March 26: An NBA spokesperson tells Sportico that while team owners could vote on the proposed European league at any time, no formal vote is currently scheduled to take place during this week’s meeting.
“At this week’s NBA Board of Governors meeting, the league will report on its exploration of a new men’s basketball league in Europe, in partnership with FIBA,” the spokesperson said.
March 25: NBA team owners will vote this week on whether to move forward with a plan for a new professional basketball league in Europe, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico (subscription required).
Reporting throughout the season has indicated that the NBA was exploring the possibility of launching its own league in Europe in order to both expand the sport’s presence overseas and to put the NBA in position to “share more directly in the economics of that growth,” as Soshnick and Novy-Williams write.
According to Sportico, the NBA believes that the basketball ecosystem in Europe and the Middle East could be worth up to $3 billion in annual revenue.
Here are some of the details of the proposal, as outlined by Sportico:
- The goal would be for the league to have eight to 10 teams.
- It’s a “semi-open” proposal, which means there would be up to four spots available for top EuroLeague teams to compete in the NBA’s European league the following year.
- The league’s permanent franchise slots would be sold to outside investors, with the NBA holding 50% equity in the league and the franchise owners holding the other 50%.
- The NBA would prefer to sell franchises to people outside of the league. Sportico suggests that potential buyers could include sovereign wealth funds, private capital, wealthy individuals, or existing European basketball clubs.
- Franchises in cities like London or Paris could sell for at least $500MM, per the NBA’s proposal.
The NBA’s team owners are set to meet this week in New York. The vote on the European league will reportedly take place during those meetings.
That’s so cool! They can call it…The Euroleague…hold up…
I like it.
Euroleague, champs league, pga, ncaa are all about to face major competition.
Saudi dollars aren’t stopping at UFC and wwe
Ufc and wwe are the same product
This league is determined to destroy itself.
Yeah, the NBA is going to be “destroyed”
Got ya.
Just by the Euroleague. Or go in business with them. Its a global game and we are all part of it.
> Just by (sic) the Euroleague. Or go in business with them. Its a global game and
> we are all part of it.
Agree 100%. Partnering with the existing leagues is not just the decent thing to do, but practical as well because the European Union will surely get involved on the regulatory side and they don’t like the USA these days. Europeans will oppose this new league if it diminishes their existing leagues.
If the NBA keeps 1/2 ownership of each European franchise, as this article suggests, this will not be perceived as “global” or “international”.
Dead on arrival.
Partnering with them like you said. Is not only right thing to do. You have an established product. You add to it to make it better. You have direct access to NBA. It can also become a stronger league. Makes no sense to start a new league and go against them.
The EuroLeague is a FIBA-sanctioned international tournament of independent clubs, not an American-style franchise circus. You can’t just “buy” it.
Gathering a little basic information about the outside world would do ignorant yapping US-Americans a ton of good.
That’s a bit of a mischaracterization of the discussion to this point.
The main point is that Knickerbocker and I are advocating being partners, as opposed to setting up a competitive league.
That means collaboratively finding common interests. Nobody is claiming to know at this point exactly how it would be structured.
Quote: “Just by (sic!) the Euroleague.”
What’s the mischaracterization in regard to that ignorant megalomaniacal statement?
And your presumptuous US version of “partnering” and “collaboration” had already been publicly rejected by EuroLeague executives over two months ago:
“The EuroLeague rejected the NBA’s proposal, since it didn’t want to give up control of its operations. “They wanted the heart and the head,” a EuroLeague executive told The Athletic.”
link to hoopsrumors.com
Get to understand that Europeans neither want nor need any US “help” to take care of their own successful affairs. Stay away where you are and stop forcing yourselves upon others.
Teams can withdraw.
Money talks
Silver is determined to make the NBA trash, so it checks out that he’s chasing the almighty dollar.
Just call it the EBA…..Eurotrash Basketball Association.
“Chasing the almighty dollar” lol in a league where players make millions to play a game to sell advertisements. Wake up bro
While they’re pushing it at a “Euro” league, it’s nothing more than an attempt to grab Saudi cash. The NBA has seen the Saudi’s pump money into other ventures, and they want a slice of it – regardless of whether it’s sustainable or good for basketball as a whole.
This will be a tough sell for European basketball fans, who passionately support the EuroLeague and the fact that it isn’t tainted by the NBA.
Epic failure. London $500 million lol, good luck with that. Any suckers lining up for this?
Saudi billionaires
They’re going after multiple leagues all at once
England is not basketball country. Popularity of the basketball in UK is terrible and yet they plan 2 UK cities for their league. Kroenke plus Saudi money I guess. Terrible choices of cities.
You are obsessed with this Saudi thing. I have a feeling I know exactly where you heard that and Im almost certain you didn’t understand the point being made.
All of ya’ll complaining will be the first one’s lining up to watch.
I might try to catch a few games on the weekend out curiosity. It will be interesting to see how this would work with the draft. Will there be a separate draft? Are they able to sign American FAs? If that’s the case why expand to Seattle or wherever with London and Paris getting teams?
Seems completely unnecessary. They should use that money to make the BAL a propper league with a full season with like 30 plus games. Europe has plenty of pro basketball. Africa is being neglected.
This is like when the NBA tried to compete with college basketball with the G League Ignite. It won’t work the EuroLeague will stay more popular.