NBA-basketball
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
A report on Monday claims the NBA is planning make their new European league official at the next Board of Governors meeting in March. The NBA Board of Governors made this determination during a call on Friday.
This latest report follows the new European GBB League claiming in September that the NBA will be adding two teams in Europe in 2027. FIBA Europe president Jorge Garbajosa also said in September that he had heard 2027 as a potential date for the start of NBA Europe.
It turns out they both now appear to have been at least partially correct. According to Sports Business Journal, NBA Europe will receive a greenlight if “the bids overseas next month are attractive in terms of money and scope.”
FIBA teams will have the opportunity to earn their way into the new NBA Europe league
FIBA and the National Basketball Association also announced on Monday that the new NBA Europe League will “offer every team in a FIBA-affiliated domestic league in Europe” a “merit-based pathway to compete” in the league. Teams can qualify on an annual basis “either through FIBA’s Basketball Champions League (BCL) or an end-of-season qualifying tournament.”
“The league would also align its schedule with domestic league and national team schedules, allowing players to represent their club and national team year-round,” the basketball organizations announced in their press release.
“As part of the new league, the NBA and FIBA would also plan to dedicate financial support and resources to the continued development of Europe’s basketball ecosystem, including domestic leagues, club team academies, and the NBA and FIBA’s existing programs to develop aspiring players, coaches and referees at all levels of the game.”
British GBB League organizers were initially supposed to launch the league in September of 2026. They have since moved that date back to 2027 and will coincide with what the league apparently correctly claimed in September will be the “first season of NBA Europe.”