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Spurs-Heat finals matchup has international appeal

By WTOP Staff

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer

MIAMI (AP) — An hour before Game 4 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James was talking about the World Cup.

A couple of Brazilian journalists nodded excitedly as he spoke, perhaps in part because soccer’s signature event is being hosted in their futbol-mad country. Chinese journalists were there as well, logging every word that James was saying because of his enormous following in their homeland. So were French, Italian, Filipino and German reporters, among others.

“The world,” Heat forward Shane Battier said, “is getting smaller every day.”

And that’s plenty evident at these NBA Finals, which are perhaps more global than ever before.

This Miami-San Antonio series is being aired live in 215 countries and territories, talked about in 47 languages, and has attracted social media attention from literally all corners of the globe through the NBA’s Facebook and Twitter portals alone. The Spurs have nine international players and the Heat have a huge international following because of stars like James and Dwyane Wade, along with the fact that coach Erik Spoelstra is Filipino-American.

Soccer is clearly a global game, which has been obvious forever.

Basketball can say the same, and that’s been clear for a long time.

“Now you’re on TV every night no matter where you play, the coverage through the playoffs and through the finals,” Spurs star Tim Duncan said. “You go anywhere in this world and you have fans everywhere. Fans of the NBA, fans of individual players, and obviously a lot of us travel in the offseason, and no matter where you go, you can’t get away from it. So you can feel how far spreading it is, and it’s great for the game. It’s great for the NBA.”

International growth been a key part of the NBA’s business model for years, so much so that former commissioner David Stern often and famously said that the league would have teams in Europe within a decade. There’s an international broadcasting compound at the finals now, and the series’ courtside logos and signage is being shown in eight languages — Chinese, French, Hindi, Japanese, Portugese, Spanish, and Turkish.

Oh, and English.

“This game has fans around the world now,” said James, whose arrivals in China for his summer visit to promote some of his many sponsors have drawn enormous crowds of screaming fans. “And that’s very important to me. That’s very important to this league. That’s very important to all of us.”

Wade, Battier and Tony Parker all have shoe deals with big Chinese companies, Wade with Li-Ning and Battier and Parker with Peak. It’s not uncommon to see those shoe companies have ad signage in Miami’s arena, and the Heat not long ago also had a prominent sponsor agreement with a Chinese beer company. The NBA has research showing that 300 million people play basketball in China — which equates to roughly the entire population of the United States.

Parker, a Belgian-born guard who plays for France and had a big international following even before signing with Peak last year, toured China — home of the world’s second-largest economy, behind only the United States — last summer.

“I love traveling and going to China was an unbelievable experience,” Parker said. “It was my third time. Brought my whole family. It was the first time for them. So we just had a great memories and great experience, and they really took care of me. It’s just great to see another side of the world and interact with your fans. Just had a great time.”

Battier went to China once, a few years ago, on vacation. He figured he’d never have any other reason to go there.

He’s been 10 times since. All have been for work.

Battier was skeptical when Peak approached him at first and questioned if the shoes would even be of NBA-quality, but said the deal has been extremely beneficial and satisfying for him. And while this is his final season, he’s long predicted that there will be an NBA team in China or another faraway place in the future.

“International growth and expansion is the obvious outlet for our game,” Battier said. “I think that domestically, we’ve tapped pretty much every pigeonhole and foxhole we can find. Because the game is so popular globally, it’s only a matter of time before we take our game in person to our fans around the world. The logistics argument is always the argument that detractors want to bring up, but it’s inevitable.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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