The NBA continues with its roadmap to launch its European competition project for the upcoming season. This week it has emerged that the American league has made a formal offer to Euroliga to absorb it under the umbrella of NBA Europe. In that plan, and also in the plan to operate in parallel with the current premier competition in European basketball, Adam Silver and his team want the sport’s biggest institutions in Europe to play a central role. Indeed, the major football clubs.
Several outlets have reported that Mark Tatum, the NBA vice commissioner, has met in recent days with some of these clubs at the annual assembly of the EFC (European Football Clubs) chaired by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, owner of PSG. The NBA’s idea is for these clubs to become part of its competition with the same name and identity they wear on the pitch. And, above all, with their massive fan bases and financial muscle. In other words, for PSG, Manchester United, or AC Milan to compete in the “Euroliga.”
Tatum concedes that the NBA has learned from and borrowed elements from European football in recent years. Among them, the NBA Cup or the advertising patches that provided extra revenue back in the day.
To determine whether these teams, should they become a kind of NBA Europe franchises, are part of a semi-hereditary structure of Euroliga, we will have to wait a few days. Because the clubs that own Euroliga will meet next October 5 on the shores of Lake Como, Italy, to discuss the NBA’s offer.
If you want a broader overview of the relationships between the NBA and Euroliga, you can check out the latest episode of nbamaniacs’ podcast.
