Adam Silver and the NBA see opportunity – and plenty of financial signs – in creating their own league in Europe.
In Paris for a few matches between Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs and the Pacers, NBA Commissioner Silver once again confirmed that the league was considering expanding its presence on the European continent.
“We are looking very closely at whether there is an opportunity to professionalize the game to another level here, to create a greater commercial opportunity,” Silver said at a news conference in Paris. “And not just because the business opportunities suggest you can increase your revenue, but because we believe that with markets, if you can create the right incentives, you can get significant incremental investment. And ultimately, It’s the way to develop the game at all levels.”
It’s unclear what form this league will ultimately take, but it would be independent of the NBA (and not a European division of the league). This could involve existing powerhouse teams – such as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona – as well as the creation of new teams, possibly led by powerful football clubs looking to expand their footprint. NBA has contacted clubs with rumors of teams from Manchester and Berlin, reports Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic,
FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis confirmed last month that FIBA and NBA were discussing a joint league, which could cut off the legs of the existing EuroLeague. The EuroLeague works similarly to the Champions League (and Europa League) for soccer, except there are 13 permanent members – powerful clubs like Real Madrid – and those clubs are automatically in the EuroLeague each year, with spots open for 13 other clubs to make their way into the tournament. These 13 permanent members run the EuroLeague itself under a recently extended license. The NBA may be able to poach some of these teams to help jumpstart this new venture.
“What we do in the NBA is we run leagues. We run the WNBA of course, we have the (Basketball Africa League), we have the G League and we have a 2K video (gaming) league , so we run five different leagues, and we think that’s an expertise that we have,” Silver said.
Whatever the NBA’s plans are in Europe, it’s more of a long-term vision.
“We don’t have any agreements in place,” Silver said. “We are not ready to make any further announcements and will continue to learn everything we can and see if there is a way to move forward.”
If there are enough dollars to interest NBA owners, the league will move forward.
