The NBA and FIBA are in the process of going through bids from those seeking franchises for a new league in Europe, with multiple potential ownership groups from all 12 of the league's targeted cities expressing interest.
NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, speaking at an Associated Press Sports Editors meeting on Monday, said the NBA and FIBA “were very, very happy” with the interest shown by the bids. The new league could begin play in October 2027.
“Right now, we’re just going through that process of narrowing down those bids into a little bit of a short list and trying to go out and continue to build partnerships with the right people in those markets,” Tatum said.
Officials from the NBA, FIBA and EuroLeague will meet in Geneva on Tuesday, Tatum said.
“We hope to be able to come together with the EuroLeague to align on the right system and the right setup here,” Tatum said. “That’s our goal with those guys moving forward.”
Expanding the league's footprint into Europe and growing the game — both on the floor and from a commercial standpoint — have been NBA priorities. The NBA and FIBA announced plans for the league in March 2025.
The impact of European stars on the NBA game is clear and has been for some time, with Serbia’s Nikola Jokic, Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, France’s Victor Wembanyama and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic among the biggest basketball stars on the planet.
“We’re really thinking this is a global opportunity and we want to take advantage of the European culture and the European affinity for the game of basketball,” Tatum said. “This is not going to be the NBA opposing anything in Europe. This is going to be a European league, built by Europeans, with Europeans, with our partners in FIBA as well.”
Potential host countries for the NBA-FIBA endeavor are believed to include Britain (with the likely spots for teams in London and Manchester), France (likely Paris and Lyon), Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), Italy (Rome and Milan), Germany (Munich and Berlin), Greece (Athens) and Turkey (Istanbul).
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