NBA in ‘serious conversation’ with FIBA about league in Europe

With talk of expansion still being kept under wraps, the NBA has instead shown interest in more global ventures.

According to Vardon, the NBA-owned league would be in competition with the Euroleague and top pro leagues in individual countries, such as the Liga ACB in Spain or the LNB Élite in France.

“There is clear interest (by the NBA) and there are ongoing discussions with FIBA,” Zagklis said in an annual year-end press conference on Monday. “We’ve been having, and will continue having serious conversations with our partners in the NBA.”

The secretary general added that he believes basketball in Europe is “punching much below its (weight in) commercial potential,” with the chance that the game could grow in the continent should it receive more backing from the NBA.

Basketball has already made quite a mark in Europe, and vice-versa, with the NBA currently employing the most European-born players it ever has — 60 players are from the continent — and the skill level of the players reaching an all-time high, with superstars such as Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama among the league’s best.

However, both parties believe there is still room to go, especially commercially.

After the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke about wanting to grow the game overseas, saying that there is “enormous opportunity” in Europe.

“It’s not something where we’ll transform a league structure in the short term,” Silver said in August. “But I think that there’s an appetite among our team owners for additional investment in global basketball. …

“Given the quality of basketball here in Europe, it would seem to make sense that we should be doing something here as well.”

Those talks seem to be accelerating, with Zagklis saying Monday that “the next month will show where we are headed in this matter.”

However, both parties want to make sure toes aren’t being stepped on in regard to the league already in place in Europe, with Zagklis calling FIBA’s processes and approach “consistent.”

“We want the growth of our sport, but at the same time we want to protect what are the fundamentals of our ecosystem, which cannot only relate to the rules, of course, the calendar, but it is a question of respecting the national teams, the national leagues,” Zagklis said. “We have a very well-developed ecosystem of national leagues and certainly (want to) protect the work not only of a few clubs, but of almost 500 or 600 clubs that are the pyramid that produces players and that has brought the sport of basketball where it is today.”

The EuroLeague has been a mainstay in the continent since the 1950s, with the top teams from individual country’s pro leagues competing in the annual competition. It consists of 18 teams — 13 permanent members and five qualifying teams — and is the highest-attended indoor sports league in the world outside of the United States.

However, the licence for the permanent members in the league is set to expire after the 2025-26 season, with the clubs yet to sign new agreements. According to Vardon, three of the top teams — Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Fenerbahce Bako Istanbul — are considering allowing their licences with the league to expire.

Though further details have yet to emerge for the possibility of a new NBA-backed league in Europe, Silver is set to visit the continent next month when the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers tip off for a two-game set at the NBA Paris Games on Jan. 23 and 25.