The NBA has announced its most ambitious international project to date: the creation of a full-scale European league, provisionally titled NBA Europe, expected to launch within the next two years. The plan, outlined by Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum and supported by the league’s Board of Governors, marks a major step in the NBA’s long-term global strategy and its growing focus on international markets.
According to early plans, NBA Europe would begin with around twelve teams representing major cities such as London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Berlin, Istanbul and Athens. These locations were chosen for their strong basketball traditions, infrastructure and market potential. The league’s format would combine fixed franchises with qualification spots for emerging clubs, creating a hybrid model that brings together both the NBA’s franchise system and the competitive traditions of European basketball.
In addition, discussions are underway about introducing a promotion and relegation mechanism to connect NBA Europe with domestic leagues, ensuring that the project supports rather than replaces local basketball ecosystems. The initiative is backed by significant investment to upgrade arenas, training facilities and media infrastructure across several countries.
For the NBA, the move represents more than expansion — it’s about bringing the game closer to millions of fans who already follow the league passionately from across the Atlantic. Regular-season games held in European cities over the past decade have shown the growing appetite for top-tier basketball on the continent, and the new league would be the next natural evolution of that success.
Commissioner Adam Silver and his team envision NBA Europe as a long-term project that will reshape the global basketball map, strengthen youth development programs, and create new economic opportunities for the sport. For players, coaches and fans alike, it could open a new era where basketball truly becomes a worldwide league — played, celebrated and loved across two continents.
