By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
With NBA commissioner Adam Silver staying in London to work on the partnership with FIBA, widely labeled as NBA Europe, his schedule included an event on Monday.
Representatives of EuroLeague outfits, Panathinaikos Aktor, FC Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan were present, alongside those of football (soccer) club AC Milan and Basketball Champions League’s ALBA Berlin.
The private event in the British capital presented financial projections on the NBA Europe project, compared to football (soccer) leagues, and also went into meetings and talks between potential investors, business partners, and sponsors.
With Madrid focusing on switching from the EuroLeague to a new top-tier league, the participating field is expected to also include ALBA and ASVEL, as confirmed by Silver during press meetings in Berlin and London over recent days. The 63-year-old executive has been in the Old Continent to expand talks on the projected league expansion, besides following the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies in the European trip between the German and British capitals.
Aiming to establish franchises across major European cities and eventually launch in the 2027-28 season, a total of 16 teams are expected to be part of the inaugural campaign. Twelve permanent teams and four more via the BCL and other end-of-season qualifying tournaments. The plan moving forward is to keep a 25% portion of the participating field in annual Qualifiers.
Additional details, specifically about projected participants in the forthcoming league, are expected to be revealed over the next few days.