Berlin (AFP) – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday a planned European basketball league must “respect the traditions of European basketball,” while confirming talks with EuroLeague side Real Madrid about the proposed competition. Speaking in Berlin before the first regular season NBA game on German soil, Silver told reporters of the “vision we have potentially of a European league.”
In December, the NBA announced plans to move forward with a European league in partnership with FIBA starting in 2027, which has been nicknamed ‘NBA Europe’. Under a draft proposal, the 16-team league will feature 10 to 12 permanent teams from across Europe, with the remainder made up of sides taking part on a rotational basis. No teams have yet been announced, but Silver said the league is likely to be made up of “existing European teams and new teams” while targeting both existing and emerging basketball markets.
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“We’re trying to find the best combination of the old and the new, the tradition and the innovation,” Silver said. The league would initially be funded by the selected member clubs. Silver confirmed “discussions with Real Madrid and other Spanish clubs as well,” but said they were “more in the category of fact-finding” rather than issuing invitations to join the league.
The commissioner confirmed he had discussions with EuroLeague side Alba Berlin, whose Uber Arena home is hosting Thursday’s NBA match. Alba Berlin was “the model of the type of club that we would like to see in a potential European league,” Silver said. Reports have emerged of the EuroLeague threatening legal action against the NBA should clubs break existing agreements to take part in the fledgling competition.
Silver refused to confirm any legal action, but said, “I don’t think it is inevitable that there will be a clash,” adding, “I think there’s plenty of room for competition.” Teams and stakeholders taking part in the new league would need to have a “very long-term perspective,” adding it would “take a while until the competition is viable.” The commissioner drew comparisons with the need to support the WNBA after it was founded in 1996 as women’s basketball gradually grew in popularity.
“Jump ahead to 30 years later, and it’s amazing what’s happening in women’s basketball.” He added, “we’d ultimately like to do a women’s league in Europe as well, if we can figure out the correct model.” Tickets for Thursday’s match in Berlin, between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic, sold out in minutes, with another match between the sides in London on Saturday.
© 2024 AFP
