat their man, and drive straight into the basket, cause they will face a Big Man. They have to be creative and get their teammates involved instantly. So there is no way for a Westbrook, let's say to become a stat padder. 2. In the NBA you pretty much play 1v1 most of the time. Something that annoys a lot of people. Because after a guard beats his opponent, the drive is wide open, as if the defenders were rolling the red carpet for him. In Euroleague that's something you NEVER see, because we use the Zone defense a lot more. 3. Euroleague tends to be more energetic for a few reasons. Explained below. 3a. Courts are about 2 feet shorter in length, and the 3-point line is 1.5 feet shorter at the top of the arc. 3b. In Euroleague you have 34 games, 17 home, 17 away, against the rest of the 18 teams. Not the 82-game mess. 3c. Euroleague games last for 40 minutes, unlike NBA ones that last for 48. 4 quarters of 10, instead of 12. Also 5 fouls instead of 6. 4. Because it is 34, and not 82, like the Euroleague slogan says. Every. Game. Matters. Something that you can't say about the NBA, as most matches are not even nationally televised most of the time. 5. Needless to say, there is no draft here, so no load management. Finishing last is a failure. Plain and simple. 6. Coaches are the end-all-be-all here. There is no superstar that talks down to his coach. We just don't allow that mentality here. You are part of the team. 7. We don't get players from drafts or universities. We have local youth teams, attached to the senior ones. For example Panathinaikos U19. Off the Court differences 1. The first thing you have to keep in mind is, like @enemde3025 said. Not every country in Europe is the same. Which means not every country in Europe PAYS the same. Western Europe (Spain, Italy, France, Germany) tends to have way higher monthly net wages than Eastern Europe (Greece, Serbia, Turkey, Lithuania, and even Russia and Israel to a lesser extent), and people often take out their passion in their sports teams. And you don't even need me to tell you that Americans are way better paid than most Europeans. 2. Let's get one thing clear. Western fans, are very different to Eastern fans, and much more similar to the NBA. Especially in the Defense chant and passion level. Here, it's non-existent. Also it looks funny. Also France and Germany are fully Americanized, unlike Spain and Italy which are countries who have fanatic fans, called ultras, but it's nothing compared to the Eastern European scene. Here you are expected to jump up and down. It gives you a feeling of "I have to do anything I can (within the limits of morality) to help my team win". It is a source of local pride. 3. You see it as a way to have fun. We see it as an important all-or-nothing game. You get bragging rights for a long while if you beat your opponent. You don't bring chips or popcorn to the games. You eat from a hot-dog stand after the match. There's a time and a place for everything. I will give you an example. Kevin Durant went to watch a Euroleague Playoff match between Olympiacos and Monaco (that game you saw with the flares), in order to support his friend and Brooklyn teammate Mike James. In the same game, Giorgos Lanthimos, a famous multiple-Oscar-Nominated director, had brought Emma Stone with him to watch the game for Olympiacos. Want to guess how many people cared? Nobody. On the contrary. They actually booed Durant. 4. You see Clubs as Franchises. Easily replaceable, especially if they are new. I remember a scenario of the Bucks leaving Milwaukee and relocating to Seattle. There are the Sonics, Hornets and Grizzlies examples. I can't imagine that happening here. Real Madrid, should be representing...well. Madrid. Barcelona, too. Panathinaikos will always represent Athina. Athens. 5. There are matches that I am watching, even now on TV, as I am slightly getting a bit older, and I can't sleep if my team loses a serious Regular Season game. When's the last time you felt like this watching a Regular Season match? Also we don't call our Champion a World Champion. But a Euroleague Champion. Just like the NBA champion should be called the North American champion. We are waiting for that Celtics game you owe us. Hope I helped. Take care. ☘
In Serbia, we want to see passion, hard work, sweat and blood on the court, fight for every ball. Winning is important, but desire and passion are more.
its not really that hard to understand, you can sum it all up to this: in the NBA, players make the teams and a star is above the club. in Europe, no one is above the club, not a player, not a coach, not even the owner and be sure that the fans will make it perfectly clear to anyone who forgets that.
Very accurate. And this also applies to other major team sports in Europe, such as football, handball, hockey, volleyball, .... None are bigger than the club.
The club is the most important, not the players. That's why players can chant with fans, because it was the same goal, nobody on the stands care about someone's individual stats.
As a football fan, I recognize a lot of these clubs. They are multi-sport clubs, so it's only natural that the ultras attend the matches whatever the sports
True, I am not a basketball fan or follower, yet I recoqnized many club logo's and colors. Fenerbache, Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, Barca, Real, Red Star, Partizan, CSKA and some team in not sure about.. they played in AS Roma colours.. Mentioning AS Roma, AS Monaco was in the video as well. It is true for other sports as well, I remember going to a HSV Hamburg vs THW Kiel Handball match in Hamburg and seeing the HSV Hamburg Football player Rafael vd Vaart in the stands there.. Being Dutch handball player and a Ajax fan that was lovely to see.
@@aristaeus2514 Galatasaray is the team you think of. And they aren't in the Euroleague right now. And thinking about how many fans they have, even in basketball, you have to wonder why.
Bro, Im from Serbia and I got chills thru my spine when I watch this but trust me, there is noting what can describe atmosphere when you're on the stadium. I am not a fan of any football or basketball team especially, but when you there ,,, that atmosphere, just move you so hard that you just,,, must clap, scream and sing. It is a great feeling, but you just have to experience it live. It is unexplainable!
Don't include the UK in this. I couldn't even tell you where the nearest basket ball team to me is, never mind the names of any national team players !
The big difference is, that these clubs are there for more than 100 years mostly and they are a huge part of the identity of the city, not just some entertainment event.
In Europe you NEVER change team. Even if your team gets relegated to an amateur league. In the US people change teams every 2nd season because of their favourite player. Thats the difference. Religion versus Entertainment.
