MEXICO CITY — The NBA is treating Mexico as more than a once-a-year stop, building out youth programs, coach training and digital content there, even as league officials say a team of its own is still off the table for now.
Raul Zarraga, who runs NBA operations for Latin America and Canada, said Friday that the country has become a top priority. He put the Mexican fan base at roughly 30 million, more than twice its size of 12 to 14 years ago.
League figures show 21.6 million unique viewers in Mexico streamed live games last season. Zarraga said the league has over 8 million followers on social accounts aimed at Mexican fans, drawing around 200 million interactions a year.
The strategy goes beyond the annual showcase. The league is pushing clinics, coaching programs and fan events such as NBA House, which ran in June around the Finals, along with Jr. NBA. The Mexico City Capitanes, the first G League club based outside the U.S. and Canada, give it a permanent footprint, and Memphis rookie Karim Lopez became the first Mexican-born player taken in the first round of the draft.
The showcase itself continues Saturday, when Denver faces Indiana at Arena CDMX. Mexico is also one of five international stops on the league calendar this season, a list that includes upcoming regular-season games in Paris on Jan. 14 and Manchester on Jan. 17.
On a franchise, Zarraga said Mexico already has the fan base, venues and business momentum but is not part of immediate plans. In March, NBA owners gave the league the go-ahead to formally study adding teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, and Commissioner Adam Silver has said a decision on adding one or two teams could come by the end of 2026.
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