LONDON — The picture of what NBA Europe might look like has never been clearer following a meeting Monday. Saudi Arabia’s chief investment fund, some of the top European basketball and soccer powerhouses, a global streaming service, shoe conglomerate and perhaps even a figurehead for the new league were among those in the room.
Among the 250 people assembled by NBA commissioner Adam Silver and his team at a posh London hotel just steps from the Thames River was Hall of Famer Pau Gasol, whom numerous sources said is under consideration for a top role in Silver’s European venture.
“This is a very unique opportunity,” Gasol told the crowd. “It’s all about learning from each other. It’s all about creating this new venture together. Yes, we’re talking about (the) league, but this goes far beyond. It is about the ecosystem, it’s about the grassroots, it’s about the domestic leagues and it’s about the impact on the children. … There’s so much at stake, and that’s why I think this is so important and so impactful, and why I’m so excited to be a part of it too.”
The Athletic could not reach Gasol, a six-time NBA All-Star and former anchor of the Spanish national team, for further comment on his likely role with the European league. International sources said he is under consideration for a prominent role, but it is too soon to know what NBA Europe’s leadership structure will be — if there will be a single commissioner or multiple executives.
Representatives from Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, two soccer and basketball heavyweights, Olimpia Milano, Panathinaikos, ASVEL, Bayern Munich and Alba Berlin were participants, signaling their interest in joining NBA Europe. NBA officials met privately with Fenerbahce, a top European team from Istanbul, last week in Berlin.
Additionally, representatives from English soccer giant Manchester City were there, as were executives from Italian soccer powerhouse AC Milan, signaling their intent to either create new teams in their cities or invest further in existing teams. Manchester City is currently owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group, an investment vehicle for Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan.
Investment firm Qatar Sports Investments, which owns soccer giant Paris St. Germain, has been linked to Silver’s venture for Paris and is just one of the groups interested in either partnering with existing basketball clubs or starting new teams in targeted cities. According to league sources, investment groups with ownership of five percent or less of an NBA team will be permitted to own an NBA Europe team.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, PIF, which owns English Premier League club Newcastle United and LIV Golf, a competitor to the PGA, sent officials to Silver’s meeting.
Other investment firms included Lazard, which has an office in Manchester; Rothschild, a past adviser to English soccer club Tottenham Hotspur; Sixth Street, which has business relationships with FC Barcelona and Real Madrid; private equity giant Blackstone; Arctos, which has ownership stakes in several European clubs, including FC Liverpool; and BC Partners.
Executives from Nike, a potential lead sponsor for the league, and Amazon Prime, a possible media partner to NBA Europe, addressed the crowd, as did Silver and two of his chief lieutenants, deputy NBA commissioner Mark Tatum and George Aivazoglou, managing director of the NBA in Europe and the Middle East. Andreas Zagklis, secretary general for FIBA, the NBA’s partner on this new league and governing body for international basketball, also spoke, as did Gasol, former NBA star Tony Parker, who is principal owner of ASVEL, a French professional team, and Zlatan Ibrahimović, former soccer star and senior adviser to AC Milan.
The meeting was intended to give interested stakeholders an “under-the-hood” look at what is being referred to as “NBA Europe,” but the most telling component of the symposium was, perhaps, who was there.
“If we do that right, this is going to be one of the best things that happens in sport,” said Gerry Cardinale, founder and managing partner for RedBird Capital, which owns AC Milan. “This is why (Silver) says, ‘This is a once-in-forever-opportunity, this isn’t even a once-in-a-generation opportunity.’”
Silver and FIBA are targeting a launch of October 2027 for NBA Europe. There will be 12 licensed or permanent teams — in Athens, Greece; Manchester, England; Lyon, France (ASVEL); Barcelona, Spain; London; Paris; Rome; Milan; Munich; Berlin; Istanbul and Madrid — with four spots available each year for qualification by virtually any pro team in Europe.
Though a set of rules has not yet been drafted, one spot in the NBA Europe annual competition would go to the champion of FIBA’s annual European competition, called the Champions League. The other three spots would be earned through a qualifying tournament set up by FIBA for all the highest-performing teams in various domestic leagues. If, as expected, NBA Europe materializes, FIBA’s qualification competitions would take place in June 2027, international sources said.
Officials from two banks assisting the NBA in its European pursuit, JPMorgan Chase and the Raine Group, were also part of the symposium. Negotiations are beginning now on entrance fees for the 12 teams, with, sources said, a likely fluctuating scale based on market size.
The 30 NBA owners in the U.S. and Canada have not granted final approval for NBA Europe, but, obviously, momentum is steamrolling toward that conclusion.
Amazon’s Prime Video is in its first year of an 11-year partnership to stream NBA games, though NBA Europe’s total media package would be likely to include multiple partners.
