As Team USA and many NBA players compete in the Olympics, Adam Silver has been busy in Paris talking about big plans for the NBA’s future.
NBA’s European Expansion Plans:
Adam Silver shared that the NBA is working with FIBA to expand into Europe. This could mean an annual competition or even a new league run by the NBA. Talks have been ongoing for years, but now they seem more serious with new media deals starting soon. โWe certainly havenโt made any definitive decisions,โ Silver said.
Adam Silver has discussed a potential annual tournament or an NBA operated league with FIBA in order to increase their โcompetitive footprint in Europeโ, per @ByTimReynolds.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops)
Silver believes there’s a huge opportunity in Europe. He mentioned that while changes won’t happen overnight, team owners are interested in investing globally. โI continue to believe thereโs an enormous opportunity here,โ he said.
Global Initiatives Beyond Europe:
The NBA isn’t just looking at Europe; they’re also focusing on China and Africa. “Given the quality of basketball here in Europe, it would seem to make sense that we should be doing something here as well,” Silver added.
During their trip to Paris for the Olympics, they aimed to learn more about these opportunities. โWe want to make sure we have a true grasp of the opportunity,โ Silver explained. Theyโre being cautious not to harm existing basketball structures but see potential due to financial losses some investors face yearly.
Fans think this global expansion is really exciting!
Expanding Within The United States:
Expansion isnโt limited to overseas; it’s happening at home too! The NBA is considering adding new teams within the U.S., with Las Vegas being a prime candidate. Over the past years, Las Vegas has hosted significant events like Summer League and will host more like the NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena.
โNow in the 20th year of Summer League, weโve estimated and been told that the economic impact is close to a quarter of a billion dollars,โ Silver noted last month. He praised Las Vegas as “the undisputed entertainment capital of the world.”
With venues like Sphere hosting major events such as last month’s NHL draft, people are curious if other leagues will also come to Las Vegas.
โWeโre not looking to travel the draft at the moment,” Silver concluded after watching how impressive it looked on TV from Sphere
