NBA’s European League Could Launch by 2027, Silver Says
A new basketball league in Europe backed by the NBA and FIBA might tip off as soon as 2027, according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Speaking at a Front Office Sports conference Tuesday, Silver acknowledged the timeline is “ambitious, no doubt about it” given the challenges still ahead.
The league could use existing European arenas initially while newer facilities are built.
“I don’t think I’d want to go much longer than ’28,” Silver said. “The opportunity is now to do something like this… I would say I’m enthusiastic about it.”
Silver believes launching the league close to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics would create maximum impact.
What We Know About the League
Early plans call for 16 teams in the new competition.
Basketball powerhouses like Real Madrid, Fenerbahce Istanbul, and Barcelona are expected to participate. Major soccer clubs including Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain might also join the mix.
Silver is pushing for an NBA-style salary cap system too.
“We feel now is the time to move to that next stage,” he explained. “At our board meeting today there was enthusiastic support from our club owners about continuing to explore this opportunity.”
The NBA has brought in some serious financial muscle, hiring JPMorgan Chase and Raine Group as advisors.
Taking on EuroLeague
This NBA-FIBA partnership would create direct competition for the existing EuroLeague.
Silver seems aware of the potential friction. “I recognize there’s enormous history and tradition here in European basketball, and we want to respect those traditions,” he said in Paris earlier this year.
One major difference could be in the league structure.
“Obviously, the United States is used to closed leagues; Europe is used to open leagues with promotion, relegation, etc. So we’re looking at all those facets.”
European talent has transformed the NBA in recent years. About one in six current NBA players comes from Europe.
The continent has produced some of the league’s biggest stars, including Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Luka Doncic (Slovenia), and Victor Wembanyama (France).
Jokic and Antetokounmpo have dominated the MVP award, winning five of the last seven.
“Basketball’s probably the fastest-growing sport in the world right now, and it’s a huge No. 2 sport in Europe behind soccer,” Silver noted. “So I think there’s a real opportunity.”
