NBA and FIBA discuss innovative European Basketball League
Alona Yadav | Mar 29, 2025, 01:00 IST
( Image credit : AP )
The NBA and FIBA are in discussions to create a new European basketball league, potentially challenging the EuroLeague. Talks involve major soccer clubs, such as PSG, with significant investments planned. The initiative follows successful global NBA expansions and highlights the rising profile of European basketball players.
The NBA and FIBA are exploring a groundbreaking venture that could transform professional basketball in Europe, announcing preliminary talks about creating a new continental league that would rival the existing EuroLeague.
At a press conference following the NBA Board of Governors meeting in New York, league officials revealed ongoing discussions with potential European soccer clubs about launching a revolutionary basketball competition. The proposed league would initially feature approximately eight franchises, with each team carrying a substantial $500 million entry fee.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized the strategic potential of the partnership. "The NBA and FIBA are uniquely positioned to build on the rich tradition of European basketball," he stated. FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis echoed this sentiment, highlighting the "untapped potential in European club basketball."
Preliminary conversations have already begun with prominent soccer organizations. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has confirmed being approached about a potential basketball franchise, with Qatar Sports Investment expressing interest in the project.
The proposed league would enter a market already passionate about basketball, particularly in countries like Spain, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Serbia, and Lithuania. The EuroLeague, the current premier European basketball competition, has seen impressive growth, with average attendances rising 18% to 10,383 in the previous year.
This initiative builds on the NBA's successful international expansion strategy, which has included the Basketball Africa League and regular season games hosted in global cities like London, Mexico City, and Paris.
The league's timing seems particularly opportune, given the rising prominence of European players in professional basketball. Five of the last six NBA MVP awards have gone to European players, including Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid, underscoring the continent's growing basketball prowess.
While the league remains in exploratory stages, with the NBA retaining the option to withdraw, the potential collaboration represents an exciting frontier for international basketball development.
At a press conference following the NBA Board of Governors meeting in New York, league officials revealed ongoing discussions with potential European soccer clubs about launching a revolutionary basketball competition. The proposed league would initially feature approximately eight franchises, with each team carrying a substantial $500 million entry fee.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized the strategic potential of the partnership. "The NBA and FIBA are uniquely positioned to build on the rich tradition of European basketball," he stated. FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis echoed this sentiment, highlighting the "untapped potential in European club basketball."
Preliminary conversations have already begun with prominent soccer organizations. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has confirmed being approached about a potential basketball franchise, with Qatar Sports Investment expressing interest in the project.
The proposed league would enter a market already passionate about basketball, particularly in countries like Spain, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Serbia, and Lithuania. The EuroLeague, the current premier European basketball competition, has seen impressive growth, with average attendances rising 18% to 10,383 in the previous year.
This initiative builds on the NBA's successful international expansion strategy, which has included the Basketball Africa League and regular season games hosted in global cities like London, Mexico City, and Paris.
The league's timing seems particularly opportune, given the rising prominence of European players in professional basketball. Five of the last six NBA MVP awards have gone to European players, including Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid, underscoring the continent's growing basketball prowess.
While the league remains in exploratory stages, with the NBA retaining the option to withdraw, the potential collaboration represents an exciting frontier for international basketball development.