NBA Commissioner Silver Eyes European Expansion, Discusses EuroLeague Partnership

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced on Tuesday that the league is making progress towards establishing a presence in Europe, calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime, historic opportunity." He indicated that updates on this initiative, dubbed "NBA Europe," would be forthcoming in the coming months.

Silver confirmed that the NBA is engaged in discussions with the EuroLeague, the premier European basketball club competition. While acknowledging that a formal merger is not strictly necessary, he expressed a strong preference for collaboration, stating, "It would be better for all of us if we operate together as a united front. It will be good for the league if we join forces."

The NBA aims to introduce some form of competition in the European market as early as next summer, even if the initial offering differs from the final product. Silver emphasized the potential to reshape the landscape of sports in Europe, not just basketball, though he admitted the process is taking longer than anticipated.

Shimon Mizrahi, Chairman of Maccabi Tel Aviv, commented on the NBA Europe plans, noting that the NBA was expected to submit a written proposal regarding its talks with the EuroLeague. He also mentioned FIBA's involvement and stated that if a proposal is received, it will be discussed by the owners on October 5. As of now, no formal offer has been presented.