What happens to British basketball amid NBA plans?

London hosted its 10th regular season NBA match on Sunday as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Orlando Magic 126-109, but there was a different feel to the occasion than in previous games in the city.

Three days on from the Magic's win over the Grizzlies in what was Berlin's first regular season NBA match, the Grizzlies' victory concluded a European double-header that brought much excitement around the sport and its potential room for European growth.

In 2027, Paris and Manchester will host a double-header, the latter also getting its first NBA in-season match, while 2028 will see Berlin and Paris take another game each.

All four cities are among those being touted by the NBA as part of its long-term plans for an independent European league that could launch within the next two years.

At grassroots level, basketball is the fastest-growing sport across the United Kingdom and has received further recent investment from the NBA, UK government and regionally too.

But professionally, the UK is significantly straggling on its European counterparts and while there were a record four UK-listed players on NBA rosters in starting squad this season, it is still a low number compared to other European nations.

As plans continue to develop over a potentially transformative NBA European league, there is a sense that this is a potentially major moment for the future of British basketball.

• Grizzlies beat Magic as NBA returns to London
• NBA plans to 'tap into European football culture'
• Real Madrid and Berlin in 'NBA Europe' talks

What state is British basketball currently in?

In recent years, British basketball has lurched between a string of crises.

In 2024, the British Basketball League dissolved after serving as Great Britain's top-flight men's basketball competition for 37 years and has since been replaced by Super League Basketball (SLB).

In October 2025, Fiba, basketball's world governing body, suspended the British Basketball Federation over governance issues which also prevented Great Britain's men's team from competing in international matches.

That suspension was lifted a month later after Fiba recognised SLB as the new domestic top-flight league.

At a grassroots level, there is more positivity around the future of basketball across Great Britain.

In September 2025, the NBA and UK government committed to a joint £10m investment into grassroots development of basketball and, before Sunday's O2 game between Memphis and Orlando, Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan also announced a further investment of almost £2m into grassroots and coaching development across London.

Khan has also set up taskforce designed specifically to help to grow British basketball that includes representation from various bodies across sport, governance and basketball.

"100% basketball can sort itself out," said London Lions CEO Lenz Balan, part of Khan's taskforce.

"There are a lot of positive things even independent of NBA Europe and EuroLeague and Fiba being interested in our league and that's driven by the clubs themselves and the Super League Basketball.

"There's capital coming in, there's expertise coming into the ecosystem. I think everybody within the SLB is sort of on the same page."

The NBA's current plans for 'NBA Europe' and why now?

The NBA is planning the launch of an independent European league under the working title of 'NBA Europe' that could start within the next couple of years.

Talks remain ongoing, but current plans lead towards it starting out as a league of between 12 and 16 teams that could include promotion and relegation.

London, Manchester, Paris and Berlin, the four European cities hosting NBA matches between 2026 and 2028 are all expected to have teams in NBA Europe.

The league is expected to consist of existing basketball teams, completely new sides and football clubs that currently do and do not have associated basketball teams.

Talks remain ongoing and are in preliminary stages, but there is a real sense of optimism around the plans and under the NBA's running, has the potential to completely transform Europe's landscape.

London is being tipped as among the key cities for the NBA's European hopes, despite its current lack of basketball presence.

With its global appeal to current US audiences, infrastructure that includes the O2 and a reported new indoor arena in the process of being built, the English capital is being earmarked as what could become a model city to be emulated across the league and other potential NBA Europe host locations.

"We know that here in London in particular, in many ways we think this market is tastemakers for much of Europe," Silver added.

"The last I looked, I think the O2 is the leading arena throughout Europe and I think from a revenue standpoint, exceeds most arenas around the United States.

"Culturally, all the top acts come through there, I think there is this New York-London connection from a fashion and music standpoint."

An increasing number of international players in the NBA, a growing viewership in the league across Europe, and the fact that five of the NBA's past seven Most Valuable Player awards have been won by European players all point towards a prime opportunity for the NBA to capitalise.

Who is backing an NBA Europe league?

While NBA officials are putting significant backing into these plans, support for a European league run by the NBA has quickly become widespread.

As well as Silver describing interest from potential investors and sponsors as "significant", current and former players have been showing their support for a potential European NBA league.

"The NBA has been such a successful brand and they have talked about expansion for 20 years ever since I was in the league, so I'm excited that this next step is finally here," Dirk Nowtizki, the first European to win the NBA's MVP award, told BBC Sport.

