NBA and FIBA reaffirm 2027 European league after EuroLeague rejects merger

Joint statement follows rejection

In a joint statement released Thursday, the NBA and FIBA described a partnership with EuroLeague "to unify the European basketball ecosystem" and said it would help the game reach its potential "for the benefit of clubs, players and, most importantly, fans." The two bodies said they "remain committed" to the new league, which has been planned to launch in fall 2027.

EuroLeague's 13 shareholder clubs rejected the NBA's proposal for a single European entity at a meeting in Cernobbio on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. EuroLeague owners viewed the offer as insufficient to serve even as a starting point for negotiations, Eurohoops reported. The clubs include Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Olympiakos, Milan, Tony Parker-owned ASVEL and two Istanbul-based clubs, AP reported. Barcelona said this week the door remains open and that "should that proposal be amended in the future, the clubs and the EuroLeague will reconsider it."

Two competing plans

The NBA and FIBA envision a 16-team league with some permanent franchises and chances for others to qualify based on performance, AP reported. Eurohoops reported that four places would go to Basketball Champions League finalists and qualification tournament winners tied to domestic leagues. The project, widely referred to as NBA Europe, is targeting a tipoff at the top of the 2027-28 season.

EuroLeague, meanwhile, plans to expand its own competition to 24 teams, Eurohoops reported. The current EuroLeague has 20 teams, with 13 shareholder clubs immune from relegation and the rest qualifying through domestic leagues or invitation, AP reported. That makes the NBA plan smaller than the existing EuroLeague, while EuroLeague's proposed expansion would add four teams to its current 20.

George Aivazoglou, the NBA's managing director for Europe and Middle East, told Leaders Week London there is "a serious value gap for European basketball." He said the NBA is "ready to create something that will transcend our careers, maybe even our lifetimes for the next 100 years." Aivazoglou also said the new league would weight qualification on sporting merit more heavily than the current setup, Fanatik reported.

What happens next

EuroLeague shareholder clubs are expected to meet within a month to discuss long-term licences, Fanatik reported. A senior club executive told Fanatik the 13 shareholders remain united and expect a revised proposal from the NBA. Industry insiders suggested any formal collaboration may not materialize before 2028, Fanatik reported.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said multiple times, as recently as last month, that the new league would benefit from "joining forces with the EuroLeague," AP reported. Aivazoglou said the NBA is "always there to have discussions" if both sides share the same assessment of the problem. The NBA and FIBA formally announced the venture in March 2025.

The split has roots. Eurohoops reported that the current standoff echoes the fight for supremacy between FIBA and EuroLeague in 2000 and the later merger of SuproLeague and EuroLeague.