The NBA examines the start of the European basketball League
The NBA is trying to launch a European alloy with Fiba, the world government organ.
The initial plan is for a 16 teams League, with 12 permanent and four teams that should qualify every year.
The NBA said: “Under the explored plan, the new league would have been integrated into the current European basketball panorama, with also the teams participating in their respective national championships”.
The NBA is the best alloy in the world, including teams from the United States and Canada.
The best European teams currently compete in the Euroleague, which has been started by the FIBA but has been managed by Euroleague basketball since 2000.
Commissioner NBA Adam Silver said: “We believe it is time to move on to that next phase.
“At our meeting of the Board of Directors, today there was an enthusiastic support from the owners of our clubs in continuing to explore this opportunity”.
He added “literally nothing” was agreed and did not say which teams could be involved.
The three most successful Euroleague teams are Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow and the current Panathinaikos champions.
The United Kingdom has no teams playing us.
“In some cases what is provided with those existing clubs are huge global brands,” Silver said.
“In some cases those brands built through global football, not basketball, but we recognize that there is a huge depth of interest for people who cheer for those clubs, therefore it also becomes very relevant.”
Silver added that the games would be the European standard of 40 minutes, not 48 minutes like the NBA.
