Basketball

Basketball

Developed in America in the late 19th century, the first century of the sport was dominated by Americans. As it has slowly spread throughout the world, other countries have developed great talent - Lithuania, Argentina and Australia have all become competitive. The growth is partially spurred by the urbanization of the globe, as basketball is one of few sports that can be played in minimal amounts of space in urban environments. International leagues in Greece, Israel, and Japan now attract American players who can't quite make it into the American National Basketball Association or are on the down slope of their careers, while top talent from countries such as Germany (Dirk Nowitzki), France (Tony Parker), Spain (Pau and Marc Gasol) and Canada (Steve Nash) are making an impact in America, including winning MVP titles.