With its European branch, the NBA also aims to create more fluidity in the continent’s club basketball.
“As long as you put together a very good team and as long as that team plays well, you have the right to dream. You have the right to dream that you can compete with the giants, with the titans of our continent,” NBA Europe Head George Aivazoglou told the German Press Agency about the plans.
Currently, the privately organized Euroleague is considered the best league on the continent. Teams cannot qualify for it directly through success in their national leagues. The NBA, together with the world governing body FIBA, plans to launch a European offshoot in October 2027.
According to Aivazoglou’s vision, in a new competitive structure with NBA Europe as the top-tier competition, the majority of spots in future European competitions will be awarded through on-court qualification. However, as things stand, up to twelve permanent participants are also planned for NBA Europe. Four teams are expected to be able to qualify through competitions such as FIBA’s Champions League.
Is there a collaboration with the Euroleague?
Negotiations between the NBA, FIBA, and the Euroleague regarding a potential collaboration are entering a decisive phase. “The talks have really picked up momentum. We will meet again in a few weeks, and there will likely be some further exchanges in the meantime, but there is still a lot of work to be done,” said Aivazoglou. So far, European basketball has been fragmented among various competitors.
However, Aivazoglou also emphasized that the NBA and FIBA would implement their plans even without the Euroleague. Investors must submit their final bids for one of the permanent franchises by the end of the month. According to the NBA, bids in the billions were submitted in the first round.
Berlin and Munich are being discussed as promising locations in Germany. “We are focusing on the two cities that we have identified as the most promising opportunities,” said Aivazoglou. However, there is also interest from other cities.
