SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Speaking before Wednesday night’s NBA Finals tipoff, Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the league’s ambitious plan to establish an independent European basketball circuit by late 2027 remains on target.
The initiative — developed through a partnership between the NBA and FIBA, basketball’s international governing organization — has been under development for several years and is approaching reality during an optimal period for European basketball enthusiasm, particularly with San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama’s meteoric rise to stardom.
The player who earned unanimous Defensive Player of the Year honors this season has guided the Spurs to the championship round, and despite 2:30 a.m. tipoff times in his homeland of France, fans there are still organizing viewing events and celebrations for Wembanyama’s inaugural NBA Finals appearance.
“We are very much on schedule,” Silver said. “It is our hope and anticipation that that league will launch in the ’27-28 season in Europe. We are on track. Final bids from franchises are due at the end of this month, at the end of the month in June. We’ve seen record interest and we’re very excited about the ongoing opportunity and working closely with FIBA, our federation.”
Next season, Wembanyama will return to his home continent when the Spurs face the New Orleans Pelicans in two regular-season contests — first in Paris on January 14, followed by Manchester, England on January 17. Both Paris and Manchester are among the cities being considered for the proposed European league.
Earlier this year in January 2025, Wembanyama and the Spurs competed in a pair of Paris games against the Indiana Pacers, with tickets selling out rapidly. While the NBA’s European expansion ambitions predate Wembanyama’s entry into the league, his emergence as a superstar has undoubtedly heightened NBA interest across that continent.
“Presumably, we will be in position in the fall to award franchises,” Silver said.
During his traditional pre-finals press briefing Wednesday, Silver addressed several additional topics:
Regarding the NBA’s previously announced exploration of expansion into Seattle and Las Vegas, Silver indicated that “discussions are ongoing.”
According to Silver, several ownership groups have expressed interest in establishing teams in those markets. However, no specific timeline exists for potential expansion, though Silver maintains his commitment to reaching a decision by the conclusion of 2026 — a deadline he has referenced repeatedly.
“It’s not a foregone conclusion that we will expand … but what we’ve told all interested parties is our board will make a decision by the end of this calendar year,” Silver said.
