NBA and FIBA to approach European clubs over new basketball league plan

The NBA and FIBA announced Monday that they will begin contacting European basketball teams and club owners next month to gauge interest in participating in their proposed continental competition.

The planned league will include guaranteed spots for certain teams and an annual qualification system via FIBA's Basketball Champions League or a postseason tournament, organisers said.

All clubs competing in FIBA-sanctioned European leagues would be eligible to qualify.

FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said the competition format honours European sporting traditions by providing every ambitious club on the continent a legitimate route to the highest level.

One in six NBA players European

Several aspects of the new competition remain to be finalised, including its launch date — currently targeted for October 2027 — and the number of participating clubs in the first season.

One proposal under consideration involves a 16-team format featuring 12 permanent members and four qualification places.

The organisations have held discussions about a European league for several years.

Many of the NBA's top players currently come from the continent, including Nikola Jokić of Denver, Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee, Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio, Luka Dončić of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Lauri Markkanen of Utah.

Approximately one in six NBA players is European.

Planning appeared to accelerate following the 2024 Paris Olympics. Silver and Zagklis sat together at a New York press conference earlier this year to confirm the NBA and FIBA were advancing the project. JPMorgan and the Raine Group joined as financial advisers this summer.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said discussions with various European stakeholders had strengthened their conviction that significant opportunities exist for creating a new continental league.

Cities across Europe are under consideration for the NBA-FIBA venture, including London and Manchester, Paris and Lyon, Madrid and Barcelona, Rome and Milan, Munich and Berlin, Athens and Istanbul.

The NBA has scheduled two regular-season matches in Europe for mid-January, with the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic playing in Berlin and London.