About the flares, it's pretty simple, you smuggle them in. No it's not legal, but once it's lit what are they gonna do, face a thousand fiery supporters?
you "smuggle" them in with a LOT of help from the club i.e. people working in the arena (who have close ties with ultra fans). so it is a pretended smuggling game, while it is actually allowed and supported by the club.
The American system also expects you to be a fan of a team from your region, even if there are 100s of miles to the arena. Whereas in Europe, most places have a local team that plays in some level of competition (remember the relegation / promotion system), so the connection is much stronger. Heck, there are things like North London derby in football, 2 high profile teams from the same area of the city.
Europeans tends to be fan of the same team regardless of the sport, for example Barcelona is a super famous football(soccer) team I assume alot of the football fans are the same as the barcelona basketball fans. In europe you dont only cheer for your club, you cheer for the pride of your city and country. European cities/countries have been at war with each outer for thousands of years.
It’s very cut throat in European sports. The leagues are structured in such a way that if you finish the season on the 3-4 lower spots. You get relegated from the league to a lower league. In USA bottom teams fight to finish worse. So they can get to pick players for the next season. That’s just crazy! Takes the incentive to fight to the end out of the sport.
You guys in America have lost the plot, you live in a bubble not wanting to know what people are doing in the rest of the world. Your game is absolutely boring, regardless if you have amassed some of the best players in the world. From the players to the crowds ,it's not sport it's sporting ENTERTAINMENT for the rich and famous, who most have never played the game nor understand it but its cool to be seen at the event.
12:44: Nailed it In America it is about winning to make money In Europe it is about making money to win Very few clubs or team in Europe makes a profit, because normally they invest all the profit to make the team better.
Nobody makes the profits in Europe. Some clubs are donated by football clubs and some by state and most just wash money. In Euroleague prize found is somewhere 30 million and almost each club invest that money
There is also another big difference. In Europe we say that the emblem in front of the jersey is far more important than the name behind. Meaning that the team is way more important than any player no matter how 'big name' he is.
The European supporter considers that since he took his time, his money and his energy to come and see you cheer you on, you have the obligation to give your life on a field, no matter the sport! In Europe, supporters can get a coach fired or make a manager resign if they show them a lack of respect on or off the field! In Europe, fans are the teammates who can't get on the field, but who ask you to sweat for them
usally in Europe anyone can become a member of the club and a partial owner. in germany for example almost every club is majority owned by the fans so they are not just fans but involved in the club, have voting rights etc. and kids are often part of the clubs from a young age. so clublife/fanlife is a part of life from a young age
Here in Serbia we live for our team, support in the best and worst moments is 💯 No player is above the club because players come and go, but the club is here forever.. It is a passion and cannot be compared to the NBA league.Support is passed from generation to generation and we are born as Delije (Red Star) or Grobari (Partizan)😆Excellent video and a big greeting and support 👍👏
If the fanbase is outrageously lit, it is a call of duty to be at least as lit as they are. In Europe, players have the obligation to respect their club which means its institution, its history, its rivalry and most important of all its fanbase, which is also its customer. And that's for any sport.
It is a football ⚽️ environment, some clubs from Europe and other places are multi-sport, part of the football team has a basketball team, volleyball, etc. etc.
3:45 I had to LOOK for phones in this moment. If that was in the NBA, like you said, it would have been all phones and wanting to touch the athlete. Passion vs. idolizing.
4:00 good point, it's a cultural thing, superhero movies from childhood , idols, separation - there's this side and that side, make it or break it......through and through american culture
There was something that wasn't pointed out clearly enough. It showed the front row of seat in US with celebrities. But look at European front row. It looks more like it does in a hockey arena. It's completly closed off with a row of security guards - just check @2:22
That's because it probably is. Here, our clubs are multi-sporting, they usually have football (soccer), basketball, roller hockey, handball and volleyball, and depending on how big the club is, it can extend even to individual sports. My club (Sporting CP) even has track and field, swimming, boxing, kickboxing, judo, cycling, table tennis, fencing, gymnastics, etc... And it doesn't it even matter if we like the sport we're watching, all it matters is the club... Damn, it could even be just a competition of stone skipping and we would be there to cheer the club as well.
Maybe Americans could understand it better if New York Knicks would be a right-wing team, Republican owned and Brooklyn Nets would be a left-wing team, Democrat own, if there would be at least one local match where there would be some tension.
Hello from Partizan fan, we are the best fans in Europe, probably in the world. In America it’s all about the money, in Europe it’s all about the passion. You guys overseas don’t have an ultras culture, you going to basketball games just for food and drinks. Lol
in euroleaghue every single match is a war, you cannot go to the stadium to eat or drink.... you go to the stadium to support your team, till your voice support you!
Euro-league right now is what NBA used to be in the 80s and 90s. It appears that competition and rivalries were eradicated from NBA to make more money and keep the stars happy.
There are only two major differences. 1) In the USA, sport is a business, in Europe it's more of a religion. 2. US fans want to be entertained, European fans are part of the team.
Funniest thing about KD seeing that atmosphere is that the actress Emma Stone was there too😂 she was the most stunned person in this "Peace and Friendship Stadium" in Pireaus 😂😂
Relegations. That would be a massive game changer for the NBA. No more tanking, everyone's head on the chopping board if you loose (lower pay, lower viewership, etc.) Put that in and see how much more seriously the games are taken from the get go
I believe that there are many wars and conflicts of the past in European thought. King against king, duchy against duchy, neighbor against neighbor, family against family, Catholic Church against everyone... there was always war and strife. These are now held at a sporting level. The ultra fans are the Troops. Winning is just as important as not losing.