"If the NBA normally does something, they do it right. Hopefully, it is going to be good for European basketball and exciting."

Khan has also told the BBC he strongly backs a London franchise in the proposed NBA Europe league.

Khan and Silver met at half-time of Sunday's match in London to discuss NBA Europe.

"I think it's really exciting that the NBA have announced a new league in Europe. It's going to be amazing. I'm determined we're going to have our own team in London and win," Khan told BBC Sport.

"We've had more NBA games in London that any city outside the US. We have a special relationship with basketball and the NBA.

"With the NBA, they've invested record sums in London renovating basketball courts, investing in indoor basketball sessions, training up coaches and investing two million pounds in basketball in London."

A record total of 71 European players started the NBA season on opening night rosters this season.

"From what I've heard, the idea of expanding basketball [brings] us all closer together," said Spain's Santi Aldama, who plays for the Grizzlies.

"I think anything that benefits basketball and basketball players and giving people chances is good. Anything that grows basketball is good for sport."

The NBA has worked on Europe plans in collaboration with Fiba.

The challenges faced by the NBA

The NBA's main opposition has come in the form of EuroLeague, which currently operates Europe's primary club basketball competition.

EuroLeague has been in strong in its objection to NBA Europe and has recently threatened the NBA with legal action should it approach EuroLeague clubs over a switch to NBA Europe.

"I'm here to grow basketball in Europe, to make it better," EuroLeague chief executive Paulius Motiejunas told BBC Sport in October. "From time to time, you have these new projects or new ideas coming. They can either grow the status quo or make it much better or they can hurt.

"I truly believe that this will only hurt the status quo rather than make it better if it continues to be in a way that it has been presented."

There are other stumbling blocks and logistical issues to work out, such as scheduling, ticket pricing, format and travel.

Should the league go ahead in line with current proposals, it could see teams from potential franchises in London and Manchester travel as far as east as Turkey and Greece for league matches.

"I think it's a good idea, it's a matter now of travel. Can you logistically do it and how would you logistically set it up?" Isiah Thomas, a 12-time NBA all-star, told BBC Sport.

"You know, 20, 30 years ago, you didn't have the type of logistics that we have now in terms of moving around the countries and moving around different places worldwide.

"Logistically now you can easily set up tournaments, and there's enough talent and in different countries where you can really have a pool of resources that you can continually pull from because the game is being taught at a very early young age."

NBA commissioner Silver also says that an NBA Europe league may not be profitable in its infancy and may have to play matches early on in smaller arenas while larger ones are constructed.

Silver also says that, while the league may not initially produce profits for a number of years, any early profits will go back into continued development of the sport across Europe in line the league's long-term commitment to an NBA Europe project.

Early suggestions around NBA Europe ticket prices are that they will be in line with pricing for European sporting events and therefore, will be available to supporters of a broad demographic range.

What next?

Following Sunday's match in London, the NBA hosted a invite-only presentation to potential stakeholders, investors and sponsors at the league's current NBA Europe proposals.

Representatives from football clubs Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan were in attendance, as were basketball clubs Olimpia Milano and Alba Berlin.

A number of private equity firms also attended including JP Morgan, KKR and Raine.

NBA legends Paul Gasol and Tony Parker also featured at the meeting, as did former Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"I'm a believer that if NBA comes with a business case and a business model and can combine it with the European fans, it will be a perfect match," said Ibrahimovic.

"And that's why we are here: to make it successful and to make it magic, because we believe in it."

It is understood that investors wanting to enter a team in the league will be charged an entrance fee of between €500m (£433.7m) and €1bn (£867.5m), ranging on a case-by-case basis.

Due to that, the NBA remains open to potential investment from sovereign wealth funds for NBA Europe franchises, the sorts of which are currently prohibited by the NBA in its primary league.

By the time Manchester hosts a double-header with Paris in 12 months, there will be a much clearer picture of the future of the NBA's plans and whether a 2027-28 season launch is as realistic as currently targeted.

"I think it would be fantastic to grow the game and hopefully elevate it to new heights in Europe," said two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, whose family originates from London.

"Huge upside in London because it's not traditionally a basketball city or country in the UK. To build a fanbase, to build a club, to bring new fans into the game would be incredible for Europe, basketball and the NBA.

"The players coming into the league are more and more international, the fans are growing throughout the world. London would be a fantastic place to bring the game."