The National Basketball Association (NBA) is in active discussions with Fiba and other organizations regarding the potential launch of a new basketball league in Europe, but fans will have to wait a bit longer before anything materializes.
Commissioner Adam Silver said talks are ongoing, though it may take a few more years before the concept becomes reality.
Silver made the remarks during a league event in Oklahoma City on Saturday, June 7, 2025.
“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.”
Back in March, Silver and Fiba secretary general Andreas Zagklis publicly announced that both parties were taking concrete steps toward forming a new Europe-based league. The long-discussed project is initially targeting 16 teams, marking a major expansion outside North America.
According to Silver, the NBA has been in direct contact with EuroLeague representatives and some of its clubs to explore a possible partnership. While specifics remain unclear, Silver expressed interest in collaborating with existing European structures rather than building a league entirely from scratch.
“Either way, we continue to feel there are an enormous number of underserved basketball fans in Europe and that there’s a strong opportunity to have another league styled after the NBA,” Silver said. / RSC