By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The next move by the NBA regarding expanding itself in Europe could be hosting regularly one regular season game in a new market, unexplored until today.
According to The Times, the NBA is reportedly near a deal to organize one regular season game in Manchester, and the event would be played in the city’s Co-op Live arena, eventually the largest basketball venue in the continent with a capacity of 23.500 people.
That would also be linked to the creation of a new basketball franchise in Manchester that would compete in the newest competition shaped by NBA Europe, starting in the 2026-27 season. ESPN reported about this possibility at the end of January.
The City Football Group, owners of both the arena and the football powerhouse Manchester City, would be connected in finalizing the deal, with likely the possibility of creating another team in Paris too, linked to Paris Saint-Germain. Both teams are strictly connected to Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
“What I can say right now is that we had some great meetings in Paris with different stakeholders, we are continuing to explore the opportunities in Europe, and alongside FIBA we want to help the sport grow”, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum previously clarified to Eurohoops.
The NBA has been hosting regular season games outside of the United States for quite some time now, as Paris was the latest one with a double matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and the Indiana Pacers.
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