IN EUROPE (on average as each country is different, and regardless of sport): - Teams (aka. clubs or organizations) are the pride of an entire city, possibly of a wider country area and may have been so for over a century. Teams often have lots of different sport departments (soccer, basketball, volleyball, waterpolo etc). - Teams represent ideals and groups or classes of people, by default they're not in it for the money. Owners frequently may be paying off their own pockets to cover expenses, they're not necessarily there to make money but to gain influence and recognition. An extremely small number of teams are profitable at all. Many hope to get even so that they can continue investing in improving the team. Most are recording losses year after year and they expect their owners to cover that. - But if the team underperforms for lengthy periods, fans will demand change of direction and ultimately ownership change. In the long run, fans always succeed in getting rid of unsuccessful owners. - All games matter. - There is no tanking and there is no draft. You do not gain anything by finishing in the last few spots, even worse you risk getting relegated to a lower division which causes enormous trouble of all kind (financial, prestige and so on, there are teams that get relegated and literally take decades to get promoted back again, many never even manage to recover at all). - There are no franchises, no closed leagues, no team relocations, no organization ownerships doing whatever they want while disregarding the hardcore fans. - Teams matter 1000x more than any individual player, even GOATs. Players come and go, teams are there for life. Head coaches are the gods of the team, even as a superstar player you do not second guess a coach, you do not argue with a coach, you will get yelled at by the coach and will swallow your pride for the good of the team. - There are no bandwagon fans. You start supporting a team at a very early age (usually because your father or your family does so) and you stay with them all your life. - Each team has their own ultras who will support the team and travel with the team to away games no matter what (they will support the TEAM, but not necessarily the players or the owners). IN THE US (and especially in its major leagues): - Teams (aka. organizations) may have a tradition of 30-50 years, few are older than that and may have even relocated a few times since. The best of them may be somewhat tied with local communities but not all really are. Teams will only specialize in a single sport. - Teams are only in it for the money. All they represent is company profit. If the team is not profitable for its owners, it relocates or changes ownership or disbands. - Most regular season games feel more like snoozefest practice and friendly showtime rather than real competition (NFL is the only exception because of its very low number of regular season games). - Tanking is fine because there is no relegation and you will get awarded with the top players from the draft. - Everything is a franchise, everything is a company within a greater company (The League). The fans can be ignored because the owners don't treat them as fans but as customers (nevermind that they appeal to them by calling them "superfans" or whatever, so that they ultimately can sell more merchandise or more expensive season tickets). - Individual players tend to matter more than any team. Head coaches are there to hold things together but not always to give direction or discipline players. - Fans are mostly in there for the entertainment, especially those attending games in the arenas.
I am Greek who lives in Cleveland . I am an Olympiakos fun and support the Cavs too . The atmosphere is different between the two settings but if you go to watch a Cavs game with the same feeling and mentality you have when watching a European one ( undeniably there are great differences there ) , you will equally enjoy it. It’s all about basketball at the end and the passion that each one of us has. By the way , my opinion is that , there is passion in an NBA game ( fans are fans) and increases the further you move away from the court ( I hope i made a point there) I am fully aligned with one of your comments about celebrities and such. Great video and analysis.
Cheering is not the domain of some Euroleague, but of all sports in Europe. We don't go to sports like we go to the theatre, we cheer our team to the max in almost every sport.
2:30 hit the nail on the head right there. Huge difference in fan culture. You can compare Euro crowds more to college sports. But not the pros. In the pros its a family friendly entertainment event. In Europe and in college its much more about us vs them. Those chants you are hearing right there are not made for kids ears.
In the US it looks like the crowd is watching on the tv at home. Sure a bit of a cheer when points are made, but that is it. In EU (some countries) it is more about being there and trying to help your team win with chants etc. US watches, EU plays with the team.
in Europe, sports teams are not a commercial product, they are teams that represent your city, region, country, and you also need to support well))) even if the match is against a team from another city from your region
When the team loses, the coach gets the heat, also when the team wins coach gets the flowers. Coach has an authority and responsibility, he is almost like a stepfather to the players
One thing you need to understand about sports in europe is that these aren't just teams that might move cities at some point. These are clubs that have existed in the place they are from for decades or even centuries. These clubs often have teams in more than one sport, and their fans are often members of the club. There is a whole different level of engagement.
Don't forget that those teams are linked to politics and religion and the Balkan region all the way to the Middle East has a history of ethnic wars and allegiances. A Partizan Belgrade fan does not belong to the same political party as a Red Star fan. Greece, Turkey, same thing. These teams were established after centuries of Ottoman control, WW1 and WW2. Also, the coaches are respected more than the players. If you disagree with the coach you're benched, imagine benching a NBA star because he spoke up. In summary, the teams and the people are one, no way a team can pick up and go and change location, the fans go to games prepared to fight, the cheering starts outside, sometimes businesses close because of a big game. It's a whole different culture.
One of the biggest differences is the ticket pricing... The tickets are so expensive in the NBA that the hard-core fans that are usually just normal people can't really afford to go to the games regularly. And the games are attended by a bunch of rich people who aren't that invested in the sport. This is something that has happened in Finland with Hockey and especially in the World Championship tournaments... Where the prices are extra high. And these games have fallen flat as the crowds and the people are not the real fans... It is what happens when the prices soar... The passion falls on the way side of the almighty dollar...
I think that one of the key differences between European team sports and their American counterparts is a sense of team. Less individualism, more of a pack mentality. That goes for the fans too. It doesn't matter as much to a player here if he scores 9 goals if the team loses. A win is more important, because the collective gains from wins, not from points.
Nikada vi Amerikanci to nećete shvatiti. To je iskrena ljubav prema svom klubu i iskrena tuga kada izgubite. Kod vas je to biznis. Ako to postane i u Evropi (nažalost mislim da hoće) prestajem da gledam košarku i prelazim na balet.
In Europe, enjoyment, passion and love are important to us.We don't really care about the famous and the rich people.Who came to show themselves, and how they dressed. And that is the difference between America and Europe.
Point of it all is, it matters so much in Europe. Especially in Balkans and Turkey. It's bigger than everything. You have your political, social stances and you align with a certain team because historically teams were founded by people of a certain social category or political views or whatever. It's so much bigger. It's your tribe.
