The NBA has had discussions about starting its own basketball league in Europe. Commissioner Adam Silver told the Associated Press on Friday that the NBA is considering its next move on the continent and is weighing whether to start an annual tournament or league.
It is not yet clear how far along the NBA is in its planning. Silver said that the NBA is not in a place where it will “transform a league structure in the short term.” But talks about a league have gone far enough that it has recently been a topic of discussion in European basketball circles. The league has been working with financial firm, The Raine Group, to explore its opportunities in Europe.
so not really “expansion” in the usual sense, but a separate league or isolated tournament with North American teams.
Yeah I don’t really think there’s a way to have a team for the regular league overseas given the travel that would require.
Sounds like they’d try to start their own league as a competitor to the euro league but it’s super early stages of planning.
I wonder if the first step is to have the NBA Cup final four there. Maybe after Las Vegas has a team, could do a different euro city every year.