The EuroLeague is generally considered the second-best basketball league in the world, after the NBA. Founded in 1958, it was originally established by FIBA. However, the EuroLeague separated from the international basketball governing body in 2000. Run independently since then, the league currently consists of 20 teams.
Despite the EuroLeague’s dominance as the premier basketball league in Europe, a competitor is quickly emerging. As basketball’s popularity grows globally, the NBA is on the lookout for green pastures outside the United States.
This segues into an international expansion for the NBA, which is not far out of sight. The league conducted meetings in early 2026 with potential investors, owners, and teams interested in the joint project between the NBA and FIBA.
Meanwhile, the NBA’s COO, Mark Tatum, has dropped the latest news on the NBA’s exploits on the other side of the pond.
NBA’s Mark Tatum Opens A New Chapter In European Expansion
The Story So Far
Talks of an NBA expansion to Europe have been around as early as March 2025.
The NBA and FIBA, working on a European league as a joint venture, formally announced the project in December. Then, they arranged meetings with potential investors. Those took place alongside the NBA’s international games, which occurred in Berlin and London this year.
According to the NBA’s Senior Vice President and Head of International Strategy, Leah McNab, the new European league will have 16 teams, with 10-12 permanent teams. The semi-open European league’s teams will be relegated to lower leagues based on performance, similar to football (soccer).
Recent Developments
There is some nuance as to how teams can qualify to play in the NBA’s European league. Some reports suggest the Basketball Champions League, currently the second tier of basketball competition in Europe, will be used.
Mark Tatum had this to say in a recent statement.
“The level of engagement and the scale of the bids reflect the marketplace’s belief in our proposed model and the enormous, untapped potential for European basketball. We will now review the bids in more detail and shortlist the partners who share our vision and commitment to accelerating the growth of the game across the continent.”
Tatum previously stated that the NBA was interested in collaborating with the EuroLeague. He also suggested the joint international venture would help basketball continue to grow across Europe.
Globally, basketball is considered the third most popular sport after football and cricket. In Europe, basketball is the second most popular sport and the fastest growing one. Despite this, less than 1% of the $45 billion in the European sports and media market is dedicated to basketball.
EuroLeague’s chief executive, Paulius Motiejunas, disagrees with Tatum. When asked by the BBC about NBA Europe, he said:
“I’m here to grow basketball in Europe, to make it better. From time to time, you have these new projects or new ideas coming. They can either grow the status quo or make it much better or they can hurt. I truly believe that this will only hurt the status quo rather than make it better if it continues to be in a way that it has been presented.”
Part of the NBA’s plan to expand its product into the European market is to target big cities without EuroLeague teams. According to Tatum, the United Kingdom will play a “significant role” in the NBA’s European basketball league. The NBA’s sights are set on destinations such as London, Berlin, and Rome as potential landing spots.
The NBA is seeking anywhere from $500 million to $1 billion for permanent entry into the basketball league. More than 120 prospective investors have expressed interest in the NBA’s latest venture. They include sovereign wealth funds, private equity funds, and existing EuroLeague teams.
Last Word On NBA Expansion?
European expansion is a project that is slowly gaining traction among investors and league officials. While the bids made currently are non-binding, the large amounts of interest garnered by the NBA’s announcements say a lot about how the European league will be received. Much is yet to be seen ahead of October 2027, which is likely around the date when the project officially launches.
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