0:54 - 1:06 This is ARIS Macedonian 🇬🇷 fans from Thessalonike 2:20 This is PAOK Macedonian🇬🇷 fans from Thessalonike ARIS - PAOK Fans are from Thessalonike 🇬🇷 Macedonia 🇬🇷 Northern Greece 4:32 Olympiakos Piraeans 🇬🇷 fans 5:26 Panathinaikos Athenian 🇬🇷 fans Athenian Macedonian Piraeans are all Greek fans Note: SlavoBulgarians 🇲🇰 have nothing to do with the Greek history and Greek heritage of Macedonia 🇬🇷 I'm a historian. Ikr 👍
In USA the fans work for the stars, in Europe the stars work for the fans. In Europe the public and the team are one. Often the stars were fans as young kids and view The Game from completely diferent perspective.
there is a way to explain it, think that this teams are not just Basketball, we Support the club, they just Happen to have a basketball team to support too, players come and go, the club is forever
The guy narrating at 2:30 is Greek with a weird accent. I mean, he said he's from Macedonia which is not a country, just a part of North Greece. Or maybe just misspoke meaning Scopje
There's definitely a difference in mentality between the USA and the rest of the world, not just when it comes to basketball, but in all aspects. In USA, everything tends to boil down to money (as the narrator of the og video also pointed out).
I Love the Passion in Europe. I Love that you can relaxed take youre Kids with you in U.S. (It looks so chilled^^) Both got their own "Charme" (As Long as Flare Lights are charming lol)
In Europe the basketball teams are club based. Much like how the football (soccer) is. The fans are the basis for the team existing. In America it's a franchise system. The owner is the reason the franchise exists, if the owner decides to move then fans can cry about it all they like, nothing will change (Seattle's Supersonics).
In Europe the club is always more important than any player or coach or anyone else. If you don't perform you'll be out and the supporters will be the first to start questioning
In europe, especially in the Balkans, there have been so many wars ... It is actually better that now these wars have moved on these sport fields. The fans' behaviour is just a mirror of the wars that have been fought over the centuries in this region.
Fans in Balkan peninsula are that plus one player who makes all the difference with chanting for their club or national team. Winning or losing fans only wishes to see desire, dedication, fight for every ball. Not that complicated to understand.
i have said that 1.000.000 times, bring the nba champions in europe to play against the european champions, but in an european court with europan (fiba) rules, until they understand the game the nba team will be down 20-25 points with 3 miutes for the game to finish. NBA is amazing show and everythting, but in europe we play basketball...ask keba walker that he his first season in europe (as an nba super star) was bellow average
In Europe we don't idolize the player as much, we idolize the club because we are a part of it by attending the games and supporting the club. Players come and go, while the club will forever be there.
We don't own the club...we (unfortunately) don't play for the club, for one reason or another.... But we feel like we can promote it, or pressure it to succeed.
@@DimShamrock some clubs are owned by the fans (Barcelona, Real Madrid, for example, but also Galatasaray I think)
@@nicoladc89 Not exactly owned. The presidents of the Spanish clubs are elected by the fans.
Germany in football has clubs directly owned by the fans.
Greeks and Serbians are like Gods among humans in EU bb scenery... ☝️😏
@@DimShamrockIn Germany there is the 50+1 rule. So the Clubs are owned by the Fans. Except for Dortmund. Dortmund ist a AG
I think another factor to consider, like in European soccer, is that basketball teams in the US are merely commercial franchises, while in Europe are the pride of a city, deeply connected as a source of local identity for fans.
Exactly! I remember my boss saying to me "Who roots for Olimpija, they're on a losing streak" and I replied "one does not root for Olimpija because they are good, one roots for Olimpija because they're from Ljubljana"
in Europe fans follow club, mostly from town or region, while in US they follow players .. and money is nuber one thing for US sports
The name of that game is football, not soccer.
@@ilmelangololol true
Nicht zu vergessen, dass jede Stadt 2 Teams hat, das ist auch eine politische Frage
When you are a franchise you have customers. When you are a club, you have fans! That is the difference between Europe and US.
Consize and elegantly put, furthermore and more importantly, very true.
Excactly this.
Balkan guy here. Greek. Panathinaikos fan.
I have a couple of notes for you to help you understand the differences. Both on the court and off. I hope it helps.
On the Court differences
1. In the NBA there is the 3-second violation rule. In the Euroleague it doesn't exist. Which means guards can't just beat their man, and drive straight into the basket, cause they will face a Big Man. They have to be creative and get their teammates involved instantly. So there is no way for a Westbrook, let's say to become a stat padder.
2. In the NBA you pretty much play 1v1 most of the time. Something that annoys a lot of people. Because after a guard beats his opponent, the drive is wide open, as if the defenders were rolling the red carpet for him. In Euroleague that's something you NEVER see, because we use the Zone defense a lot more.
3. Euroleague tends to be more energetic for a few reasons. Explained below.
3a. Courts are about 2 feet shorter in length, and the 3-point line is 1.5 feet shorter at the top of the arc.
3b. In Euroleague you have 34 games, 17 home, 17 away, against the rest of the 18 teams. Not the 82-game mess.
3c. Euroleague games last for 40 minutes, unlike NBA ones that last for 48. 4 quarters of 10, instead of 12. Also 5 fouls instead of 6.
4. Because it is 34, and not 82, like the Euroleague slogan says. Every. Game. Matters. Something that you can't say about the NBA, as most matches are not even nationally televised most of the time.
5. Needless to say, there is no draft here, so no load management. Finishing last is a failure. Plain and simple.
6. Coaches are the end-all-be-all here. There is no superstar that talks down to his coach. We just don't allow that mentality here. You are part of the team.
7. We don't get players from drafts or universities. We have local youth teams, attached to the senior ones. For example Panathinaikos U19.
Off the Court differences
1. The first thing you have to keep in mind is, like @enemde3025 said. Not every country in Europe is the same. Which means not every country in Europe PAYS the same. Western Europe (Spain, Italy, France, Germany) tends to have way higher monthly net wages than Eastern Europe (Greece, Serbia, Turkey, Lithuania, and even Russia and Israel to a lesser extent), and people often take out their passion in their sports teams. And you don't even need me to tell you that Americans are way better paid than most Europeans.
