NBA Europe Launch Date and Teams Announced
George Aivazoglou, NBA Europe managing director, provided key details about the upcoming competition, including its launch date, participating teams, and overall format.
Launch Date
The NBA Europe project is set to begin in October 2027.
Participating Teams and Cities
The league will feature 12 permanent teams from several major European cities:
- Rome, Italy
- Milan, Italy
- London, United Kingdom
- Manchester, United Kingdom
- Paris, France
- Lyon, France
- Madrid, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain
- Berlin, Germany
- Munich, Germany
- Athens, Greece
- Istanbul, Türkiye
Details About Milan's Team
"We'll start in October 2027," Aivazoglou told Giuseppe Nigro from La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Regarding Milan, Aivazoglou confirmed there will be a team from the city but did not clarify if it would be EA7 Emporio Armani Milan or one of the major football clubs like AC Milan or Inter Milan.
"I can't comment on ongoing discussions, but Milan is home to some of the world's most famous brands. There are two big football clubs, there's a major basketball team—Armani—so there's no way we could forget Milan when we think about the cities we want in our league."
He also mentioned ongoing talks about the club's details and arena:
"There are many conversations underway with the city's ecosystem to figure out what the club will look like and what the arena will be like."
Confirmed Teams
All 12 permanent teams are now confirmed. Sources from BasketNews indicate that one of the Istanbul teams will be Galatasaray Istanbul.
Author's Summary: NBA Europe will officially launch in October 2027 with 12 teams from key European cities confirmed, including major hubs like Milan, London, and Istanbul.