Adam Silver said that the NBA and FIBA are still in discussions over creating a new league in Europe, though he did not give a specific timeline.
“I will say it’s measured in years, not months,” Silver said on Friday. “So, we’re at least a couple years away from launching. It would be an enormous undertaking. And while we want to move forward at a deliberate pace, we also want to make sure that we’re consulting with all the appropriate stakeholders, meaning the existing league, its teams, European players, media companies, marketing partners.”
Silver and FIBA representatives announced in March that the two sides would collaborate on forming a new league with an initial target of 16 teams.
Silver added that the NBA has also been talking directly to EuroLeague teams about a potential partnership.
Roughly one in every six players in the NBA comes from Europe.
The league’s board of governors will further discussions during a meeting in July.
Silver did add the possibility of a new league starting around the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“That might be a good launching pad for an announcement around a new competition,” Silver said.
