NBA Europe League

[WuTang_CMB]

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While uncertainty still surrounds the possible launch of an NBA Europe league, BasketNews sources have provided new insights into the potential structure of the proposed competition.

Though many details remain unclear, a framework for the league's roster of teams is beginning to take shape within NBA discussions.

The NBA plans in Europe primarily target financially strong European markets, prioritizing economic power over existing basketball fanbases, sources tell BasketNews.

Real Madrid: The Key EuroLeague Target
The crown jewel of European basketball, Real Madrid, is the NBA's primary target among the EuroLeague organizations.

The 11-time EuroLeague champions have hesitated to commit to another 10-year EuroLeague agreement from the very beginning, leaving the door open for a potential switch to NBA Europe, sources tell BasketNews.

If Madrid were to make the move, Barcelona would be considered the likeliest candidate to join as Spain's second representative.

France: A Major NBA Expansion in Europe Focus
The NBA is looking to establish a strong presence in France with two teams. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, owned by Hall of Famer Tony Parker, is another candidate from the EuroLeague family.

Parker has publicly expressed interest in joining the NBA project despite being one of the EuroLeague shareholders.

According to BasketNews sources, Parker is expected to introduce the NBA's proposal to several EuroLeague clubs in February – just before the main EuroLeague teams must decide on their long-term commitments.


The second French franchise is expected to be based in Paris. However, it may not be Paris Basketball, the club currently led by TJ Shorts.

Instead, BasketNews sources indicate that the NBA's main target is the European football powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), aiming to revive its basketball team.

PSG previously operated a basketball team in the 1990s, but its biggest basketball-related breakthrough came in 2018 when it partnered with Jordan Brand, incorporating the Jumpman logo into its kits and merchandise.

England: A Push for a Manchester Team
The NBA also wants to introduce a franchise in England, specifically Manchester. Sources suggest Manchester City could be the club the NBA urges to establish a basketball team.

The connection between City and PSG is significant – both clubs are backed by Middle Eastern investors.

Manchester City is controlled by Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, while PSG is owned by Qatar Sports Investments, linked to the Qatari government.

Germany: A New Basketball Powerhouse?
Germany is another key target market in the NBA Europe expansion plans, with two spots designated for the league.

One of those teams is expected to be based in Berlin, but ALBA Berlin is not considered the NBA's preferred option, sources tell BasketNews. Instead, sources indicate that the NBA may push for creating a brand-new basketball team that would play in a newly built arena.


Munich has also been mentioned as a potential market, along with Milan in Italy, according to multiple BasketNews sources.

According to BasketNews sources, the NBA's initial plans for its European league did not include Greece, Serbia, or Turkey – despite their passionate EuroLeague fanbases.

NBA Europe League Structure and Financial Backing
In total, NBA Europe is considering a 10-team structure, with a heavy emphasis on revenue generation through arenas and media rights.

BasketNews sources suggest that the league could be fueled by funds from the NBA's upcoming media rights deal, set to take effect in the 2025-26 season. The 11-year agreement is valued at approximately $76 billion, creating a financial backbone for expansion.

As ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver still needs to convince the 30 NBA owners to approve the project.

"Multiple ownership sources told ESPN there are still many questions and uncertainties about the plan that must be addressed before it can be ratified. Silver implied that a decision about moving forward could come after a planned March owners meeting."

[YogurtProducer]

I fully expect the NBA is gonna end up being like 64 teams across the world eventually.

[mtcan]

It won't happen my lifetime but...I would love to see the NBA start leagues in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Then maybe a year or every 4 years have a intercontinental tournament to crown a true world champion.

[Kingsway_fan]

Paris team. I'm in.

[MoneyBall]

It won't happen my lifetime but...I would love to see the NBA start leagues in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Then maybe a year or every 4 years have a intercontinental tournament to crown a true world champion.

Haven't you heard of Don't DieTM ?

[wegotthabeet]

This is the first step towards European expansion.

Create a rival league to the Euroleague. Rope in the biggest brands in European football. Poach a select few key teams from the Euroleague like Real Madrid, Barca, etc.

[WuTang_CMB]

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NBA owners are set to vote this week on a plan to launch a pro basketball league in Europe, one that would help expand the sport’s presence across the continent and give the NBA a chance to share more directly in the economics of that growth.

