After months of silence from the joint conference between the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, and the general secretary of the FIBA, Andreas Zagklisthe ambitious project of a NBA Europe again takes prominence in the international basketball agenda.
A target on the calendar
During the press conference prior to NBA ends and more recently at an NBA Cares event held at Oklahoma City, Silver confirmed that conversations on expanding the league to the European continent have resurfaced, although he clarified that the project is still in a initial phase: “We are at a very early stage of the process. It is a bit difficult to establish a specific term now. Therefore, we are at least a couple of years of its launch. It would be a huge task,” said the commissioner, suggesting that the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games could mark a reference point for this international project.
Good planning
Silver also emphasized the importance of a Collaborative approach: “While we want to advance at a leisurely rhythm, we also want to make sure to consult with all the relevant interested parties, meeting with the Euroleague, their teams, European players, media and marketing partners. Therefore, hOh a lot of work to do”.
A market opportunity
One of the central arguments of the commissioner to boost this expansion is the potential of the European market: “We continue to believe that there is a huge amount of basketball fans disregarded in Europe and that there is a great opportunity to have another NBA style league”.
According to an article published by the NBA, cities such as London, Manchester, Rome and Munich They are among the most likely candidates to house teams in this future league. In addition, Silver opened the door to the creation of new franchises from scratch and mentioned that several organizations (such as PSG o Manchester City) They have already expressed interest in being part of the project and operating in these important European markets.
Although the road to an NBA Europe is still long, the renewed impulse of the League leadership indicates that this vision, long considered as utopian, could be closer to becoming a reality.
