As the NBA persists in broadening its global footprint, commissioner Adam Silver detailed an ambitious perspective for what’s ahead, potentially involving teams from different continents competing against United States-based teams during the regular season or playoffs. Besides its foundational endeavors in Europe and Africa and its NBA Global Games initiatives, the NBA is engaged in establishing a fresh league in Europe that might commence operations in 2027 or 2028. And it may soon be the case that international matches set European teams against current American teams.
Silver pictures adjusting the NBA Cup or perhaps the NBA postseason to begin integrating international teams into the league’s program. From there, frequent season competition across borders might be a viable subsequent action.
“We have something we call the NBA Cup, a midseason tournament,” Silver stated at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum. “You could envision teams from Europe, potentially Africa, participating in that tournament. You possibly could see teams entering our playoffs, top seeds from other leagues.”
The European league might attract successful existing clubs to develop its membership. Silver reportedly engaged with Real Madrid this summer regarding the potential of joining the league, and the interest may be shared given the club’s entry into American sports with its agreement to host an NFL game this season.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has discussions with Real Madrid about prospective European league inclusion, according to reports
Austin Nivison
Basketball’s swift development in Europe and the significant entrance of European skill into the NBA recently suggest the possibility for the planned league to attain tremendous accomplishment.
“Over time, especially in Europe, as air travel gets more efficient … when I consider the journey from New York to L.A. for example, there’s no reason if we maintained 14 teams in Europe you couldn’t journey, compete against the Knicks or Nets, travel to London, compete three, four times in Europe, come back home,” Silver noted. “I believe it’s quite achievable in our league.”
Traveling across international boundaries for frequent season games is not a completely new concept for the NBA considering that the NBA Global Games series has dispatched teams to Japan, Mexico, England, and France for decades. Germany is scheduled to enter the picture this season when it accommodates the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic on Jan. 15, 2026. But the notion of participating in meaningful competitions against teams from those countries and beyond is entirely innovative.
The initiative toward international competition is a focal point for Silver, who earlier this year mentioned that the NBA has its sights established on a new All-Star Game configuration that highlights a more nationalistic atmosphere somewhat akin to what the NHL introduced last year with the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“I don’t believe a straightforward USA versus World makes sense, but of course, that’s not what they executed in the NHL either,” Silver commented this summer. “I think there would probably be some distinct teams we assemble, but, whether it’s some regional basis for how we combine certain groups of players — because USA players, I discussed [this] earlier, that international is 30% of the league, American players are still 70% of the league. So I think we can capitalize on that nationalism.”