2. Let's get one thing clear. Western fans, are very different to Eastern fans, and much more similar to the NBA. Especially in the Defense chant and passion level. Here, it's non-existent. Also it looks funny. Also France and Germany are fully Americanized, unlike Spain and Italy which are countries who have fanatic fans, called ultras, but it's nothing compared to the Eastern European scene. Here you are expected to jump up and down. It gives you a feeling of "I have to do anything I can (within the limits of morality) to help my team win". It is a source of local pride.
3. You see it as a way to have fun. We see it as an important all-or-nothing game. You get bragging rights for a long while if you beat your opponent. You don't bring chips or popcorn to the games. You eat from a hot-dog stand after the match. There's a time and a place for everything. I will give you an example. Kevin Durant went to watch a Euroleague Playoff match between Olympiacos and Monaco (that game you saw with the flares), in order to support his friend and Brooklyn teammate Mike James. In the same game, Giorgos Lanthimos, a famous multiple-Oscar-Nominated director, had brought Emma Stone with him to watch the game for Olympiacos. Want to guess how many people cared? Nobody. On the contrary. They actually booed Durant.
4. You see Clubs as Franchises. Easily replaceable, especially if they are new. I remember a scenario of the Bucks leaving Milwaukee and relocating to Seattle. There are the Sonics, Hornets and Grizzlies examples. I can't imagine that happening here. Real Madrid, should be representing...well. Madrid. Barcelona, too. Panathinaikos will always represent Athina. Athens.
5. There are matches that I am watching, even now on TV, as I am slightly getting a bit older, and I can't sleep if my team loses a serious Regular Season game. When's the last time you felt like this watching a Regular Season match?
Also we don't call our Champion a World Champion. But a Euroleague Champion. Just like the NBA champion should be called the North American champion.
We are waiting for that Celtics game you owe us.
Hope I helped. Take care. ☘
@@DimShamrock Nobody is reading all of that.
@@joshuacauser I did.
@@joshuacauser so did i
Excellent explanation... even if you are a Panathinaikos fan. Greetings from Belgrade. The RED Belgrade.
@@joshuacauser as did i, great explanation.
In Serbia, we want to see passion, hard work, sweat and blood on the court, fight for every ball. Winning is important, but desire and passion are more.
That's why you're the land of basketball. Η Μεγάλη των Πλάβι Σχολή. The Great School of the Plavi. Still used in Greece that.
Всё как в матчах звёзд NBA :((
its not really that hard to understand, you can sum it all up to this: in the NBA, players make the teams and a star is above the club. in Europe, no one is above the club, not a player, not a coach, not even the owner and be sure that the fans will make it perfectly clear to anyone who forgets that.
Amen
And it's even for sport like football. The owners of the club are the 1st targets when the squad underperform (maybe behind the coach).
Kesinlikle doğru söylüyorsun iyi bir açıklama 👍
Very accurate. And this also applies to other major team sports in Europe, such as football, handball, hockey, volleyball, .... None are bigger than the club.
The club is the most important, not the players. That's why players can chant with fans, because it was the same goal, nobody on the stands care about someone's individual stats.
As a football fan, I recognize a lot of these clubs. They are multi-sport clubs, so it's only natural that the ultras attend the matches whatever the sports
True, I am not a basketball fan or follower, yet I recoqnized many club logo's and colors.
Fenerbache, Olympiakos, Panathinaikos, Barca, Real, Red Star, Partizan, CSKA and some team in not sure about.. they played in AS Roma colours.. Mentioning AS Roma, AS Monaco was in the video as well.
It is true for other sports as well, I remember going to a HSV Hamburg vs THW Kiel Handball match in Hamburg and seeing the HSV Hamburg Football player Rafael vd Vaart in the stands there.. Being Dutch handball player and a Ajax fan that was lovely to see.
@@aristaeus2514 Galatasaray is the team you think of. And they aren't in the Euroleague right now.
And thinking about how many fans they have, even in basketball, you have to wonder why.
Bro, Im from Serbia and I got chills thru my spine when I watch this but trust me, there is noting what can describe atmosphere when you're on the stadium. I am not a fan of any football or basketball team especially, but when you there ,,, that atmosphere, just move you so hard that you just,,, must clap, scream and sing. It is a great feeling, but you just have to experience it live. It is unexplainable!
Don't include the UK in this. I couldn't even tell you where the nearest basket ball team to me is, never mind the names of any national team players !
The UK has a national basketball team?!?! Damn talking about learning something new every day...
@@slickwilly7341I knew they play in the Olympics, not sure what else they do tho 😂 KD, Lebron, Steph etc wiped the floor with them
@@joshuacauser Wait for the next ones kid. Then we'll see what happens when they'll all have retired. Also you didn't even make the World Cup final.
@@slickwilly7341 Nothing special.
@@DimShamrock I’m English you muppet.
sports in us is about money and status in europe is about passion
The big difference is, that these clubs are there for more than 100 years mostly and they are a huge part of the identity of the city, not just some entertainment event.
And never moves (well sometimes inside the town/city they where created).
@@cynic7049 YES!
Nah, it's just old typical European tribalism that infects everything in society
players in the NBA :win or lose who cares
players in Europe: win at all cost
In Europe we treat our clubs like we treat our armies. They must win for the sake of the nation/city they represent.
I'd say that Europeans use sports as a receptacle for their tribalistic tendencies whereas in the US politics seems to serve that purpose.
In Europe you NEVER change team. Even if your team gets relegated to an amateur league. In the US people change teams every 2nd season because of their favourite player. Thats the difference. Religion versus Entertainment.
About the flares, it's pretty simple, you smuggle them in. No it's not legal, but once it's lit what are they gonna do, face a thousand fiery supporters?
If you are an ultra, you can do that. If you are just a regular devoted fan, not so much.
you "smuggle" them in with a LOT of help from the club i.e. people working in the arena (who have close ties with ultra fans). so it is a pretended smuggling game, while it is actually allowed and supported by the club.
