NBA Commissioner Adam Silver met with Real Madrid executives on Thursday in Paris to discuss the club’s potential involvement in a new European basketball league backed by the NBA, according to The Athletic‘s Joe Vardon.
The meeting, which also included NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum and Europe and Middle East director George Aivazoglou, is considered a major step in Silver’s effort to launch the league as early as the 2026–27 season.
Real Madrid’s participation would give the league immediate credibility, both competitively and commercially, due to the club’s global brand and extensive basketball pedigree.
The talks come as part of a broader European tour by NBA leadership, who are holding meetings with teams and investors interested in joining the league, which is being developed in partnership with FIBA.
According to Vardon’s report, the Real Madrid discussions carry extra weight because of the Spanish club’s current “A” license with the EuroLeague, which grants it permanent status in the continent’s top-tier competition—a deal set to expire in 2026.
The timing of that expiration aligns closely with the NBA and FIBA’s proposed launch, giving the Madrid-based club a potential opportunity to transition without contractual conflicts.
Real Madrid’s strained relationship with EuroLeague organizers, along with its financial strength through football revenues, makes it a particularly attractive target for the NBA-FIBA project.
Sources told The Athletic that if Madrid commits to the new league, other EuroLeague clubs could quickly follow, potentially triggering a dramatic shift in European basketball’s balance of power.
Earlier in the year, officials from FIBA, NBA Europe, and most EuroLeague stakeholders convened in Geneva to discuss the future of the sport on the continent.
That meeting, described as the most comprehensive of its kind to date, revealed growing alignment around the NBA-FIBA concept, though concerns remain—particularly over required participation fees for clubs.
While the EuroLeague has long resisted outside control, the inclusion of the NBA in these talks has introduced new momentum, especially with FIBA’s push to harmonize calendars and modernize competition structures.
EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas recently expressed disapproval of potential creation of yet another basketball league in Europe.
The proposed league would blend permanent franchises with promotion-style entry for national champions, aiming to mirror successful hybrid models seen in other global sports.
