The National Basketball Association wasted little time reaching out to Cuba. But lingering enmity toward the communist nation may force the NBA—and other sports leagues—to proceed with caution.
The league and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) will hold a four-day youth basketball camp in the Cuban capital of Havana next week. The event will serve not only as a goodwill tour for the sport but also allow the NBA to gain a toehold in Cuba as the island nation and United States resume diplomatic and economic relations, experts said.
But there's been some blowback.
Backlash most notably came from the Miami Heat, an NBA franchise based in a county with more than 800,000 residents who identify as Cuban, according to 2010 U.S. Census data. The team told the NBA of its "vehement objection" to the camp when it was announced, said Tim Donovan, a Heat spokesman.
He told CNBC that neither the Heat nor any of its personnel will participate in the event.
The NBA and FIBA camp can build grass-roots support for the sport in Cuba, Tripathi said. While the Cuban men's team has played in six Olympic Games and some Cuban nationals have made NBA rosters, basketball has room to grow there, he said.
Retired stars Steve Nash and Dikembe Mutombo will headline the group going to Cuba. Aside from teaching the game to Cuban youth, the NBA and FIBA plan to renovate three outdoor courts in Havana.
The NBA declined to comment on how the event will affect its business growth, pointing CNBC to its press release on the camp.
