MACAO — Within the wake of EuroLeague crew house owners rejecting a merger provide this week, the NBA has answered again: NBA Europe is shifting ahead anyway.
On Thursday, the NBA and FIBA, the game’s worldwide governing physique and accomplice with the league on the creating enterprise, launched a joint assertion making it clear they’re undeterred.
“A partnership between the EuroLeague, FIBA and the NBA to unify the European basketball ecosystem would unlock the sport’s huge potential throughout Europe for the advantage of golf equipment, gamers and, most significantly, followers,” they mentioned. “The NBA and FIBA stay dedicated to shifting ahead with a brand new skilled males’s league in Europe and serving to construct a stronger, extra sustainable basketball ecosystem alongside companions who share our imaginative and prescient of development, alternative and the core rules of the European sports activities mannequin.”
Although this back-and-forth is revealing a rising stress between the 2 leagues after months of discussions, there’s nonetheless an open door to barter, sources advised ESPN.
Final month, after practically two years of growth, the NBA offered a proper merger provide to the EuroLeague. The EuroLeague management met this week on the banks of Lake Como in Italy and voted to show down the NBA’s provide, believing it undervalued the worth of the league, sources mentioned.
In addition they reportedly mentioned increasing the European league past its present 13 license holders, a saber-rattling transfer designed to probably block the NBA from sure cities and companions. Nonetheless, a number of members of the EuroLeague have had in depth talks with the NBA and are believed to be significantly excited by becoming a member of a brand new NBA Europe.
EuroLeague member Barcelona mentioned this week that crew and the league could be open to contemplating an amended provide from the NBA and FIBA.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who has been working level on the European undertaking, are in Macao this week for the league’s China Video games that includes the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks. They’re within the midst of conferences and occasions with Asian companions, however their focus has been on this creating state of affairs in Europe.
The NBA has collected growth gives on new franchises all through Western Europe, has curiosity from current groups and plans a 16-team league to begin as early as 2027.
The EuroLeague was fashioned in 2001 after two rival leagues, one in every of them operated by FIBA, battled one another for a season. The league expanded to twenty groups in 2025-26, with seven golf equipment qualifying by way of their home leagues or through invitation.
