By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
NBA commissioner Adam Silver met with Real Madrid officials in Paris this week to discuss the club potentially joining a new European league backed by the NBA.
According to The Athletic, the meeting was part of a broader effort by Silver and top NBA executives—including deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and regional director George Aivazoglou—to meet with potential investors and teams as they lay the groundwork for the proposed NBA Europe league.
The Athletic also reports that, according to their European sources, there is growing belief that if Real Madrid joins Silver’s project, other major EuroLeague clubs could follow.
The NBA is reportedly keeping a close eye on four EuroLeague teams as potential early defectors: Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, ASVEL Basket (led by former NBA star Tony Parker), and Fenerbahçe Istanbul.
As part of its European tour, the NBA delegation also met with representatives of ALBA Berlin. Talks reportedly included the possibility of the German powerhouse joining the proposed league.
Silver is expected to hold additional meetings in Paris in the coming days. Prior to this trip, he and other NBA executives had already engaged in talks with the Qatari Investment Authority—the owners of Paris Saint-Germain—about launching a new basketball franchise in the French capital.
Earlier, the NBA commissioner also met with representatives from Turkish club Galatasaray.