NBA Europe Notes: Alba Berlin, PSG, Barcelona, Italian Teams

The NBA is moving forward with its groundwork for its NBA Europe league, with an eye on launching in October of 2027, and Germany’s Alba Berlin appears to have emerged as a frontrunner to be a tentpole for the new league, according to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon (subscriber link).

Vardon writes that one of the reasons that this weekend’s Grizzlies/Magic games in Berlin and London were so important is that those two cities are being eyed as possible anchor teams for the new league, with Alba Berlin expected to be the representative for the German capital.

“To me, they are an exemplar of how a top-tier club should be run and organized,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “[With] their tremendous youth programs, they have deep fan support. They’ve created enormous enthusiasm around the game. Look no further than the Wagner brothers, who were developed, as part of the Alba Berlin ecosystem. So, they are the model of the type of club that we would like to see in a potential European league.”

Vardon writes that while Alba Berlin doesn’t have rich parent organizations like Barcelona, it’s considered to have one of the most impressive farm systems of any team in the world, with a network of coaches and employees around the city who are ready to train anyone who picks up a basketball.

Berlin also has an easier path to joining the new league than many, given that it chose not to participate in EuroLeague this season.

“EuroLeague is not financially sustainable for the licensed clubs, and especially for the non-licensed clubs,” said owner Axel Schweitzer. “I’m not saying it’s good or bad (for everyone), but for us, with the NBA and the potential to tap into the market … we feel it’s possible to achieve much more than what’s been in reach.”

We have more updates on teams eyeing the NBA Europe league:

• Silver is hopeful that a partnership can be struck with French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain, writes Javier Molero of EuroHoops. “They play at the highest level of competition (in soccer), and they have the know-how to operate a basketball club at the highest level, if they’re interested,” Silver said. “Yes, it’s a club we’re talking to.” NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum expanded on the NBA’s interest. “There’s their ability to create a brand, a culture, their association with the Jordan brand (Michael Jordan’s), which is linked to basketball,” Tatum said. “We’re looking for the right partners for our project, and PSG brings a very interesting level of expertise in terms of marketing, promotion, and building a global brand.”
• FC Barcelona is looking less likely to join the ground floor of the NBA Europe league, Alex Molina reports for EuroHoops. Molina notes that Barcelona is expected to approve a 10-year commitment to EuroLeague at the end of this week, though he adds that this decision would not fully eliminate the possibility of Barcelona eventually joining the NBA’s league should it prove to be a stable, long-term alternative.
• Silver and the NBA are also hoping to land an Italian team. They have meetings scheduled with Olimpia Milano and AC Milan on Monday, per Kevin Martorano of Sportando. Inter Milan will not attend the meeting, indicating that they are less likely to consider joining the nascent league. According to Martorano, the meeting will allow the NBA to illustrate what such a partnership would look like, economically and in terms of managing franchises within the league.