Real Madrid and Berlin in ‘NBA Europe’ are negotiating with the American Basketball League
Also under consideration is a league of potentially 16 teams, combining the regular 10 to 12 franchises with open spots for teams to qualify for.
With basketball and the NBA growing in popularity in Europe, the US league is hosting six games in four different European cities over the next three seasons, with London, Manchester, Berlin and Paris hosting games between 2026 and 2028.
Silver said talks with Real Madrid, which plays in the EuroLeague and is considered one of the biggest basketball clubs in Europe, were “more in the fact-finding category” but confirmed that talks were held with another EuroLeague team, Alba Berlin, whose Uber Arena hosted an NBA game.
“We try to find the best combination of old and new; tradition and innovation,” Silver said.
Alba Berlin, he said, is “a model of the type of club we would like to see in a potential European league.”
Reports say the existing EuroLeague has concerns about the new venture, threatening legal action against the NBA if clubs breach existing agreements to participate in the new competition.
But Silver said he doesn’t think the two leagues will clash, adding, “There’s plenty of room for competition.”
2026-01-16 08:56:00
