Adam Silver on NBA Europe expansion

Adam Silver said on June 3 that the NBA is still advancing plans for a new league in Europe, using his pre-Finals availability in San Antonio to update one of the league’s biggest long-range projects. The commissioner said the talks remain active with FIBA, clubs, media companies and sponsors as the NBA tries to build a Europe-based competition alongside existing domestic structures. His remarks came before Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks. The comments extended a process the NBA and FIBA formally moved into public view in March 2025. ### What exactly did Silver say in San Antonio? Adam Silver said before the Finals on Wednesday night that the NBA is making continued progress toward starting a league in Europe. The Associated Press reported from San Antonio that Silver described the effort as on schedule and said the league remains engaged with FIBA on the project. The June 3 appearance was not a formal launch. Silver’s comments fit the line he has used for months: the NBA is still working through structure, participants and commercial backing before announcing a start date or final lineup. ### How long has the NBA been working on this? The NBA and FIBA announced on March 27, 2025 that they were jointly exploring a new professional men’s basketball league in Europe. (apnews.com) In that announcement, Silver called it an “exploration,” and the league said the project would be integrated into the current European basketball scene, with teams also playing in their national leagues. March 27, 2025 was the first clear public step, but the idea predates that announcement. NBA officials have discussed a European league concept for years, and Silver said at the time that the process was at the stage of studying and researching the venture rather than announcing a debut. (nba.com) ### What does the proposed Europe league look like right now? A 16-team format is one model the NBA and FIBA have discussed. Silver said in March 2025 that the concept under study included 12 permanent members and four places that could be earned or lost through qualifying and relegation. (nba.com) January 15, 2026 brought a more detailed update in Berlin, where Silver said the working target had been October 2027 and that the league was meeting clubs interested in participating. He also said the NBA had been talking with media companies, potential media partners and traditional sponsors, while looking at arena infrastructure across Europe. (nba.com) ### Which cities and countries have been mentioned? Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Britain have all been identified as target countries for the NBA-FIBA project, according to the January 2026 AP report published by NBA.com. Cities mentioned in that report included London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Munich, Berlin, Athens and Istanbul. (nba.com) Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic were among the European stars Silver pointed to earlier this year as evidence of the region’s importance to the NBA. In Berlin, he said basketball was in a “golden era” in Germany and across Europe. ### Why is the NBA pairing this with FIBA? (nba.com) FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said in March 2025 that there was “untapped potential in European club basketball.” The NBA and FIBA said a joint league could combine the NBA’s business model with FIBA’s international structure and relationships. (nba.com) The NBA has not said which clubs would join, whether existing EuroLeague teams would defect, or when final approvals would be sought. But Silver’s June 3 comments in San Antonio showed the project remains active as the league moves through the 2026 Finals. ### What happens next? October 2027 remains the working target previously cited by Silver for a Europe launch, though he has also said no formal timeline has been finalized. (nba.com) The next concrete step is further talks with FIBA, interested clubs, media partners and sponsors before the NBA issues another formal update. (nba.com) (apnews.com)