It seems that the probabilities of the NBA landing in Europe are becoming increasingly clear as months go by, and Adam Silver has now confirmed that he held a meeting between the league’s Board of Governors and FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis to discuss the potential creation of a new basketball tournament.
Despite the huge step taken by the executives, still many questions remained unanswered, with the biggest ones being which teams would eventually be involved and how would this competition operate. This is where the NBA commissioner stepped in to explain his vision.
According to Silver, they are hoping to create a 16-team format, which consists of 12 permanent clubs and four additional squads that compete yearly for their spot. “The initial thought is that we would have a 16-team league, potentially. This is still very preliminary,” he said.
The league executive then added: “Maybe 12 permanent clubs and four that would compete on a yearly basis. But that’s very much subject to change, and it’s something we’re just beginning to explore.”
As for the inclusion of teams that already exist, Adam assured that these discussions are on their way. “As for the composition of existing clubs, that’s still an open discussion,” the commissioner explained. “We want to better assess the level of interest from current clubs.
“In some cases, these clubs are already huge global brands—many built through soccer rather than basketball—but we recognize the deep connection fans have with them, which is very relevant.”
Even the possibility of new ownership groups were discussed. “In virtually every major European city, there are basketball ecosystems,” Silver shared. “The question is whether other potential owners—given the opportunity—would step forward and express interest in owning a club in that market. That’s something we want to explore as well.”
