Rumors

“It’s very difficult to do a lot of things that you need to do to make the sport successful (in London),” Balan had told me much earlier in the day. The words seemed prescient in the moment. “And in order for it to work, the sport needs a catalyst,” Balan said. “I think the NBA and Euroleague’s interest in the U.K. market is going to be a catalyst.”

New York Times

Silver, the NBA commissioner, is working to stand up a new league in Europe through the deep pockets of sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East, traditional investment firms in the U.S. and Europe, powerhouse European soccer clubs, and a lucrative media rights deal. To begin with, it will be a 16-team league, with 12 teams holding permanent licenses and the other four spots open to virtually any pro team on the continent that can win enough to qualify. The NBA is targeting London, Rome, Paris, Milan, Berlin, Munich, Barcelona, Madrid, Athens, Istanbul, Manchester (England) and Lyon (France) for cities with licensed, permanent teams.

New York Times

There are legitimate pro teams in each of those cities already, other than Rome, but not all of those teams may apply for a license. Two high-ranking basketball officials, one with the NBA in the U.S. and another in Europe, said the NBA wants “to start with a clean slate” in London, where it could cost a new team more than $1 billion to obtain a license. “Just walking the streets here and being in the hotels, I hear from people all the time saying, ‘I’m sleep deprived following your league,’ (in the U.S.),” Silver told The Athletic during an interview in London, prior to the Memphis Grizzlies-Orlando Magic game at London’s O2 Arena.

New York Times

“There are more people approaching us and saying, ‘I’d love to have the London franchise,’ and I think it’s not just because it’s such an attractive market, but because there’s no top-tier basketball team right now,” Silver continued. “So, there’s lots of groups seeing an opportunity to create a new brand here.” For the NBA, the London discussion is one of the sheer size, wealth and untapped basketball potential of the market. There are numerous potential suitors. Soccer powerhouses like Arsenal or Chelsea could create a team. The Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund could do it. As could investment firms like Sixth Street.

New York Times

“The NBA’s ambitions to expand into Europe represent a massive opportunity for the U.K.,” said Lisa Nandy, secretary for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the U.K. “Franchises could deliver billions of pounds in economic growth and create jobs, but just as importantly, they would bring unforgettable moments for fans right here on home soil. We’re excited to work with the NBA as plans progress.”

New York Times

To the NBA’s clear advantage, a bidding war could be developing for an NBA Europe franchise in Manchester, England. According to British newspaper City A.M., the Manchester franchise in the region’s basketball Super League -- owned by the U.S.-based Sherwood Family Investment Office -- has joined Manchester City and Manchester United as potential bidders for a slot in the startup, which will feature 14 to 16 teams. A day after Manchester City was reportedly present at an NBA Europe symposium in London on Monday -- even though Man City has no current basketball team -- City A.M. quoted the Super League’s Manchester president Ben Pierson on Tuesday as saying the Sherwoods have been in talks with the NBA and its financial intermediary JP Morgan.

Sports Business Journal

Despite Dennis Rodman’s appearances, the Bears folded at the end of the season. In his book, Nurse writes about struggling to keep the team afloat, of “sleepless nights” as he struggled to pay staff. He wrote that he felt guilty until he saw the support he gained from British fans after winning the NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, writing, “It gave me hope that they would remember the good times and forget about how it ended.” “Rodmania” proved British basketball could attract an audience. “It goes to show that with marketing and exposure, you can draw attention to the game,” Hildreth said. “I think some people thought it made a mockery of the league, but I look at it and say no publicity is bad publicity. For me personally, it was awesome because I played with Dennis Rodman.”

New York Times

With the Memphis Grizzlies slated to play two games across Germany and England this week, star point guard Ja Morant plans to meet with key members of his camp in Europe in response to recent trade rumors, sources told Yahoo Sports.

Yahoo! Sports

Jeremy Sochan on why he plays for Poland and not the UK: I'm going to be honest. I was playing for both teams. I went to Copenhagen I think with England, had a great tournament. At the same time I was playing for Poland. I had a good tournament there. You got to balance it out. And I looked at both options and we got to be honest, at the time I had way more opportunities with Poland whether it was games, training camps, testing, just exposure level to other European clubs, countries… It was on a different level at the time. It's a shame again if they were the same opportunities, what would I pick? I'm not sure. I can't tell you that. With Poland all the camps were free, the flights were free, whereas with England, it’s a struggle.

YouTube

The U.K. government and NBA have teamed up to expand recreational basketball in England through an investment of 10 million pounds ($13.7 million) ahead of the possible launch of an NBA-affiliated league in Europe. The funds will go toward building courts and providing more playing opportunities for women, girls, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities, the government and NBA said Wednesday.

NBC Bay Area

Marc Stein: Notable scheduling development: @TheSteinLine has learned that the NBA will stage a regular-season game in 2026-27 at Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England, adjacent to @ManCity . The participating teams and specific date will be announced prior to that season.

x.com

Finch had been coaching the Sheffield Sharks since 1997 and wasn’t sure where it was all going. As he bounced from England to Germany to Belgium, coaching teams like the Giessen 46ers and Euphony Bree, Finch was also applying to Division III coaching gigs in an effort to return home. He missed out on several opportunities but eventually coached the British National Team at the London Olympics and returned stateside with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Houston Rockets’ developmental league affiliate.

New York Times

So, you got fans rooting for you in Gambia? Yes, but we’re everywhere, though. In Gambia. We got people in Sweden and Denmark. We were just in London, England. All over the world. People in Gambia, when they grow up, their goal is to get to Europe. They really think Europe is paradise. But then when they get here it is kinda still tough. You still got to work and do all your stuff and get your things right to still live a good life.

Andscape

Sky Sports News: BREAKING: Sky Sports announces deal to show NBA and WNBA for 11 years from the 2025/26 season 🚨🏀

Twitter