By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Topics discussed in the latest NBA Board of Governors meeting in Las Vegas included NBA Europe.
In a following media session on Tuesday, commissioner Adam Silver provided several updates on developing projects, stressing separate but also connected paths between domestic and overseas expansions.
“While it’s not directly related, there’s an expansion of another kind we’re talking about, which is the European opportunity,” he said about the lack of any direct links of NBA Europe with a possible expansion in North America.
“That would be an independent league, what we’re contemplating operating in Europe. But the fact that we would be creating new basketball teams in Europe is related. It’s separate but related to this notion around building additional organizations in the league,” explained Silver.
“It’s not as if we are sitting there saying, well, if we do something in Europe, we don’t do something in the United States or North America. But the issues are related,” he added, “Part of what we look at is how can we continue to grow this game on a global basis and how can we take advantage of the NBA brand to do that.”
Discussions and ensuing media questions were focused mainly on domestic expansion, namely a return to Seattle and establishing a new franchise in Las Vegas. Similar to considering options in the early stages of NBA Europe, there is no specific timeline to add new teams to the league for the first time since 2004.
The next Board of Governors meeting is expected to take place in September.