OKLAHOMA CITY – The NBA’s plans to establish a new league in Europe continue to advance, according to Commissioner Adam Silver. Although the project is under development, it is estimated that it will take at least a couple more years to make it a reality. Silver made these statements during a league event to present a renovated Boys & Girls club in Oklahoma City, on a day off from the NBA Finals. The commissioner emphasized that it is difficult to set a specific timeframe for the European plans.
I would say it’s measured in years, not months. We are at least a couple of years away from launching the league. It would be a huge task. And while we want to move at a deliberate pace, we also want to make sure we consult with all the appropriate stakeholders, which means the existing league, its teams, European players, media companies, and marketing partners. There’s a lot of work to be done.
Adam Silver
In March, Silver and FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis announced that the league and the basketball governing body are taking steps to form a new league, with an initial target of 16 teams. Since the NBA and FIBA made their idea of moving forward public, the conversations have become more constructive, according to Silver.
Silver added that the NBA has been in direct conversations with the Euroleague and some member clubs about a possible partnership. His preference is for the NBA to work at some level with the existing league, although it is still early to define the details.
Anyway, we still feel that there are a huge number of underserved basketball fans in Europe and that there is a great opportunity to have another NBA-style league.
Adam Silver
Currently, approximately one in six NBA players comes from Europe, including prominent figures like Nikola Jokic of Denver and Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee, who together have won five of the last seven MVP awards, in addition to Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio.
The NBA’s board of governors will discuss the next steps related to European plans in July, during their scheduled meeting in Las Vegas. The launch of the European league could coincide with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, given the attention that will be paid to international basketball at that time.It is expected that cities like London, Manchester, Rome, and Munich will show interest in joining this initiative. Silver concluded by mentioning that although direct conversations have not yet been held, several organizations and potential owners have expressed interest in operating in the main European markets.That could be a good starting point for an announcement about a new competition.
Adam Silver