League owners are considering a new league with eight to 10 franchises, according to someone directly familiar with the plans. It’s a “semi-open” proposal, the person said, meaning there would be up to four spots for the best teams in the EuroLeague—the continent’s top circuit with teams like Real Madrid in Spain and Greece’s Olympiacos—to compete in the NBA’s European league the following year. The franchises in places like London or Paris could sell for at least $500 million, according to the proposal.

The league would sell the permanent franchise slots to outside investors, with the NBA holding 50% of the equity and franchise owners holding the other 50%, said the person, who was granted anonymity because the details are private. That’s a setup identical to the equity structure of the WNBA up until the league raised outside capital in 2022.

As it stands, NBA officials would prefer to sell those franchises to people outside of the league, the person said, meaning sovereign wealth funds, private capital, wealthy individuals or existing European basketball clubs.

NBA owners are set to vote on the proposal during league meetings this week in New York. A representatives for the NBA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. A rep for the Raine Group, which is advising the league on the matter, declined to comment.

The vote comes after more than a year of discussions about how the NBA might better optimize its business in Europe. The league has generated a few hundred million dollars annually from Europe in recent years, but interest on the continent is growing, as is the number of talented players. The NBA believes the basketball system in Europe and the Middle East could be worth as much as $3 billion in annual revenue, Sportico reported last year.

The NBA considered deeper partnerships with the EuroLeague and/or the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), including the possibility to utilizing the NBA’s marketing and commercial operations to assist the EuroLeague in selling sponsorships, Sportico previously reported. It also considered a more international competition beyond just Europe. Discussions about a new standalone league happened simultaneously.


Overseas opportunities have been a growing priority for the NBA over the last four decades, ever since the league did its first deal in China in the last 1980s. Despite the 2019 Hong Kong controversy, the league’s China endeavors have grown into a multibillion-dollar business. In 2021, the league launched the Basketball Africa League (BAL), operated in partnership by the NBA and FIBA. NBA Africa brought in strategic investors including a consortium led by Tunde Folawiyo, chairman of Yinka Folawiyo Group and Helios Fairfax Partners, led by co-CEO Tope Lawani, for the NBA’s first standalone league outside of North America.

The NBA has played 40 regular-season games outside the U.S. and Canada, dating back to the 1990s, and dozens more preseason contests. It didn’t play regular season games in Europe until 2011, when it played in London. The league has held five regular-season games in France in the last few years.

There were 125 foreign-born players on NBA rosters at the start of this season, the highest total in league history. That includes 62 from Europe, including stars Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić and Victor Wembanyama. The past six NBA MVPs were non-American; there were just four in league history prior to that.

New leagues are popping up seemingly weekly across virtually every sport, basketball included. This year was the first season of Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 women’s circuit in Florida that featured some of the WNBA’s biggest names. Bloomberg reported in January that Maverick Carter, LeBron James’ business partner, was advising a group looking to raise $5 billion for an international basketball league to “rival the NBA.”

[Raps in 4]

How will European sports fans handle having a salary cap and draft? Any time I suggest on Reddit that European sports need to be reformed to become more competitive, I get told to kill myself by the entire subreddit. European sports fans will defend the traditional values of European sport, that is, the right for the team with the richest oligarch owner to sign every star player in the league, to the death. Or will this league just be "Wild West rules" like rest of them?

[JB7]

Would this NBA European League have access to NBA players? Could the Euro players sign with Euro teams? If so, it makes more sense just to include Euro teams in the current league. Some expansion, and possibly just moving some teams from small US markets to larger European markets.

[Prestige]

Would this NBA European League have access to NBA players? Could the Euro players sign with Euro teams? If so, it makes more sense just to include Euro teams in the current league. Some expansion, and possibly just moving some teams from small US markets to larger European markets.

Could the NBA lose their top Euro stars to Europe? Would Jokic, Doncic, Giannis, Wemby feel more comfortable in Europe? Or would the NBA design this new league with lower salaries to ensure the top players always go to the US?

What would be really cool also is if eventually they had leagues in every region, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe. Those leagues all run their own seasons within their region, with occasional friendlies and crossovers. Then have a Global NBA Champions League every year with last year's regional champs and run as a single elimination tournament. Imagine the sponsors and money they could generate. I think this is the model they are eventually aiming for rather than straight international expansion.

