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The NBA wanted to accelerate its expansion in Europe by aligning itself with the EuroLeague. The shareholder clubs told it no, at least in this form. Meeting in Cernobbio, Italy, the owners of the continent’s premier competition rejected the initial proposal, deeming it too unbalanced. The message is clear, but it does not quite slam the door: discussions remain possible, provided the NBA returns with a version that better respects the European model.
A Refusal More Political Than Symbolic
For months, the NBA has been moving forward with its NBA Europe project, conceived with FIBA’s support and announced as a new competition that could begin as early as autumn 2027.
The October 6 meeting was not a mere scheduling formality. For months, the NBA has been moving forward with its NBA Europe project, conceived with FIBA’s support and announced as a new competition that could begin as early as autumn 2027. To save time and gain sporting credibility and strong cities, the most effective option involved reaching an agreement with the EuroLeague.
The shareholder clubs did not accept the initial terms proposed. According to consistent reports from American and European media, several executives felt that the offer undervalued the work built over two decades by the clubs and the current organization. The criticism is therefore not merely financial. It concerns governance, sporting identity, and the place European clubs would retain in an architecture steered by the North American league.
The harshest word reportedly used around the meeting, “colonialist” proposal, captures the tension of the moment. It should not be seen as a mere hallway remark: behind the phrase lies the fear that historic clubs could become local accessories in a global product shaped elsewhere.
Expansion, the Central Point of Friction
One of the sensitive issues concerns the development of the EuroLeague itself. The competition currently has thirteen shareholder clubs and twenty teams involved overall. Its strategic plan provides for the gradual transformation of long-term licenses into franchises, as well as expansion into new markets.
However, according to several media outlets, the NBA wanted the EuroLeague to suspend this path during the negotiations. For the clubs, accepting this freeze would have meant slowing down their own project at the precise moment when the competition wants to secure its members, attract new investors, and lock in certain coveted cities.
The EuroLeague’s official statement does not directly mention the NBA. Instead, it emphasizes the decisions approved in Cernobbio: continuing the ten-year plan, working on franchises, considering new applications, and awaiting a final recommendation in the coming weeks. It is a very institutional way of saying that the house is continuing to build its walls while the neighbor proposes a major redevelopment of the neighborhood.
The NBA Maintains Its European Course
This refusal does not bring the NBA Europe project to an end. Adam Silver has already explained that the NBA is moving forward with or without an agreement with the EuroLeague, even if an alliance would make the launch much stronger. The project envisioned around sixteen teams, a majority of them permanent franchises, targets cities such as Paris, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, and Athens.
The real question, therefore, becomes one of leverage. Without an agreement, the NBA could try to create direct competition, backed by its prestige, commercial resources, and the appeal of its brand. But it would then have to convince clubs, investors, arenas, broadcasters, and audiences already attached to complex national and continental balances.
For the EuroLeague, the challenge is the opposite: to show that it can grow quickly, better capitalize on its clubs, and clarify its model without appearing to close ranks instinctively. The Cernobbio refusal looks less like an endpoint than the first real negotiation. The NBA now knows that its logo will not be enough. European clubs, meanwhile, know that the pressure will not disappear with a vote.