NEW YORK — NBA owners discussed ongoing negotiations with the EuroLeague during this week’s Board of Governors meetings, and commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday more NBA Europe announcements are coming over the next several weeks.
Silver spoke after the board met Monday and Tuesday in New York. Deputy commissioner Mark Tatum briefed owners on NBA Europe.
Adam Silver On NBA Europe And The EuroLeague
Tatum’s report covered the continuing discussions around the proposed league.
“Mark Tatum, our deputy commissioner, spoke about the continued discussions around NBA Europe, which to me are a historic opportunity to potentially build on amazing traditions of European basketball, currently in the EuroLeague and various country leagues, but to now bring that to the next level by creating a combination of new clubs and existing clubs into an NBA-style European competition,” Silver said. “And we’re continuing to make progress there. We’re making progress in discussions with the EuroLeague. And we anticipate over the next several weeks, we will have additional announcements.”
The NBA is planning NBA Europe in partnership with FIBA. The proposed league calls for 16 teams, with 12 permanent franchises and four annual qualifiers.
The initial version of NBA Europe could look different from the league once every team is in place.
“To the second part of your question, yes, we did discuss ongoing negotiations with the EuroLeague,” Silver explained. “As I said, I believe we’re making progress there. We believe that the league would be strengthened by joining forces with the EuroLeague. It doesn’t have to happen, but I think we would all be better off as a unified front in Europe.”
“In terms of the potential investors, I’m not sure they’re so impatient necessarily about next season,” Silver continued. “I think if it were up to some of them, at least, we would wait longer to launch. At the same time, depending on where we stand with the EuroLeague, I do think it’s important that we introduce competition into the market next summer. The initial product that you’d likely see, to your point, a year from now will be different than when we ultimately have brought all the teams together and are formally operating the league.”
“So I think the answer is we want to get going,” Silver added. “As I alluded to earlier, there will be announcements coming over the next few months, and those conversations are proceeding in earnest. It seems like everything takes longer than people outside the league would like it to take. But these things are very involved. And for us, in terms of NBA Europe, we truly see it as a once-and-forever opportunity. As I mentioned before, historic from our standpoint in terms of what this could mean, not just for basketball, but the European sport landscape. And we want to get it right.”
“And so for us, ensuring that we’re thinking about all the different structural issues that come with it, how you approach a salary system among your players, how we aggregate television rights, what should be done locally,” Silver noted. “There are plans for multiple new arenas across Europe. So again, I’m pleased with the progress we’re making. I think our team owners were as well, but at the same time, this will take some more time before we’re ready to firm everything up.”
NBA Europe Bids And League Structure
Bids for the 12 permanent franchises were due at the end of June. The NBA reportedly received several bids within and above the $500 million to $1 billion range in each of its 12 target cities.
Teams are expected to come from existing basketball and soccer clubs as well as entirely new franchises. NBA.com’s preview of a possible opening week listed teams from Paris, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Istanbul, and London.
More than 20 existing basketball and soccer clubs submitted bids, many of them current EuroLeague teams, Reuters reported. The league is planned to launch in October 2027.
In January, EuroLeague sent the NBA a letter warning of potential legal action if the league kept holding discussions with teams under long-term EuroLeague contracts, Front Office Sports reported.
EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno told Reuters this month that EuroLeague is prepared to compete with NBA Europe if the two sides do not form a partnership.
