There’s a new basketball league forming based in Europe, and it’s something that NBA commissioner Adam Silver apparently has a pretty keen eye on.
According to the Associated Press, via ESPN, this league will feature a partnership between the NBA and FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basketball). FIBA is the sport of basketball international governing body.
Silver was at an event hosted by “Front Office Sports” on Wednesday, and he discussed the timeline of this league becoming a reality.
It sounds like 2027 may be too soon, but Silver clearly doesn’t want to wait too long.
“I don’t think I’d want to go much longer than ’28,” Silver said. “The opportunity is now to do something like this.”
NBA and FIBA eying start of new European basketball league
Plans for this league came out in the spring.
“At this week’s NBA Board of Governors meeting, the league will report on its exploration of a new men’s basketball league in Europe, in partnership with FIBA,” a league spokesperson said in a statement in March.
This isn’t just bluster, either. The NBA has partnered with JPMorgan Chase and Raine Group for financial strategy, and Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum have been having conversations all across Europe with politicians, teams, media companies, investors and stakeholders.
“I would say I’m enthusiastic about it,” Silver said.
The NBA has been trying to build a global brand for a while now, so having its hooks in an official league in partnership with FIBA just makes sense.
It sounds as if this league will feature 16 teams, which is a plan that could change. It also sounds like the NBA is going to want to partner with existing soccer clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester City, amongst others, to make this dream a reality.
“Basketball’s probably the fastest-growing sport in the world right now, and it’s a huge No. 2 sport in Europe behind soccer, so I think there’s a real opportunity,” Silver said.