Adam Silver has shown he is organized and follows through on his promises as NBA commissioner.
Expansion Plans:
The NBA is thinking about adding two new teams, possibly in Las Vegas and Seattle, which would increase the league from 30 to 32 teams. They are also considering expanding their business into Europe.
Recently, Adam Silver mentioned that during the Paris Olympic Games, he had many discussions with European executives and FIBA representatives to explore opportunities for collaboration. “We want to make sure that we have enough understanding of this opportunity. We donโt want to damage the backbone of the infrastructure that is in place.”
Commissioner Adam Silver says the NBA is having โmuch more seriousโ talks with FIBA about expansion in Europeโeither with a tournament or even a league.@colincsalao has the latest
โ Front Office Sports (@FOS)
Silver explained that while regional competitions in Europe often lose money, thereโs still a big opportunity for growth. โItโs not just about money,โ he said. โBut things that lose money without any real sense ultimately do not survive.โ
He added, โWe havenโt made any decisions yet. Thereโs a huge opportunity here. Our owners are interested in investing more globally. Given how good basketball is in Europe, it makes sense to try something.โ
Six months ago, news came out suggesting the NBA was working with The Raine Group to explore financial opportunities across the Atlantic.
Some fans worry this might change European basketball too much: “The fear has always been that if the NBA gets in, it will be like the United States: business first,” said one source.
Fans think it’s exciting but also scary.
U.S Expansion Focus:
In America, Las Vegas seems like a strong candidate for an expansion team due to its history of hosting important NBA events and its reputation as an entertainment hub.
During July’s Summer League event and other activities at T-Mobile Arena, Adam Silver shared his enthusiasm about continuing their relationship with Las Vegas: “Now in our 20th year of Summer League…the economic impact is close to a quarter of a billion dollars,” he said last month.
โWe really appreciate how Las Vegas has developed over these years; it truly feels like an entertainment capital now.โ
With venues like Sphere hosting major events such as last month’s NHL draft, there’s speculation whether other leagues might follow suit and bring more sports action to Las Vegas.
“We’re not looking at moving our draft right now,” Silver concluded after watching the impressive NHL draft broadcast from Sphere.