11:14 how on earth is a player allowed to push his coach away like that !? Nah instant ban or even fired from the team, what !?
american snowflake mentality
The American system also expects you to be a fan of a team from your region, even if there are 100s of miles to the arena. Whereas in Europe, most places have a local team that plays in some level of competition (remember the relegation / promotion system), so the connection is much stronger. Heck, there are things like North London derby in football, 2 high profile teams from the same area of the city.
Europeans tends to be fan of the same team regardless of the sport, for example Barcelona is a super famous football(soccer) team I assume alot of the football fans are the same as the barcelona basketball fans. In europe you dont only cheer for your club, you cheer for the pride of your city and country. European cities/countries have been at war with each outer for thousands of years.
In Dutch football (Soccer) they call the fans 'de twaalfde man", the twelfth player.
In Switzerland too. "Der zwölfte Mann" or "Dr zwölft Ma"
in German football as well
Sweden: "Den tolfte spelaren"
@@peterweiss123 I think all of Europe do this
Here too. In basketball as well.
It’s very cut throat in European sports. The leagues are structured in such a way that if you finish the season on the 3-4 lower spots. You get relegated from the league to a lower league. In USA bottom teams fight to finish worse. So they can get to pick players for the next season. That’s just crazy! Takes the incentive to fight to the end out of the sport.
You guys in America have lost the plot, you live in a bubble not wanting to know what people are doing in the rest of the world. Your game is absolutely boring, regardless if you have amassed some of the best players in the world. From the players to the crowds ,it's not sport it's sporting ENTERTAINMENT for the rich and famous, who most have never played the game nor understand it but its cool to be seen at the event.
12:44: Nailed it
In America it is about winning to make money
In Europe it is about making money to win
Very few clubs or team in Europe makes a profit, because normally they invest all the profit to make the team better.
Nobody makes the profits in Europe. Some clubs are donated by football clubs and some by state and most just wash money. In Euroleague prize found is somewhere 30 million and almost each club invest that money
There is also another big difference. In Europe we say that the emblem in front of the jersey is far more important than the name behind. Meaning that the team is way more important than any player no matter how 'big name' he is.
The NBA is about the players stardom, Europe is all about the team. No matter who you are as a player.
del nombre de la ciudad , son equipos que tienen 105 años, son nuestros equipos
The European supporter considers that since he took his time, his money and his energy to come and see you cheer you on, you have the obligation to give your life on a field, no matter the sport! In Europe, supporters can get a coach fired or make a manager resign if they show them a lack of respect on or off the field! In Europe, fans are the teammates who can't get on the field, but who ask you to sweat for them
Now imagine JJ Redick yell as that on Lebron 😂😂😂
usally in Europe anyone can become a member of the club and a partial owner.
in germany for example almost every club is majority owned by the fans
so they are not just fans but involved in the club, have voting rights etc.
and kids are often part of the clubs from a young age.
so clublife/fanlife is a part of life from a young age
Here in Serbia we live for our team, support in the best and worst moments is 💯 No player is above the club because players come and go, but the club is here forever.. It is a passion and cannot be compared to the NBA league.Support is passed from generation to generation and we are born as Delije (Red Star) or Grobari (Partizan)😆Excellent video and a big greeting and support 👍👏
5:11 Hey, the fans need to practice too 😂
The Passion is needed in NBA bro. In Europe,Basketball is passion. Love to the game.
10:00 THat is a great observation. I think you hit the nail on the head right there.
If the fanbase is outrageously lit, it is a call of duty to be at least as lit as they are.
In Europe, players have the obligation to respect their club which means its institution, its history, its rivalry and most important of all its fanbase, which is also its customer.
And that's for any sport.
It is a football ⚽️ environment, some clubs from Europe and other places are multi-sport, part of the football team has a basketball team, volleyball, etc. etc.
"everybody clap your hands!"
oh the cringe, I dont need to be a european to feel it, just a human being...
The sporting equivalent of this: ruclips.net/video/7Le-mYN3dl0/видео.html
In Uruguay we have 1 death per game
3:45 I had to LOOK for phones in this moment. If that was in the NBA, like you said, it would have been all phones and wanting to touch the athlete. Passion vs. idolizing.
Greetings from Germany. We are the Basketball World Champion . Not the USA . Imagine the USA league without the European players .
Andy Obst müsste schon lange in der nba sein
US basketball is about making money Europe is about true passion for the game
1:47 Everythings from concrete in eastern europe/balkans, so don't worry :D
4:00 good point, it's a cultural thing, superhero movies from childhood , idols, separation - there's this side and that side, make it or break it......through and through american culture
There was something that wasn't pointed out clearly enough. It showed the front row of seat in US with celebrities. But look at European front row. It looks more like it does in a hockey arena. It's completly closed off with a row of security guards - just check @2:22
That's because it probably is. Here, our clubs are multi-sporting, they usually have football (soccer), basketball, roller hockey, handball and volleyball, and depending on how big the club is, it can extend even to individual sports. My club (Sporting CP) even has track and field, swimming, boxing, kickboxing, judo, cycling, table tennis, fencing, gymnastics, etc... And it doesn't it even matter if we like the sport we're watching, all it matters is the club... Damn, it could even be just a competition of stone skipping and we would be there to cheer the club as well.
Maybe Americans could understand it better if New York Knicks would be a right-wing team, Republican owned and Brooklyn Nets would be a left-wing team, Democrat own, if there would be at least one local match where there would be some tension.
Hello from Partizan fan, we are the best fans in Europe, probably in the world. In America it’s all about the money, in Europe it’s all about the passion. You guys overseas don’t have an ultras culture, you going to basketball games just for food and drinks. Lol
2:35
That's true.
In football the fans, especially the organized ultras are called the twelfth player.
in euroleaghue every single match is a war, you cannot go to the stadium to eat or drink.... you go to the stadium to support your team, till your voice support you!
