According to The Athletic, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and his top deputies met with Real Madrid executives in Paris to discuss the club’s potential involvement in a new NBA-backed European league. Real Madrid’s participation would be a major milestone, given the club’s stature, resources, and current “A” license in EuroLeague.
The meeting is part of a European tour involving discussions with potential investors and clubs.
Sources on both sides of the Atlantic with knowledge of the NBA’s early talks are watching four existing EuroLeague franchises — Real Madrid, Barca Barcelona, ASVEL Basket of Villeurbanne, of which former NBA superstar Tony Parker is team president, and Fenerbahçe Istanbul — as potential defectors to Silver’s league.
Silver’s team also met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, as the NBA aims to place a franchise in London. Talks were held with Galatasaray, Alba Berlin (which recently left EuroLeague), and four major private equity firms (CVC, RedBird, Bridgepoint, KKR).
The plan envisions a 16-team league, mixing existing clubs with new franchises in major cities like Paris and London, possibly launching within 2–3 years. Meanwhile, EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejūnas stressed his confidence in retaining key clubs, calling the NBA’s plans “exploratory.”
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