The NBA and FIBA are approaching a significant milestone in the development of NBA Europe, with an announcement regarding the competition’s markets and permanent participants expected soon.
The proposed league is targeting an October 2027 launch and is currently designed to feature 16 teams, including 12 permanent franchises and four clubs qualifying annually.
Speaking to BasketNews during the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Beijing, FIBA Europe executive director Kamil Novak revealed that preparations are advancing following considerable interest from potential investors.
“Very soon there will be an announcement about the markets, about who will get the 12 licenses,” he told BasketNews.
“We understood that the market response was tremendous. The interest, I think, surpasses all expectations, which is interesting. It’s interesting to see that so many entities all of a sudden want to invest in European basketball.”
FIBA Europe president Jorge Garbajosa also highlighted the progress of the project and the increasingly close relationship between the two organizations.
“We are at a crucial moment,” Garbajosa told BasketNews during the FIBA Intercontinental Cup tournament in Beijing.
The Spanish executive explained that FIBA had previously spent two years negotiating with EuroLeague in an attempt to establish a more coordinated European basketball structure.
“Then, for many reasons, the NBA jumped in,” the Spanish executive added. “And what we have been asking the EuroLeague is exactly what we asked the NBA.
“And they understand and respect perfectly, since the very beginning, the values and the specific things of basketball on our continent, in our region. So that’s what makes our relationship with the NBA so close, not only for this thing, but especially in the last few months.”
With interest reportedly exceeding expectations, the NBA and FIBA are now moving closer to identifying the markets and organizations that will form the foundation of the new competition.
