The NBA’s European project is set to launch in less than 15 months. Bayern Munich President Herbert Hainer, among others, has expressed doubts about this timeline. Now the 72-year-old has doubled down, stating that the targeted launch date is by no means set in stone.
NBA Europe is coming—that much is clear. However, with less than a year and a half to go before the supposed opening game, the project is not short on unanswered questions. Which teams will be involved? How will the qualifying process work? Will there be a partnership with the EuroLeague? And, of course: Will 2027 still be the target date?
For clubs like FC Bayern, there’s also the financial aspect to consider. For the planned franchise model, the Americans are reportedly demanding an entry fee ranging from hundreds of millions to as much as one billion euros. “We need a business case so that the investments we make will eventually pay off,” Hainer clarified, announcing that “there are still a lot” of necessary discussions to be held.
“A year more or less doesn’t really matter”
Especially given that the overall conditions still seem unclear, the launch date in the fall of next year seems, at the very least, ambitious. Hainer, who has already cast doubt on this date in the past, has now doubled down: “As far as the timeline is concerned, I consider next year to be unrealistic.”
The 72-year-old explained that he had already spoken twice with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and his deputy Mark Tatum, sharing his assessment with them. Silver assured him that the date was “not the top priority,” adding, “but if it happens, it has to be done right. A year more or less doesn’t really matter.”
If that is indeed the case, it would be the first time the start date—which has been maintained since the initial announcement—has been called into question. Doubts about whether the deadline can be met are certainly not far-fetched. Too many questions currently remain unanswered—even for those directly involved. In just a few months, the new Champions League season will begin, which is intended to pave the way for participation in the league.