By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
NBA owners will examine a plan to launch a pro league in Europe during a league meeting in New York, and according to a Sportico report, one of the proposed plans includes both EuroLeague clubs and new franchises, which will be valued with a huge price for European basketball standards.
“At this week’s NBA Board of Governors meeting, the league will report on its exploration of a new men’s basketball league in Europe, in partnership with FIBA,” a league spokesman confirmed in a statement.
The spring meeting schedule does not feature a formal vote, as clarified, but NBA owners could vote on the proposal at any time.
Per the report, the new league is projected to include 8 to 10 clubs. The plan is for four spots to be occupied by the top EuroLeague clubs and, as Sportico mentions as examples, Real Madrid and Olympiacos “to compete in the NBA’s league the following year.”
According to the same info, teams based in London or Paris could be sold to potential investors “for at least $500 million.”
The NBA would like to see people outside the league investing in the clubs that will take the slots of this new championship, including existing EuroLeague clubs, with 50 percent of the equity held by the NBA and the other half belonging to club owners.
The NBA has long been considering investing in the European market with the creation of a league on the continent. The idea is to have a championship that includes both some of Europe’s historic franchises and representatives of big cities like London and Paris.