[JB7]

Would this NBA European League have access to NBA players? Could the Euro players sign with Euro teams? If so, it makes more sense just to include Euro teams in the current league. Some expansion, and possibly just moving some teams from small US markets to larger European markets.

Could the NBA lose their top Euro stars to Europe? Would Jokic, Doncic, Giannis, Wemby feel more comfortable in Europe? Or would the NBA design this new league with lower salaries to ensure the top players always go to the US?

What would be really cool also is if eventually they had leagues in every region, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe. Those leagues all run their own seasons within their region, with occasional friendlies and crossovers. Then have a Global NBA Champions League every year with last year's regional champs and run as a single elimination tournament. Imagine the sponsors and money they could generate. I think this is the model they are eventually aiming for rather than straight international expansion.

Yes, that would make sense, in terms of having leagues across the globe, and doing some form of a global champions league.

Considering the top 5 players in the league are all non-American players though, I think they could have a hard time retaining the best talent in the US.

Even if salaries were lower, I would think the marketing opportunities for Euro players playing in Europe would be significant enough it could close any gaps.

[Johnny Bball]

I was waiting for this to show up on the General board but it hasn't. Maybe not enough people know where it is.

But why would I expect this to be better than euro league ball?

[JB7]

I was waiting for this to show up on the General board but it hasn't. Maybe not enough people know where it is.

But why would I expect this to be better than euro league ball?

The NBA clearly sees the next big opportunity for growth, in terms of teams, is probably outside the US. Especially with so much talent coming from Europe.

Question is how do they integrate it, so that it is not just Euro league ball?

[Johnny Bball]

I was waiting for this to show up on the General board but it hasn't. Maybe not enough people know where it is.

But why would I expect this to be better than euro league ball?

The NBA clearly sees the next big opportunity for growth, in terms of teams, is probably outside the US. Especially with so much talent coming from Europe.

Question is how do they integrate it, so that it is not just Euro league ball?

They aren't integrating it, its a separate league.

and before anyone even suggests it, there is no point in the NBA champ playing the G-league champ either, as some kind of stunt.

and quite honestly...this is not the right time to be bringing American basketball to Europe.

[JB7]

I was waiting for this to show up on the General board but it hasn't. Maybe not enough people know where it is.

But why would I expect this to be better than euro league ball?

The NBA clearly sees the next big opportunity for growth, in terms of teams, is probably outside the US. Especially with so much talent coming from Europe.

Question is how do they integrate it, so that it is not just Euro league ball?

They aren't integrating it, its a separate league.

and before anyone even suggests it, there is no point in the NBA champ playing the G-league champ either, as some kind of stunt.

and quite honestly...this is not the right time to be bringing American basketball to Europe.

What would be really funny is if in the current environment, if the Euro teams just started repatriating the Euro’s with huge contracts.

Luka seemed pretty pissed he got screwed out of the supermax by the Dallas owners, and Jokic I’m sure would rather play closer to home.

Trump doesn’t recognize agreements, so these players could just ignore their contracts and sign with Euro clubs

[Mattatron]

No one in Europe wants this. This will make the state of basketball worser. If this really becomes reality, this will have an crushing end.

[WuTang_CMB]

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[YogurtProducer]

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So the NBA is essentially looking to just destroy the EuroLeague with an NBA league. Interesting.

I don't like the 40 minute thing unless NBA America does the same thing.

[wegotthabeet]

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So the NBA is essentially looking to just destroy the EuroLeague with an NBA league. Interesting.

I don't like the 40 minute thing unless NBA America does the same thing.

Yeah 40 minute quarters seems a bit long.

Seriously though if some team like Madrid jumps from the Euroleague to this new league then that’s the beginning of the end for them.

[WuTang_CMB]

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So the NBA is essentially looking to just destroy the EuroLeague with an NBA league. Interesting.

I don't like the 40 minute thing unless NBA America does the same thing.

Yeah 40 minute quarters seems a bit long.

Seriously though if some team like Madrid jumps from the Euroleague to this new league then that’s the beginning of the end for them.

Lol
they mean halves

Silver already hinted at this for NBA but who knows