NBA wants European basketball league in conjunction with world governing body Fiba
The NBA has confirmed it will accelerate plans to establish a European basketball league in partnership with world governing body Fiba, with further discussions scheduled next month involving prospective teams and owners.
The initiative has been under consideration for several months, with NBA executives meeting existing European clubs and potential investors during a summer European tour that also included meetings with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
The NBA has since enlisted JPMorgan and the Raine Group to gauge interest in new franchises across cities including London, Manchester and Paris, as reported by City AM.
“Our conversations with various stakeholders in Europe have reinforced our belief that an enormous opportunity exists around the creation of a new league on the continent,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.
“Together with Fiba, we look forward to engaging prospective clubs and ownership groups that share our vision for the game’s potential in Europe.”
The project, informally referred to as NBA Europe, is expected to operate as a semi-closed league, with most teams holding permanent membership and a limited number of places available through Fiba’s Basketball Champions League or an end-of-season qualifying tournament.
Organisers indicate the competition will be structured to align with domestic leagues and international schedules, ensuring players can continue to represent both their clubs and national teams.
“Advancing further this joint NBA-Fiba project is great news for the European basketball community,” said Fiba secretary general Andreas Zagklis.
“The format of the league respects European sport model principles by offering any ambitious club in the continent a fair pathway to the top.
“The project is conceived in a way that will improve the sustainability of the entire European basketball ecosystem, including players, clubs, leagues and national federations, by generating a knock-on effect that will strongly benefit basketball fans throughout Europe.”
NBA executives are convinced their know-how can unlock the commercial potential of European basketball, which enjoys enormous popularity in certain nations but lacks significant visibility in key markets such as the UK.
EuroLeague, whose own continental basketball competition would face a challenge from the NBA’s arrival, has maintained a new league is “not needed”, whilst doubts persist regarding NBA Europe’s proposed 2027 launch date.
Teams in London and Manchester would be newly established franchises rather than existing domestic Super League Basketball clubs, with Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly and Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi proprietors amongst those associated with the venture.
Paris Saint-Germain owner Qatar Sports Investments has likewise engaged in substantial discussions about establishing a side in the French capital. The quoted buy-in price of $500m-$1bn per franchise by the NBA and its advisers has reportedly caused a stir, with football club owners in particular believing they offer the brand value and reach that NBA Europe requires.
