NBA-FIBA annual crossover tournament talks in the works: Report
Amid basketball's ever-growing popularity in Europe, the NBA is reportedly in talks with FIBA about implementing an annual crossover tournament.
Since being appointed NBA commissioner in 2014, Adam Silver has put a premium on expanding the league's global reach. The NBA has consistently increased its number of overseas preseason and regular-season games and carried out countless other initiatives in places like Africa and China.
However, Silver reportedly desires to further "increase" the league's "footprint in Europe." On Friday, Silver told The Associated Press that the NBA has been "ramping up" talks with FIBA about starting an "annual tournament" or "NBA-operated league."
Last month, the NBA finalized its new $76 billion media rights deal with The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Amazon, commencing during its 2025-26 season. Per Silver, completing the deal has allowed the league to engage in "much more serious" conversations with FIBA.
However, Silver, who has reportedly been speaking with FIBA executives at the 2024 Paris Olympics, noted that talks are still in the early stages.
"We certainly haven’t made any definitive decisions," Silver said. "I continue to believe there’s an enormous opportunity here. It’s not something where we’ll transform a league structure in the short term. But I think that there’s an appetite among our team owners for additional investment in global basketball."
Amid NBA-FIBA crossover tournament talks, Adam Silver says NBA will "take time" to decide best European initiative
The possibility of an NBA-FIBA crossover tournament has garnered fan attention, with many intrigued by the possibility of Europe's top teams competing against NBA squads. However, Adam Silver is reportedly undecided about whether a tournament or new league would be the NBA's optimal European initiative.
Silver noted that the league will "take the time [it] needs to" before committing to a particular plan to ensure it has "a true grasp of the opportunity." He added that any initiative must be "additive to the European basketball structure."
Per the AP's Tim Reynolds, Europe boasts an estimated 270 million basketball fans, with its media market valued at $20-plus billion. Meanwhile, it continues to churn out NBA-caliber players, with "about 60" of the league's players hailing from the continent.
According to Silver, that includes a substantial increase in players from France, the host country of this year's Olympics.
"When we first played a preseason game in France, there were zero players from France in the NBA. We now have 14, including the last two No. 1 picks," Silver said. "So, I think that that’s just a great example of the development we’re seeing of the game here."
So, while it may take a while, the NBA appears determined to further capitalize on basketball's immense popularity across Europe.
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