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Reuters

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Reuters

The NBA recently announced a massive update on its long-standing NBA Europe dream. The league confirmed that it would begin pursuing teams and ownership groups for a new professional European men’s league in partnership with FIBA. This created a lot of excitement among fans and media alike, as it has been something everyone has been looking forward to, but it might have just hit a roadblock.

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According to Eurohoops, the EuroLeague, which would be a direct rival to NBA Europe, has threatened the league with legal action for its newly announced project.

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“The EuroLeague has officially informed the NBA that legal action may be taken if discussions about a new project in Europe between the US league and clubs that have already committed to the EuroLeague for the next ten years occur. According to Eurohoops sources, a letter was sent to the NBA by the EuroLeague last week, and all EuroLeague clubs currently holding an A license have been informed,” they wrote.

This just goes to show that the EuroLeague is not on the same page regarding the development of the sport in Europe. This comes as a result of the EuroLeague giving the 20 teams with A licenses until this Friday to sign a full commitment with the league. Therefore, before that, all the clubs involved will need to prepare their answers.

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However, it’s worth mentioning that legally, the clubs can sign a new license until July 30, 2026. So, there’s no telling what will happen in the next few days. While most of the clubs have shown their support for the EuroLeague, big names such as Barcelona and Fenerbahce are yet to clear their stance. Nonetheless, the view is that they are about align with the rest of the shareholders.

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This indicates that things won’t be smooth from here onwards for Adam Silver and Co., as they hoped that teams and shareholders would cooperate with them to establish this new competition, something that doesn’t seem to be the case right now. So, until something drastic happens in the next few weeks, it’s safe to say that NBA Europe might be in danger, but there’s still some hope.

Four EuroLeague teams reportedly willing to join NBA Europe

The NBA Europe has been taking shape for some time now, and even though there might be a legal battle coming Adam Silver’s way, at least some EuroLeague teams might be on their side. While many teams have already signed full commitment to the European league, four big names, including the likes of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and LDLC ASVEL, are yet to put pen to paper.

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According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, these four teams are inclined toward joining the NBA’s European project. Although that’s questionable given that Barcelona is expected to show its support to the EuroLeague soon, apart from them, the other three teams could join NBA Europe. Meanwhile, Paris Basketball, which competes in the EuroLeague, is also expected to become another team to join the project.

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However, this was before the EuroLeague issued a notice to the NBA as well as the shareholder clubs. So, it’s safe to assume that a few of them might change their stance regarding the new project soon. So, it will surely be something to wait and watch as to what steps the league takes next to save its project from ending before it even comes into existence, as we keep a close eye on all the developments.

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Written by

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Rishi Rajpoot

1,457 Articles

Rishi Rajpoot is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports with over a year of experience in digital sports media. Specializing in NBA and football coverage, his work has reached a wide readership, boosting fan engagement through timely reporting, player features, and game analysis. At ES, he collaborates closely with editors and social media teams to ensure his coverage resonates across platforms and delivers value to fans. Before joining EssentiallySports, Rishi contributed to football coverage at Cricfut, where his match reports and feature stories expanded the site’s digital presence. With a strong grasp of sports journalism, audience research, and digital strategy, he combines storytelling with an understanding of how fans consume sports online. Passionate about growing engaged sports communities, Rishi continues to bring sharp insight and energy to his NBA beat.

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Ved Vaze

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