The NBA and global basketball authority FIBA have drawn strong interest from potential teams and investors seeking permanent franchise spots in a proposed European league, NBA Deputy Commissioner and COO Mark Tatum said Wednesday.
“The scale and enthusiasm behind these bids highlight the market’s confidence in our model and the huge, untapped potential of European basketball,” Tatum said. “We will now review submissions in detail and identify partners who share our vision for growing the game across the continent.”
Sources told Reuters that NBA governors again voiced overwhelming support for the proposed league at the March 24-25 Board of Governors meeting. More than 120 parties, including current NBA teams, outside investment groups and high-net-worth individuals, have expressed serious interest in the venture.
The NBA has received multiple bids in the $500 million to $1 billion range, including several above $1 billion, the sources said. There is competition from a range of investors across each of the league’s 12 target cities.
Those cities include London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, Munich, Athens and Istanbul.
In recent weeks, the NBA has held talks with more than a dozen existing basketball teams and received bids from multiple clubs, including current EuroLeague teams, the sources said.
The NBA and FIBA plan to take a phased approach, prioritizing the most serious bids that align with their long-term vision, the sources said. The NBA would then engage with its Board of Governors to select partners, while FIBA would follow its own process.
Announcements on final terms, the league’s launch and participating teams are expected to come on a rolling basis rather than all at once.
The NBA and FIBA also remain in active talks with the EuroLeague, but a successful bid through their process is the only way to secure a permanent place in the new competition, the sources said.
