The NBA and FIBA announced on Monday that they will commence discussions with teams and owners next month about joining their proposed new league in Europe.
As anticipated, the league will offer both permanent spots and “a merit-based pathway” for annual qualification through FIBA’s Basketball Champions League or an end-of-season tournament. All teams in a FIBA-affiliated European league will have the opportunity to qualify.
“The format of the league respects European sport model principles by offering any ambitious club in the continent a fair pathway to the top,” stated FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis.
Many aspects of the new league are still to be finalised, including its start date — currently targeted for October 2027 — and the number
of participating teams. Among the models considered by the NBA and FIBA is a 16-team league, with 12 permanent spots and the remaining four available through qualification.
Europeans Stars In US
Discussions about a European league have been ongoing for many years. Notably, some of the NBA’s biggest stars, such as Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic, and Utah’s Lauri Markkanen, hail from Europe. Approximately 1 in 6 NBA players are from the continent.
Efforts to establish the new league intensified around the time of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Earlier this year, Zagklis and Silver announced at a New York news conference that the NBA and FIBA were progressing with the project. Developments have since accelerated, with JPMorgan and the Raine Group brought on board this summer to advise on financial matters.
“Our conversations with various stakeholders in Europe have reinforced our belief that an enormous opportunity exists around the creation of a new league on the continent,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Which Cities?
Current target countries for the NBA-FIBA initiative include Britain (potential host cities London and Manchester), France (Paris and Lyon), Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), Italy (Rome and Milan), Germany (Munich and Berlin), Greece (Athens), and Turkey (Istanbul).
The NBA will hold a pair of regular-season games in Europe in mid-January, with the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic playing in Berlin and London.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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