The new European basketball league backed by the NBA could begin play as early as 2027, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno and Tim Reynolds.
NBA and FIBA are working together to launch NBA Europe.
Speaking at a conference hosted by Front Office Sports, Silver called a 2027 start “ambitious, no doubt about it,” but did not rule out that possibility. Existing arenas across Europe could be used when the initial launch occurs until more modern infrastructure is built up.
“I don’t think I’d want to go much longer than ’28,” Silver said. “The opportunity is now to do something like this.”
Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum met this summer with United Kingdom prime minister Keir Starmer, among other government officials, along with various possible stakeholders regarding the new venture. Those meetings convinced Silver that NBA Europe would be successful.
“I would say I’m enthusiastic about it,” Silver said.
Early plans call for the new league to have 16 teams, though that number could change. Existing European clubs like Real Madrid, Fenerbahce Istanbul and Barcelona are likely to figure into the NBA’s plans for the new league, according to the AP.
A new British league that intends to launch in 2027 indicated in a recent press statement that it expects the NBA’s European league to begin at the same time, with franchises in London and Manchester, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net relays.
“Basketball’s probably the fastest-growing sport in the world right now, and it’s a huge No. 2 sport in Europe behind soccer, so I think there’s a real opportunity,” Silver added.
Honestly a great idea, its the major leagues of European basketball, superseding all national leagues with 1 major one.
Put a team in Warsaw so that Poland can get some real professional ball – our domestic league is a joke.
As the NFL Europe showed, European fans can’t wait to spend their hard-earned cash on some foreign plastic league with second-rate franchises and heavily manipulated competition, à la Cooper Flagg for Luka Dončić.
The whole thing will turn into a G-League Europe at best, similar to the long perished NFL endeavor. As the recent EuroBasket tournament showed, Europe, providing many of today’s NBA superstars, isn’t exactly some Third World hole, thirsty for any garbage the U.S. force upon them.
Good luck, Adam Silver.
The NBA doesn’t need to create demand in Europe. It’s a virtual certainty there will be NBA franchises in all the major European cities (with the possible exception of Germany) by 2030. The important deals have been done, and over $10B has already been committed.
As with the European football leagues, the majority of the financing / ownership will not be European, but American and Middle Eastern. That has been in the works for several years, and the leading FIBA franchises are in full support, largely because they’ll make billions of Euros in profit.
The NFL is based on a uniquely American game played by virtually no other country in the world (other than Canada). The NBA is already making 30% of its revenues from outside the USA. As a team sport, it’s second only to “soccer” worldwide by total revenue.
Silver will do anything but put a team back in Seattle
All these Euro plans are insulting given how negligently the NBA has treated the BAL.
Seems too soon for me. I only see this working with the Euro leagues. They have to come to some agreement first. Then the NBA can move forward there. I can see it happening one day.
Seattle first lol …….. I have hope this will get done.
NBE are you all not entertained?