The NBA is exploring this week the possibility of launching a new basketball league in Europe, in collaboration with FIBA, which could include between eight and ten teams. This ambitious project will be concretely analyzed during the NBA franchise owners’ meeting, where they will discuss how to materialize this initiative.

During his visit to Paris in January, NBA commissioner Adam Silver mentioned that there were ongoing discussions about the NBA’s presence in Europe, although at the time he described the topic as “rather vague.” Now, the project appears to be taking shape, with the possibility of creating a European league that could replicate the model of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), an independent league created by the NBA in collaboration with FIBA.

INDEPENDENT LEAGUE OR ALLIANCE WITH EXISTING

“We’re just looking for a way to contribute to the European basketball landscape,” Silver explained. “Could we do what we do in Africa and create an independent league? Or manifest it through an alliance with leagues that already exist? What is certain is that whatever we do, we will join FIBA.”

According to the portal Sportico, the championship could include between eight and ten teams, four of which currently participate in the Euroleague, Europe’s premier club competition. Cities such as London and Paris are emerging as possible franchise venues, with an estimated purchase price of US$500 million per team.

A PROJECT UNDER DISCUSSION

Although no formal vote on the matter is scheduled at this stage, NBA franchise owners are expected to discuss and possibly vote on the project later this week. The move could mark a milestone in the NBA’s global expansion and its partnership with FIBA, strengthening European basketball and expanding the league’s influence in the old continent.