NBA Commissioner Adam Silver believes NBA Europe could pave the way for larger sovereign wealth and private investments, potentially influencing NBA team ownership rules in the U.S.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver hinted that the league’s European expansion could influence team ownership rules in North America.
Currently, sovereign wealth funds are capped at 20% ownership of NBA franchises in the U.S., but NBA Europe could change that.
Silver pointed to Paris Saint-Germain, owned by Qatar Sports Investments, as a successful model and suggested the NBA could adopt similar practices in the future.
"We can see with PSG there has been success with sovereign wealth funds that own teams," Silver said, via SportsPro. "It may be that over time there are practices that we learn from in Europe, that will then move into the United States."
"It means looking at this opportunity from scratch here in Europe. We are open to different kinds of investors, as principal investors, that aren’t currently allowed in the U.S."
Beyond sovereign wealth funds, Silver emphasized that the league is open to other forms of capital for NBA Europe.
"We're talking to families that currently invest in sports," Silver said. "In addition to talking to sovereign wealth funds, there's more traditional investment funds that have had some experience investing in sports, and then some just more traditional, home private equity funds that see sports as an asset class."
NBA Europe Just Got A Reality Check…
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