The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today announced that they will in January move forward in their joint exploration of a new professional, pan-European men’s basketball league by engaging prospective teams and ownership groups in the process to join the league.
In addition to permanent spots, the new league would offer every team in a FIBA-affiliated domestic league in Europe a merit-based pathway to qualify on an annual basis either through FIBA’s Basketball Champions League (BCL) or an end-of-season qualifying tournament. The league would also align its schedule with domestic league and national team schedules, allowing players to represent their club and national team year-round.
As part of the new league, the NBA and FIBA would also plan to dedicate financial support and resources to the continued development of Europe’s basketball ecosystem, including domestic leagues, club team academies, and the NBA and FIBA’s existing programs to develop aspiring players, coaches and referees at all levels of the game.
“Advancing further this joint NBA-FIBA project is great news for the European basketball community,” said FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis. “The format of the league respects European sport model principles by offering any ambitious club in the continent a fair pathway to the top. The project is conceived in a way that will improve the sustainability of the entire European basketball ecosystem, including players, clubs, leagues and national federations, by generating a knock-on effect that will strongly benefit basketball fans throughout Europe.”
“Our conversations with various stakeholders in Europe have reinforced our belief that an enormous opportunity exists around the creation of a new league on the continent,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “Together with FIBA, we look forward to engaging prospective clubs and ownership groups that share our vision for the game’s potential in Europe.”
