COMO, Italy — EuroLeague club owners unanimously rejected a potential partnership with the NBA during a meeting Tuesday near Lake Como. The decision halts the NBA's immediate plans to collaborate with Europe's existing top basketball competition.
EuroLeague leadership will transition from its current 10-year license system to a permanent franchise model, to be formally ratified within 60 days. The league also approved expansion applications, signaling intent to grow independently.
The rejection complicates the NBA's European timeline. Any direct tie-up between the leagues before 2028 is unlikely given the organizational challenges of launching a new competition by the 2027-28 season.
The NBA has spent years exploring an overseas competition. It previously worked with FIBA to launch a new league by October 2027, designed to feature 12 permanent franchises and four rotating slots from other sanctioned circuits. JPMorgan Chase and Raine Group were retained to advise on the project.
The NBA had conducted direct talks with EuroLeague for over a year, seeking to integrate with the existing competition. Sportico reported in June that more than 20 basketball and soccer clubs submitted bids of $500 million or higher for each of the NBA's 12 target European cities: Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Istanbul, London, Lyon, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris and Rome.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in September that the league would pursue some version of NBA Europe beginning in 2027 regardless of EuroLeague's decision.
Eric Menell, global co-head of sports at JPMorgan, said Tuesday at Sportico's Invest London event that he has "the highest degree of confidence we will hit $1 billion for franchises in certain markets." He said discussions continue with global football brands with and without basketball teams, existing EuroLeague teams and other interested parties.
The NBA declined to comment on the EuroLeague's decision.
