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.
