Adam Silver has confirmed that basketball fans will need to wait at least two more years before seeing an NBA-backed European league. The NBA Commissioner made this clear while speaking in Oklahoma City, where the Finals between the "Thunder" and the "Indiana Pacers" are currently taking place.
"We're so early in the process that it's a bit difficult to establish a specific timeline right now," Silver explained. "So we're at least a couple of years away from launch."
The NBA officially announced its intention to create a European league in March following a Board of Governors meeting in New York, with FIBA as their partner. Interestingly, the Euroleague - a competition that has been openly at odds with FIBA for some time - was notably absent from these discussions.
Silver has outlined that this new competition would feature 16 teams, combining existing clubs and newly created franchises. Of these, 12 would hold permanent positions while four spots would remain open. The league would operate with 40-minute games instead of the NBA's traditional 48 minutes, and the schedule would be designed to coexist with both FIBA and national competitions.
By the way, numerous critical details remain unresolved. Which European cities might host these teams? Which existing clubs are interested in participating? Do any potential participants currently compete in Euroleague? These questions remain unanswered.
The next significant development is expected at the upcoming Board of Governors meeting scheduled for July in Las Vegas. Will this meeting finally provide the basketball world with concrete details about this ambitious international expansion?