No player above the club !
The clubs are local community institutions, not a privately owned play thing that can be moved to another city !!
"yes sir" 🤣
Thank you, I’ve learned so much from you post. Chers from France
I saw all these scenes in different videos. But this guy did a good job putting them together.
Euro-league right now is what NBA used to be in the 80s and 90s. It appears that competition and rivalries were eradicated from NBA to make more money and keep the stars happy.
There are only two major differences.
1) In the USA, sport is a business, in Europe it's more of a religion.
2. US fans want to be entertained, European fans are part of the team.
Funniest thing about KD seeing that atmosphere is that the actress Emma Stone was there too😂 she was the most stunned person in this "Peace and Friendship Stadium" in Pireaus 😂😂
Passion not consumerism. No which side off the water i like living on
Relegations. That would be a massive game changer for the NBA. No more tanking, everyone's head on the chopping board if you loose (lower pay, lower viewership, etc.) Put that in and see how much more seriously the games are taken from the get go
I believe that there are many wars and conflicts of the past in European thought. King against king, duchy against duchy, neighbor against neighbor, family against family, Catholic Church against everyone... there was always war and strife. These are now held at a sporting level. The ultra fans are the Troops. Winning is just as important as not losing.
IN EUROPE (on average as each country is different, and regardless of sport):
- Teams (aka. clubs or organizations) are the pride of an entire city, possibly of a wider country area and may have been so for over a century. Teams often have lots of different sport departments (soccer, basketball, volleyball, waterpolo etc).
- Teams represent ideals and groups or classes of people, by default they're not in it for the money. Owners frequently may be paying off their own pockets to cover expenses, they're not necessarily there to make money but to gain influence and recognition. An extremely small number of teams are profitable at all. Many hope to get even so that they can continue investing in improving the team. Most are recording losses year after year and they expect their owners to cover that.
- But if the team underperforms for lengthy periods, fans will demand change of direction and ultimately ownership change. In the long run, fans always succeed in getting rid of unsuccessful owners.
- All games matter.
- There is no tanking and there is no draft. You do not gain anything by finishing in the last few spots, even worse you risk getting relegated to a lower division which causes enormous trouble of all kind (financial, prestige and so on, there are teams that get relegated and literally take decades to get promoted back again, many never even manage to recover at all).
- There are no franchises, no closed leagues, no team relocations, no organization ownerships doing whatever they want while disregarding the hardcore fans.
- Teams matter 1000x more than any individual player, even GOATs. Players come and go, teams are there for life. Head coaches are the gods of the team, even as a superstar player you do not second guess a coach, you do not argue with a coach, you will get yelled at by the coach and will swallow your pride for the good of the team.
- There are no bandwagon fans. You start supporting a team at a very early age (usually because your father or your family does so) and you stay with them all your life.
- Each team has their own ultras who will support the team and travel with the team to away games no matter what (they will support the TEAM, but not necessarily the players or the owners).
IN THE US (and especially in its major leagues):
- Teams (aka. organizations) may have a tradition of 30-50 years, few are older than that and may have even relocated a few times since. The best of them may be somewhat tied with local communities but not all really are. Teams will only specialize in a single sport.
- Teams are only in it for the money. All they represent is company profit. If the team is not profitable for its owners, it relocates or changes ownership or disbands.
- Most regular season games feel more like snoozefest practice and friendly showtime rather than real competition (NFL is the only exception because of its very low number of regular season games).
- Tanking is fine because there is no relegation and you will get awarded with the top players from the draft.
- Everything is a franchise, everything is a company within a greater company (The League). The fans can be ignored because the owners don't treat them as fans but as customers (nevermind that they appeal to them by calling them "superfans" or whatever, so that they ultimately can sell more merchandise or more expensive season tickets).
- Individual players tend to matter more than any team. Head coaches are there to hold things together but not always to give direction or discipline players.
- Fans are mostly in there for the entertainment, especially those attending games in the arenas.
I am Greek who lives in Cleveland . I am an Olympiakos fun and support the Cavs too . The atmosphere is different between the two settings but if you go to watch a Cavs game with the same feeling and mentality you have when watching a European one ( undeniably there are great differences there ) , you will equally enjoy it. It’s all about basketball at the end and the passion that each one of us has. By the way , my opinion is that , there is passion in an NBA game ( fans are fans) and increases the further you move away from the court ( I hope i made a point there) I am fully aligned with one of your comments about celebrities and such. Great video and analysis.
Fan culture originally comes from football. The ultras of the football clubs eventually switched to basketball to support their teams.
Cheering is not the domain of some Euroleague, but of all sports in Europe. We don't go to sports like we go to the theatre, we cheer our team to the max in almost every sport.
2:30 hit the nail on the head right there. Huge difference in fan culture. You can compare Euro crowds more to college sports. But not the pros. In the pros its a family friendly entertainment event. In Europe and in college its much more about us vs them. Those chants you are hearing right there are not made for kids ears.
In the US it looks like the crowd is watching on the tv at home. Sure a bit of a cheer when points are made, but that is it. In EU (some countries) it is more about being there and trying to help your team win with chants etc. US watches, EU plays with the team.
in Europe, sports teams are not a commercial product, they are teams that represent your city, region, country, and you also need to support well))) even if the match is against a team from another city from your region
When the team loses, the coach gets the heat, also when the team wins coach gets the flowers. Coach has an authority and responsibility, he is almost like a stepfather to the players
The difference is that when an NBA fan buys the ticket to watch the game, we buy the tickets to scream at the opposition and support our team
One thing you need to understand about sports in europe is that these aren't just teams that might move cities at some point. These are clubs that have existed in the place they are from for decades or even centuries. These clubs often have teams in more than one sport, and their fans are often members of the club. There is a whole different level of engagement.
Don't forget that those teams are linked to politics and religion and the Balkan region all the way to the Middle East has a history of ethnic wars and allegiances. A Partizan Belgrade fan does not belong to the same political party as a Red Star fan. Greece, Turkey, same thing. These teams were established after centuries of Ottoman control, WW1 and WW2.
