Why the NBA’s Europe League Could Be Closer Than You Think — Adam Silver Reveals Shocking Timeline

Picture this: the NBA and FIBA, the global gurus of hoops, teaming up with an audacious plan—to craft a brand-new men’s pro basketball league right in the heart of Europe. Cool idea? Absolutely. But hold up, don’t expect courts to be lighting up with NBA flair overnight. Adam Silver just dropped some reality at an NBA Cares event in Oklahoma City, saying the whole shebang is “measured in years, not months.” This beast of a project isn’t just about slapping teams together; it’s about weaving into the existing European basketball tapestry—melding new league dreams with the EuroLeague’s established drama and tradition. Think 16 teams, promotion battles, and a commercial juggernaut ready to elevate the game and the brand across the pond. Yet, with so many players in this chess match—clubs, media moguls, marketing whizzes—the road to tip-off is long and winding. NBA owners will hash out next moves come July, but one thing’s for sure: patience is key, and the stakes? Sky high. LEARN MORE

Silver told reporters that the NBA is in talks with the existing EuroLeague (the basketball equivalent of the soccer Champions League, featuring the top clubs on the continent) about a partnership at some level. However, what that might look like (or if it would even work) is up for debate. The NBA’s initial target was a 16-team league, something Silver previously said would be “integrated into the current European basketball landscape,” which means teams would continue competing in their respective national leagues. There would be permanent members in the NBA Europe league (existing clubs and possibly some new ones) as well as a chance for teams to be promoted into it each year. That’s still moving forward, just don’t expect it to happen quickly, Adam Silver told reporters at an NBA Cares event at a refurbished Boys & Girls Club in Oklahoma City on Friday, via Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.“We have been discussing potentially creating a league in Europe. I view that as a form of expansion as well,” Silver said. “Again, just as the same as in American cities, we think there’s an opportunity to serve fans in Europe. No knock on European basketball, because most of those international MVPs I just talked about are coming from Europe. There’s really high-level basketball being played there. But we think there is an opportunity to better serve fans there. I view that as a form of expansion as well, and that’s something we’re also thinking hard about.”OKLAHOMA CITY — In March, the NBA and international basketball governing body FIBA announced a joint “exploration of a new professional men’s basketball league in Europe.” There are numerous stakeholders, and a lot of mouths to feed; putting together this new league is a massive challenge. The NBA owners will discuss next steps when they meet in July, Silver said. Whatever those next steps are, this is a process that will take years, not months.

Speaking at the NBA Paris games in January, Silver said the goal was to “professionalize the game to another level here, to create a larger commercial opportunity” — to make more money, both for European teams, but also to expand the NBA brand (and with that make the American owners more money). Silver discussed the European league in terms of NBA expansion when speaking with the media before Game 1 of the Finals.“I will say it’s measured in years, not months,” Silver said. “So, we’re at least a couple years away from launching. It would be an enormous undertaking. And while we want to move forward at a deliberate pace, we also want to make sure that we’re consulting with all the appropriate stakeholders, meaning the existing league, its teams, European players, media companies, marketing partners. There’s a lot of work to be done.”