NBA, FIBA eye European market, plan revolutionary new league
Panathinaikos basketball team players celebrate Greek Cup victory after winning against Olympiakos (PAO)
The NBA and FIBA announced on Friday that they are exploring a new men’s basketball league in Europe.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis made the announcement after the NBA Board of Governors meeting in New York and the FIBA Executive Committee meeting earlier this month in Mies, Switzerland.
“The European basketball community is proud of its seven-decade history of international club competitions and the elite talent it develops,” Zagklis said in a press conference.
“Yet given the sport’s popularity and the success of national team competitions, there is untapped potential in European club basketball. A new league in Europe would combine the NBA’s business acumen with the international expertise of FIBA to attract new basketball fans and investors alike, maximize club benefits, and establish synergies for the benefit of all stakeholders,” he added.
Silver mentioned plans for a 16-team league with 12 permanent members and four spots open for promotion or relegation each season.
“Franchises would be awarded in a mix of existing club teams, potentially with some defectors from the EuroLeague, and start-ups,” the NBA said in a statement.
“They would be based in proven markets and European capitals, as well as those considered to be underserved current and future hotbeds,” it added.
