“ADAM SILVER has confirmed talks with the likes of Real Madrid over the NBA Europe project. The league’s commissioner, 63, is working with world basketball governing body Fiba to launch a new league in Europe and has sounded out several of the continent’s football superpowers. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! Adam Silver”, — write: www.thesun.co.uk
The league’s commissioner, 63, is working with world basketball governing body Fiba to launch a new league in Europe and has sounded out several of the continent’s football superpowers.
Thank you!
Adam Silver took questions on his NBA Europe projectCredit: Getty
Real Madrid are among European basketball’s superpowersCredit: Getty The Spanish giants are one of several major football clubs to already possess basketball teams – with others including the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Fenerbahce and Benfica.
Sensational reports have even linked Manchester United with the project, while other football clubs could look to launch brand new basketball teams in order to take part.
As part of renewed efforts to promote its product across Europe, the NBA will play a regular season game at Manchester’s Co-Op Live arena, co-owned by Man City, next year.
Existing competition EuroLeague has reportedly warned of potential legal action in a letter sent to NBA bosses, with the league unhappy with its teams being approached despite being under long-term contracts.
Silver addressed the subject at length while in Germany for the NBA’s Berlin Game between the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies, and even revealed that he’d spoken to Luka Doncic regarding his European project.
Asked specifically about Doncic’s former club Real Madrid, Silver said: “I’m not ready to confirm the specific reports.
“I will confirm that we’ve had discussions with Real Madrid and other Spanish clubs, as well.
“But as I’ve said, part of these initial round of discussions, and they’ve gone on for some time, I would put more in the category of fact finding, and for me to make sure I fully understand what would we be taking on in terms of a long-term investment, a further investment in European basketball.”
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It was a German homecoming for the Magic brothers Franz and Mo Wagner, but it was former No1 draft pick Banchero who led the team with 26 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and four steals.
The much-maligned Grizzlies were without wantaway star player Ja Morant, who was ruled out of the game with injury and sat on the bench in a fluffy white coat.
Tuomas Iisalo’s team started quickly, racing into a 16-point lead, and by half-time still had a slim advantage – Jaren Jackson Jr piling in 20 first-half points off the back of some hot shooting.
But the Magic turned up the defensive pressure, clawing their way back in the third quarter before taking the lead
Memphis hung around late on – and even retook the lead in a thrilling final couple of minutes – but Orlando did just enough to squeak over the line.
The two teams meet again at the O2 Arena in London on Sunday.
Silver went on to admit that he doesn’t want to go toe-to-toe with European football, instead believing that NBA Europe can harness already existing support for these clubs.
He continued: “We view ourselves as complementary to other sports
leagues. In fact, as I said earlier, I’m a huge fan of what’s happening in European football, which is continuing to grow.
“For me, all that does is grow the marketplace. So we don’t see ourselves as a substitute, and fans have enormous capacity to be fans of multiple teams, and in many cases this would be a fan under the same moniker as their favourite football team.
“Rather than think of us as taking share from them, I look at the commercial side of basketball as it exists now in Europe, and it probably represents about one percent of the commercial sports marketplace.
“At the same time, being the No2 sport in Europe and maybe faster growing than football, and only faster growing than football because they’re so much larger than we are, that to me speaks to the opportunity exists to build a viable business around the sport.”
The Magic’s 118-111 triumph over the Grizzlies was attended by a bumper sell-out crowd at Uber Arena, with several star names sat courtside including football royalty Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels.
Icons of the basketball world in attendance included the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Tony Parker and Angel Reese, to name just a few.
Silver revealed that San Antonio Spurs icon Parker, 43, is part of a task force of ex-players offering assistance on the NBA Europe project.
‘A PERFECT EXAMPLE’ The commissioner said: “There is a task force of former NBA players who are involved in giving us guidance. Tony Parker is one of them, and he, in fact, is here for these games.
“There is not a specific task force in terms of current players, but many of those players are now reaching out to us and giving us advice, many of whom were developed in the junior programs, and Luka is a perfect example, obviously played for Real Madrid and is very familiar with the system here.
As I said, we’re taking advice from wherever it’s coming. There’s also some American players who spent some time playing in Europe before they came into the NBA.
“I’ve received a lot of calls recently from people saying, here’s my view, here’s where I see the opportunity, et cetera.”
The Grizzlies and the Magic will meet again at London’s 02 Arena on Sunday.
And NBA regular season basketball will return to Europe once again next January, with games scheduled to take place in both Manchester and Paris.
Jurgen Klopp catches up with Mats Hummels and Thomas MullerCredit: Reuters
The Orlando Magic won a thriller against the Memphis GrizzliesCredit: Getty