Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSG and Milan. It almost sounds like a Champions League draw, but instead these are some of the names around which the NBA wants to build its new European project. According to The Athletictalks with several soccer giants have made significant progress and the launch of NBA Europe is beginning to look increasingly concrete.
Adding more fuel to the reports was the presence of Mark TatumNBA deputy commissioner, at the annual European Football Clubs conference in Copenhagen. More than his words, however, it was the meetings held on the sidelines of the event that drew attention: Tatum and George Aivazoglou, the NBA vice president overseeing Europe and the Middle East, were seen speaking with representatives from PSG, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Milan.
Not all of them would be starting from the same position. Real Madrid, Barça and Bayern already have elite basketball sections, while PSG and Milan could start from scratch. The Parisian club, in particular, has long been considered one of the leading candidates to create the new team in Paris.
Tatum would not have been invited here if things with the soccer clubs weren’t moving in the right direction
Anonymous executive
That is what an executive from one of the clubs involved told The Athleticspeaking anonymously because talks are still ongoing.
NBA Europe, the project is taking shape
The initial concept remains the one outlined in recent months: 16 teams, with 12 permanent spots and four more to be earned on the court. The cities identified are London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Berlin, Munich, Istanbul, Madrid, Athens, Barcelona, Manchester and Lyon. The structure has also been confirmed by the NBA, which has already received bids for franchises and continues to work alongside FIBA.
The goal is not simply to put the NBA logo on a new competition. Tatum explained that European basketball, despite its following, still accounts for a very small share of the continent’s sports market and is practically absent at the highest level in some major cities.
Changing that will also require major investment: new arenas, academies, player development and local projects. Facilities are one of the biggest issues in particular, since not all of the cities identified currently have venues considered suitable for the project’s standards.
We want to create greater investment in basketball development, player development and infrastructure, making this league a sustainable opportunity from a commercial standpoint as well
Mark Tatum
Interestingly, while the NBA is looking to European soccer as it builds its future on the continent, Tatum pointed out that the opposite has already happened in the United States. The NBA Cup and jersey sponsorsfor example, are ideas inspired by models that have been used in European soccer for years.
What about the EuroLeague?
This is probably the most delicate part of the entire story. According to The Athletic, EuroLeague shareholders will meet in Italy next week to evaluate several NBA proposalsincluding the possibility of an acquisition followed by a merger with NBA Europe.
The NBA is therefore continuing to leave the door open to a shared solution, even though Adam Silver has already made it clear that the European project is expected to launch in 2027 even without an agreement with the EuroLeague.
And this is exactly where the next few months could significantly reshape European basketball. NBA Europe is no longer just an idea Silver talks about at press conferences: there are identified cities, bids on the table and some of the most powerful soccer clubs in Europe directly involved. The question now is how all of this will fit together with the EuroLeague, because that answer could determine much more than the birth of a new competition.