I grew up in New England and spent time in Mexico City. I'd have to disagree. I mean people are people, and a city is a city, but it's still a huge adjustment. The language barrier may be a common issue for journeymen or euroleague players, but NBA players have certain expectations when they come to the league, and many would not be prepared for those new obstacles. Not to mention that there are very few black people in Mexico, a lower percentage than even Salt Lake City (and even that demographic is African American, not Afro-Mexican). It could be an isolating experience, especially if you get traded often. It's a lot to ask for players to compete against 30 teams that don't have to deal with those issues on a regular basis. There's also the aspect of family relocation; while it may not be that much further than Portland is from the east coast, it's still a long ways from the next American city and your next-closest relatives. And I'm not even going to imagine the potential issues a different legal and criminal justice system could pose for players going out at night.

Not that NBA players aren't professionals and up for the challenge, but I guarantee Adam Silver has thought less about whether players would be interested and willing to play out of Mexico and more about how much money it could make the league.