Basketball is all too often associated only with America, the home of big stars like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. The NBA is probably the most well known basketball association, and countless American films about kids playing basketball have only served to underline this image of basketball being an American sport.

However, this reputation is by no means accurate.  Basketball is played by teams across the globe; in fact American teams aren’t necessarily superior – in the 2002 World Championship, the American team finished sixth behind Yugoslavia, Argentina, Germany, New Zealand and Spain. So, though the Americans may have caught on first, the rest of the world was not far behind.

Currently, there are a wide range of different basketball leagues available to peruse and enjoy. The NBA, unsurprisingly, is still going strong – for example, the 17th May sees 2 popular matches taking place, Boston against Cleveland, and LA Lakers versus Utah. Cleveland are favourite to win against Boston, with their odds currently at 4/6, and Utah are favoured over LA Lakers, with odds at 8/15 compared to the Lakers’ 11/8.

For those looking for something with a European base, there is also the EuroBasket league, in which the national teams from the continent take part every two years, and which serves as a qualifying tournament either for the world basketball game info or for the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) World Championships. The defending champions are currently Russia, who won in 2007. There are also smaller European leagues, such as Italian, Spanish and Turkish. Some approaching European basketball games include Efes Istanbul vs. Fenerbahce Istanbul (Efes Istanbul favourite to win, with odds at 31/50) and Cantu’ vs. Roma (Roma favourite to win, with odds at 8/15), both on the 17th May.

Though the US has made basketball its own, international teams are now fighting for the recognition that they deserve.

Sports Betting Odds provided by www.bluesq.com