Also, the coaches are respected more than the players. If you disagree with the coach you're benched, imagine benching a NBA star because he spoke up.
In summary, the teams and the people are one, no way a team can pick up and go and change location, the fans go to games prepared to fight, the cheering starts outside, sometimes businesses close because of a big game. It's a whole different culture.
One of the biggest differences is the ticket pricing... The tickets are so expensive in the NBA that the hard-core fans that are usually just normal people can't really afford to go to the games regularly. And the games are attended by a bunch of rich people who aren't that invested in the sport.
This is something that has happened in Finland with Hockey and especially in the World Championship tournaments... Where the prices are extra high. And these games have fallen flat as the crowds and the people are not the real fans... It is what happens when the prices soar...
The passion falls on the way side of the almighty dollar...
the difference is "the audience is here because of me" and " you are here because of the audience" is called respect.
2:34 100%
Well said
We do fight each other on the streets, and unfortunately, occasionally, someone dies.
You hit it with your thoughts quite well! Enjoyed it!
In European leagues, you fight for the championship or defend against relegation. There are over 3,500 basketball clubs in Spain alone.
I think that one of the key differences between European team sports and their American counterparts is a sense of team. Less individualism, more of a pack mentality. That goes for the fans too. It doesn't matter as much to a player here if he scores 9 goals if the team loses. A win is more important, because the collective gains from wins, not from points.
Passion against money
Nikada vi Amerikanci to nećete shvatiti. To je iskrena ljubav prema svom klubu i iskrena tuga kada izgubite. Kod vas je to biznis. Ako to postane i u Evropi (nažalost mislim da hoće) prestajem da gledam košarku i prelazim na balet.
Personality Cult seems to be very big in the US, not only in sports. Not healthy.
I'm Turkish and here it's a family job. I'm a Galatasaray fan, my parents and their parents too. İt goes like that.
In Europe, enjoyment, passion and love are important to us.We don't really care about the famous and the rich people.Who came to show themselves, and how they dressed. And that is the difference between America and Europe.
Team Sports reflects Culture, it is a mirror of the Culture it is in.
It’s football (soccer) style crowds. That’s the difference.
Point of it all is, it matters so much in Europe. Especially in Balkans and Turkey. It's bigger than everything. You have your political, social stances and you align with a certain team because historically teams were founded by people of a certain social category or political views or whatever. It's so much bigger. It's your tribe.
0:54 - 1:06
This is ARIS Macedonian 🇬🇷 fans from Thessalonike
2:20
This is PAOK Macedonian🇬🇷 fans from Thessalonike
ARIS - PAOK Fans are from
Thessalonike 🇬🇷 Macedonia 🇬🇷
Northern Greece
4:32 Olympiakos Piraeans 🇬🇷 fans
5:26 Panathinaikos Athenian 🇬🇷 fans
Athenian Macedonian Piraeans are all Greek fans
Note: SlavoBulgarians 🇲🇰 have nothing to do with the Greek history and Greek heritage of Macedonia 🇬🇷
I'm a historian. Ikr 👍
You don't need to be a historian to know that. Only to have half a brain.
Even the Prespa Agreement says that, but anyway.
I think somebody once said it well: "The NBA has customers, EuroLeague has fans"
In USA the fans work for the stars, in Europe the stars work for the fans.
In Europe the public and the team are one. Often the stars were fans as young kids and view The Game from completely diferent perspective.
there is a way to explain it, think that this teams are not just Basketball, we Support the club, they just Happen to have a basketball team to support too, players come and go, the club is forever
The guy narrating at 2:30 is Greek with a weird accent. I mean, he said he's from Macedonia which is not a country, just a part of North Greece. Or maybe just misspoke meaning Scopje
Don't go there....
😂😅@@DimShamrock
Since we are reliving the past here... Isn't Greece just a southern part of Yugoslavia?
@@schakaljr yeah but I was being serious
And nobody's reliving the past, Macedonia was,is and always be a part of Greece.
Yeah, this are not "fans" that support a "franchise", this are citizens living the local culture in wich the team is part of it.
There's definitely a difference in mentality between the USA and the rest of the world, not just when it comes to basketball, but in all aspects. In USA, everything tends to boil down to money (as the narrator of the og video also pointed out).
USA is most successful capitalist country so no wonder. All revolves around cash.
I Love the Passion in Europe.
I Love that you can relaxed take youre Kids with you in U.S. (It looks so chilled^^)
Both got their own "Charme" (As Long as Flare Lights are charming lol)
In Europe you don't consume a game, you participate.
Euro league is sports , NBA is a business. Its different...
Everyone knows - in the US, you play for money, in Europe, you play for the fans.
In Europe the basketball teams are club based. Much like how the football (soccer) is. The fans are the basis for the team existing.
In America it's a franchise system. The owner is the reason the franchise exists, if the owner decides to move then fans can cry about it all they like, nothing will change (Seattle's Supersonics).
In Europe the club is always more important than any player or coach or anyone else. If you don't perform you'll be out and the supporters will be the first to start questioning
The NBA is a business and theater, and European basketball is a passion, and there is a big difference
In europe, especially in the Balkans, there have been so many wars ... It is actually better that now these wars have moved on these sport fields. The fans' behaviour is just a mirror of the wars that have been fought over the centuries in this region.
The way to put it is that the players are lucky to play for the fans' team
Fans in Balkan peninsula are that plus one player who makes all the difference with chanting for their club or national team. Winning or losing fans only wishes to see desire, dedication, fight for every ball. Not that complicated to understand.
Serbian girl here.i personally think that sport is life
i have said that 1.000.000 times, bring the nba champions in europe to play against the european champions, but in an european court with europan (fiba) rules, until they understand the game the nba team will be down 20-25 points with 3 miutes for the game to finish. NBA is amazing show and everythting, but in europe we play basketball...ask keba walker that he his first season in europe (as an nba super star) was bellow average