What Sort Of NBA Does Adam Silver Want To Build In Europe? | Defector

"The proposed league would feature 16 teams, 12 of whom would have permanent slots, and they are reportedly trying to put teams in Athens, Istanbul, Paris, Lyon, Munich, Berlin, Rome, Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, London, and Manchester. That list of cities highlights both how disruptive the venture would be and how much new ground would have to be broken."

"Basketball culture in Europe is not centered in the biggest cities the way it is in the United States, so the NBA is essentially betting that they can create it from whole cloth in places like London and Milan."

"Teams like Olympiacos and Panathinaikos in Athens and Fenerbahçe in Istanbul have deeply established traditions that the new league would disrupt. Massively important and well-supported teams in less glamorous markets like Belgrade and Kaunas, along with the EuroLeague structure, could be left to wither and die if this all works the way Silver wants it to."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is launching NBA Europe, a new basketball league featuring 16 teams with 12 permanent slots across cities including Athens, Istanbul, Paris, Munich, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, London, and Manchester. This venture aims to create basketball culture in major European cities where it is not traditionally centered, fundamentally different from the United States model. The expansion would significantly disrupt established European basketball institutions, including prestigious teams like Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, and Fenerbahçe, as well as the existing EuroLeague structure and well-supported teams in smaller markets like Belgrade and Kaunas. Silver has indicated the NBA's ambitions extend beyond current EuroLeague performance levels. The project also serves as a vehicle for NBA engagement with Persian Gulf sovereign wealth funds, raising substantial financial stakes.

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