The NBA is considering establishing a new professional basketball league in Europe in partnership with world governing body FIBA, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Thursday.
“Had discussions around potential opportunities in Europe literally for decades. But we feel now is the time to move to that next stage. We’re ready to go to the next stage and that’s to explore a potential league in Europe with FIBA as our partners,” Silver said.
The proposed league would consist of 12 permanent franchises, with four additional teams subject to annual changes. However, Silver noted that these details could still evolve.
“We want continuity (in the new league) for certain clubs because… it provides an incentive to build new arenas, build a brand,” Silver added.
FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, who was also present at the New York news conference, declined to provide further details, with Silver emphasizing that “nothing has been decided yet.”
The discussions were a key focus of two days of NBA team owner meetings, where club owners expressed strong support for moving forward with the exploration.
This initiative could challenge the Euroleague, currently considered the second-best basketball league in the world. “Basketball is the second-largest sport in Europe,” Silver said. “Hundreds of millions of fans. But there’s a considerable gap between the interest in the sport and its development, compared to how we manage the elite here in North America.”
Regarding potential collaboration with the Euroleague, Zagklis stated, “Our role as an international federation is to unify the basketball ecosystem as much as possible. We’ve tried to do this in the past, we’re continuing, and we will continue.”
Silver emphasized that the project remains in an exploratory phase, with sponsorships and structural details yet to be finalized. “We wanted to have open and direct conversations with stakeholders, not secret discussions,” he said.
Reports suggest the NBA has approached major European sports clubs, including PSG, Manchester City, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Fenerbahce, about joining the league. Ownership would be split between the NBA and investors, with team prices reportedly starting at $500 million.
“We want to assess the level of interest from existing clubs,” Silver said, noting that many teams are already globally recognized brands due to their football affiliations.
He also highlighted the existing infrastructure in Europe but hinted at opportunities for building state-of-the-art arenas. “Club owners have expressed their enthusiastic support for the idea of continuing the exploration,” Silver reiterated.
