NBA Mexico VP Raul Zarraga: “We See Enormous Potential”

On December 17th, the NBA Mexico City Game between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat will tip off at the CDMX Arena in Mexico City, which will mark the NBA’s 31st game in Mexico, and their first since 2019. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the first game in Mexico by NBA teams.

Raul Zarraga, NBA Mexico Vice President and Managing Director, is excited about an NBA return to Mexico, and participated in a Q&A.

Given the NBA’s growing popularity from a global perspective, and taking into consideration the close proximity of Mexico to the US, to what extent do you expect to see the game of basketball grow in Mexico from both a spectator and participant perspective?

Zarraga: “We see enormous potential for basketball and the NBA to continue to grow in Mexico. There are nearly 30 million NBA fans in the country, and basketball is the second-most played sport among Mexican sports fans. There have been several recent indicators of the growing interest in the NBA across the country, including rising TV viewership, NBA League Pass subscriptions and digital engagement.

There couldn’t be a better time to resume playing NBA games in Mexico, and we believe The NBA Mexico City Game 2022, the recent addition of the Mexico City Captains to the NBA G League, and everything we’re doing to engage Mexican fans and players year-round will help us build on the tremendous momentum for basketball and the NBA across the country and region.”

Mexico has historically not produced a lot of NBA talent, but you’re planning to activate more young people to play the game, in part by making the sport more accessible. To what extent do you see Mexicans increasing their embrace of basketball moving forward?

Zarraga: “Making basketball more accessible is critical to the continued growth of the game, not just in Mexico but around the world. That’s why we are committed to growing Mexico’s basketball ecosystem at all levels. Over the past 5-10 years we’ve built a predictable pathway for young boys and girls in Mexico and across Latin America to learn the game and maximize their potential.

As players develop, they can progress from the Jr. NBA and NBA Basketball School to Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Americas and NBA Academy Latin America, and ultimately now to Capitanes. And we’re encouraged by the results so far. At the grassroots level, our Jr. NBA program reached more than 7.5 million youth in 2022. There are several former BWB Americas campers currently in the NBA, including Leandro Bolmaro (UTA; Argentina; BWB Americas 2017), Kai Jones (CHA; Bahamas; BWB Americas 2017) and Kelly Olynyk (UTA; Canada; BWB Americas 2013). And since NBA Academy Latin America opened in 2018, 24 male and female participants have committed to or gone on to attend NCAA Division I schools in the US, including two players from Mexico, and several others are playing at junior colleges in the US

We believe these efforts will contribute to the development of more Mexican NBA and WNBA players, coaches and executives, who will then inspire more young boys and girls to play the game.”

With the NBA reportedly considering expansion in Mexico City, what do you see as the biggest selling point or argument for that location as a potential expansion destination?

Zarraga: “As Commissioner Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum have said, we’re not considering expansion right now, in Mexico City or elsewhere. In Mexico, we are focused on growing the country’s existing basketball ecosystem and helping the Captains achieve success on-and-off the court. But in the long run, having Captains in the G League should provide us with a level of clarity as far as how tenable it would be to have an NBA team in Mexico. The fact that Mexico City is the largest city in North America, relatively close to the US and a gateway to the rest of Latin America means there is an enormous opportunity for us to engage new fans and find creative ways to connect them with their favorite teams. and players, which we are focused on regardless of expansion.”

The San Antonio Spurs have a significant fan base in Mexico due to their championship years and proximity to the country. With the team now meeting up with the Miami Heat for the Mexico Game, what type of excitement have you noticed locally for the game?

Zarraga: “There’s so much excitement around this game, in large part because it’s our first game in Mexico since 2019. This game also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the first ever NBA game in Mexico in Oct. 1992, so it’s also a special milestone for the league. The game sold out in just four days, and fans, media, influencers and partners are coming from across the region for what has become a sort of “Latin America All-Star Game.” The Spurs obviously have a significant and growing fanbase here due to their championship pedigree, initiatives to engage Mexican fans and close physical proximity, and the Heat resonate locally for many of the same reasons. I’m expecting an electric atmosphere when the ball goes up on Saturday and encourage fans across the country and around the world to tune-in for what will be a true celebration of basketball and the NBA in Mexico.”

COO of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, Brandon Gayle, also participated in a Q&A to discuss San Antonio’s ties to Mexico, as well as the long-term prospects of Mexico churning out more NBA players.

Interest in the Spurs, and the NBA overall, is on the rise in Mexico. In some part due to the championship years in San Antonio. During the championship era, were you aware of the impact it had south of the border?

Gayle: “We’ve played six games in Mexico City and every time thousands of Spurs fans showed up, making us feel loved and right at home. That combined with our championship legacy has played a significant role in us having 4.5 million loyal Spurs fans who reside in Mexico. San Antonio is a vibrant community that is 65% Hispanic. For us, Mexico is a natural extension of our community and culture, and we’re grateful for the connection we have with our fans there. Celebrating and embracing Latino culture is a critical part of how we show up as a brand given the makeup of our market and fans in Mexico.”

As an NBA team that has always been thorough in scouting throughout the course of the world, how big of an advantage would it be to have Mexico become as big a talent developer as, say, Canada is to the NBA right now?

Gayle: “Canada enjoyed steady growth over the last two decades – we saw talented athletes making the move to US colleges and as interest shifted to basketball, the sport grew in popularity. Mexico’s growth track begins with Mexicans embracing the game and steering its younger athletes to the court, which we’re starting to see. We’re excited about two great things happening in Mexico right now, the NBA G League and the NBA Academy Latin America. These are significant investments in Mexico that need time to take root , grow interest and develop talent. It’s a long-term game with unlimited potential.”

In your opinion, how do NBA teams best connect to local cultures as well as to increase fanhood, and build ties with new people?

Gayle: “We’re working to deepen our fanbase and foster the next generation of fans in Mexico through several different engagement outlets and through support from partners like NBA Mexico, Viva Aerobus and Hijole Tequila. It’s important for us to connect face-to- face with our fans where they live. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to play games in Mexico and have our games air on Multimedios radio stations in Monterrey, Mexico. We also believe in serving the communities where we have fans so last month , one of our Spurs legends Manu Ginobili, traveled to Mexico City and met with the Jr. NBA Coaches Academy and with children from the Asociación Pro Personas con Parálisis Cerebral. This week as we prepare to play in Mexico City, our players are excited about hosting a Jr. NBA Clinic with local youth.”