The NBA’s long-discussed expansion into Europe is taking shape. “We’re aiming to launch in October 2027,” said George Aivazoglou, Managing Director of NBA Europe, as he shared new details about the ambitious plan to create a European league under the NBA umbrella.
The project envisions two Italian franchises – one in Milan and another in Rome – though discussions are still ongoing about who the Italian partners will be.
“Milan? Absolutely, we want a team there,” Aivazoglou said. “The city’s brand is one of the strongest in the world. It has two major soccer clubs and a top-tier basketball team in Armani – there’s no way we could overlook Milan when selecting cities for our league. We’re in active talks with local institutions to understand what the club structure and arena could look like.”
While he declined to confirm rumored talks with Milan or Inter, Aivazoglou outlined three possible paths for franchise formation. “First, we’re speaking with existing basketball clubs. Second, we’re in discussions with major soccer organizations that have powerful brands and massive fan bases but no basketball team – those are some of the most exciting conversations we’re having, including here in Italy. And in a few rare cases, we’ll be starting entirely from scratch.”
Rome might fall into that last category. “The city hasn’t had a major basketball team in years, but it has tradition and passion. There’s a strong fan base, and we could either revive a historic club or build something completely new.”
The league’s initial format will include 16 teams – 12 permanent franchises and 4 earning entry through sporting merit. One of the temporary spots could go to the winner of the Basketball Champions League, organized by FIBA, while the remaining three would come from national league champions.
As for where those 12 permanent teams will be based, the NBA is considering London and Manchester in the UK, Paris and Lyon in France, Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Milan and Rome in Italy, Berlin and Munich in Germany, plus one team each in Athens and Istanbul.
Looking ahead, Aivazoglou even hinted at a future crossover competition – perhaps an “NBA Cup” featuring four NBA teams and four from the new European league.
